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MONTPELIER â A bill updating Vermontâs sexual assault law is scheduled to be taken up again by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, with the hope that revised language on consent will allow the bill to move forward.
The bill, H.183, was passed by the House by voice vote in March. It would update state law to clarify that sexual consent cannot be granted âwhen the other person is incapable of consenting to the sexual act due to substantial impairment by alcohol, drugs, or other intoxicants and that condition is known or reasonably should be known by the person.â
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In the last two weeks, we have taken many steps to improve the lives of Vermonters. Iâll take a few moments to focus on several of them.
H.159, among other things, creates the Better Places Program and makes a strong commitment to our Vermont State Colleges (VSC). We allocate $20.5 million to the State College system to be focused on workforce development in the fields of childcare, nursing, accounting, and mental health counseling, as well as scholarships for Vermont students who want to complete their degrees or return home from out-of-state colleges and universities to attend VSC. The Better Places program is allocated $5 million to advance its mission of creating or revitalizing public spaces in our communities through matching grants. To reopen our state to tourists, $2.5 million is dedicated to marketing Vermont in support of our hospitality and tourism industry. H.159 also places an emphasis on supporting businesses
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MONTPELIER â The stateâs sexual assault criminal statutes are outdated, especially when it comes to defining consent and the role of alcohol and drugs, according to supporters of a bill now before the House Judiciary Committee.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