Signed by Governor Phil Scott

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires law enforcement agencies to request for performance reviews.

Highlights:

• Expands the membership of the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council (Sec. 2).

• Requires the Council to adopt rules to identify and implement alternate routes to certification aside from the training provided at the Vermont Police Academy and offer courses of instruction for law enforcement officers in different areas of the state (Sec. 4).

• Authorizes Level II certified officers to use portfolio experiential learning or College Level Examination Program testing in order to transition to Level III certification, on and after July 1, 2021 (Sec. 5).

• Requires officers to execute a written waiver to authorize (Sec. 8):

• Their current law enforcement agency employer to disclose to a hiring agency the analysis of the officer’s performance at their agency, if the officer is still employed at that agency; or

• Their last law enforcement agency employer to disclose to a hiring agency the reason that the officer is no longer employed by that agency if the officer is not currently employed at an agency. 

• Prohibits an officer who refuses to execute a written waiver from being hired by a potential hiring agency (Sec. 8). 

• Requires hiring agencies to contact the applicable agency to obtain this disclosure and provide the agency with a copy of the written waiver prior to hiring a law enforcement officer (Sec. 8).

• Requires all law enforcement agencies to adopt, follow, and enforce the Model Body Worn Camera Policy on or before January 1, 2022 (Sec. 9a).

• Requires reports on progress and recommendations for legislative action to be made by January 15, 2021, including, but not limited to (Sec. 10a):

• Recommendations for universal standards for interviewing and hiring new law enforcement officers made by the Law Enforcement Advisory Board;

• A law enforcement officer training report to determine whether appropriate training is provided in the areas of cultural awareness, implicit bias, de-escalation, and recognition of mental conditions;

• A recommendation for one or more models of civilian oversight of law enforcement;

• Identification of a central point for reporting allegations for law enforcement misconduct and recommendations for how these allegations should be handled; 

• A report outlining the changes deemed necessary to the Model Body Worn Camera Policy and recommendations for responding to public records requests for body camera footage; and 

• A recommendation of a statewide policy on law enforcement officers’ use of military equipment. 

• Establishes the Law Enforcement Advisory Board to undertake an ongoing and formal review process of law enforcement policies and practices, and present its findings annually on or before January 15 (Sec. 13).

• Requires an ambulance service to provide services in a manner that does not discriminate on the basis of income, funding source, or severity of health needs, in order to obtain and maintain a license to furnish ambulance services (Sec. 18).

• Requires the Department of Health to establish at least 3 levels of emergency medical personnel instructors and the education required for each level for emergency medical personnel training (Sec. 20)

• Requires each town and legislative body to adopt a public safety plan that describes how the town or city will address the regular law enforcement, fire, emergency medical service, and dispatch resources, needs, scarcities, costs, and problems within the municipality unrelated to an all-hazards incident by July 1, 2023 (Sec. 23-24).

Full Bill Text