Bill > H0118

This bill expands Vermont's hate-motivated crimes statute by broadening the language around how a crime's motivation is defined. Currently, the law focuses on crimes motivated by a "victim's" protected characteristics, but the bill changes this to crimes motivated by "another person's or a group of persons' membership in a protected category." The bill maintains the existing penalty structure, which increases potential imprisonment and fines based on the severity of the underlying crime. The bill also clarifies that the hate-motivated aspect does not need to be the primary or sole reason for the criminal act. The definition of "protected category" remains comprehensive, including characteristics such as race, color, religion, national origin, sex, ancestry, age, military service, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and perceived membership in any of these groups. The bill will take effect on July 1, 2025, and represents an effort to provide more inclusive legal protections against hate-motivated criminal activities by recognizing that hate can be directed not just at a specific victim but potentially at broader groups or communities.

Justice

https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.118