Vermont Legislature: Proposed Bills 2015-2016 (SENATE)		Gun Owners of Vermont Analysis
Bill #	Bill Title, Summary and Sponsors	Bill Status	Action Needed
S.4 Good	An act relating to notification prior to sale of firearms relinquished pursuant to relief from abuse orders This bill proposes to require personal service notification prior to sale of firearms relinquished pursuant to a relief from abuse order. GOV: This bill attempts to hold the State accountable to ACTIVELY attempt to notify the gun owner of the pending sale of their firearms. This will be an improvement on the damage done by 2014 Act 191 (H.735). Sponsors: Sen. Joe Benning, Sen. Christopher Bray	Never left committee
S.31 BAD	An act relating to possession and transfer of firearms Subject: Crimes and criminal procedures; firearms; criminal background checks; violent felons in possession; reporting to National Instant Criminal Background Check System 1) Enforce FEDERAL law over Vermont law Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to: (1) prohibit a person convicted of a violent crime from possessing a firearm; (2) require that a criminal background check be conducted on the proposed purchaser before a firearm may be sold unless the sale is between 'immediate' family members, by or to a law enforcement agency, or by or to a law enforcement officer or member of the U.S. Armed Forces acting within the 14 course of his or her official duties; and (3) require the Court administrator to report to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The bill's definition of “Violent crime” includes drug dealing AND or a comparable offense in another jurisdiction if the offense prohibits the person from possessing a firearm under 18 U.S.C. 7 § 922(g)(1);. (Many "felonies" are non-violent ones!) Sponsors: Sen. John F. Campbell, Sen. Philip Baruth, Sen. Claire Ayer	VICTORY! S.31 is DEAD. The UBCs are gone but other 2 parts of the bill have been revived in Senate Committee. S.141 passed with many protections for Vermont gun owners even though GunSense is claiming victory.
S.141 BAD	An act relating to possession of firearms S.141 Details Universal Background Check Legislation Analysis: S.31 & S.141 (Act 14, 2015) Sponsors: Senate Committee on Judiciary (Co-opted by Sen John Campbell and Claire Ayer to include mental health provision that was NOT in initial bill.)	PASSED SENATE AND HOUSE. Signed by Governor on 5/1/15.
S.154 BAD	An act relating to enhanced penalties for assaulting an employee of the Family Services Division of the Department for Children and Families and to criminal threatening An act relating to enhanced penalties for assaulting an employee of the Family Services Division of the Department for Children and Families and to criminal threatening This bill proposes to provide enhanced penalties for assaulting an employee of the Family Services Division of the Department for Children and Families and to establish the crime of criminal threatening. The Criminal Threatening part is the ONLY concerning part of this bill! § 1702. CRIMINAL THREATENING (a) A person shall not by words or conduct intentionally: (1) threaten another person; and (2) as a result of the threat, place the other person in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury. This WILL be used against gun owners since EVERY gun owner has the ability to cause serious injury or death. Laws FORMERLY provided penalties after-the-fact for crimes, now they provide penalties BEFORE a crime is actually committed, by using words to become the actual crime! The Police State has arrived! The Minority Report has begun in Vermont... Sponsors: Sen. Dick Sears Sen. John F. Campbell Sen. Claire Ayer Additional Sponsors Sen. Peg Flory Sen. Anthony Pollina 3/9/2016: Senator Benning moved to amend in Sec. 2, 13 V.S.A. § 1702, by inserting a subsection (f) as follows: (f) It shall be an affirmative defense to a charge under this section that the person did not have the ability to carry out the threat. The burden shall be on the defendant to prove the affirmative defense by a preponderance of the evidence.(GOOD)	PASSED the Senate on roll call Needed 15 of 28 to Pass Yeas = 26, Nays = 2 Read First Time and Referred to the House Committee on Human Services Currently in House Committee on Judiciary
S.199 Good	An act relating to the invalidity of residential rental agreements that prohibit the tenant from possessing firearms on the premises Subject: Residential rental agreements; tenant possession of firearms on premises; restrictions on possession prohibited Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to prohibit a residential rental agreement from containing a provision that prevents the tenant from possessing firearms on the premises. Sponsors: Sen. Dick Sears Sen. Joe Benning	Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs
S.203 Good	An act relating to sport shooting ranges and Act 250 Subject: Conservation and development; natural resources; land use; Act 250; sport shooting ranges Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to exempt from Act 250 changes to existing sport shooting ranges that are for the purpose of safety, abating noise, or mitigating environmental impacts. Sponsors: Sen. Dick Sears, Sen. Brian Collamore	Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Natural Resources & Energy The Natural Resources Committee did not take it up. Committee Members: Sen. Christopher Bray, Chair Sen. Diane Snelling, Vice Chair Sen. Mark A. MacDonald Sen. John Rodgers Sen. Brian Campion, Clerk
S.246 Good	An act relating to hunting licenses for minors Subject: Fish and wildlife; hunting; licenses; fees for minors Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to provide hunting licenses free of charge to minors. Sponsors: Sen. Brian Campion	Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Natural Resources & Energy
Here is an alphabetical listing of all Senators		Search for your Senator(s) here.
Copyright 2016 Gun Owners of Vermont Last Updated: 11/11/2016
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