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MONTPELIER â The stateâs sexual assault criminal statutes are outdated, especially when it comes to defining consent and the role of alcohol and drugs, according to supporters of a bill now before the House Judiciary Committee.
The bill, H. 183, had its initial hearing Wednesday and was introduced during a news conference hosted by one of its three main sponsors, Rep. Sarah Copeland Hanzas, D-Orange-2.
âNo Vermonters should experience rape compounded by the absence of justice,â Copeland Hanzas said. âWe need to take consent out of the shadows and talk openly about what consensual sex means and doesnât mean.â