The Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee reported H.222 to the full Senate with recommended amendments that expand the state's civil orders of protection. Committee members said the changes update the stalking definition to reflect modern technology and provide additional tools for people seeking protection.

Senator Beihovsky (Senator from Chittenden Central District), the committee reporter, described the key change as adding "the use of any electronic, precise geolocation device" (examples given included air tags or phone apps) to the statutory definition of stalking when the device is used continuously for 12 hours or more, or on two or more occasions over a period of time, creating a pattern of conduct. The change is intended to capture covert tracking that can cause fear, substantial emotional distress, or significant disruption to a victim's life.

The bill also expands remedies available in civil protection proceedings. It permits a court to award temporary possession of a vehicle to a plaintiff if the plaintiff is the owner or joint owner, the primary payer on the vehicle loan, has primary possession or was restricted from using the vehicle by the defendant. The amendment likewise authorizes courts, in civil protection cases, to require a defendant to complete a domestic violence accountability program approved by the Council on Domestic Violence. Committee language clarifies that failure to complete such a program could lead to a civil contempt finding (pursuant to Rule 16 of the Vermont Rules for Family Proceedings) but would not by itself trigger criminal charges.

The committee inserted a reporting requirement: the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission must include in its biennial report the number of defendants ordered to complete the accountability program, enabling legislators to review whether the option is being used and whether the civil-contempt approach is appropriate.

Committee members told the Senate the change is meant to provide earlier, less punitive tools in certain cases to encourage behavior change without starting criminal proceedings. The Judiciary Committee voted 5-0-0 to recommend the amendment to the House and asked for the Senate's support. The bill's effective date was reported as July 1, 2025.

Witnesses listed by the committee included Representative Arseneau (house sponsor), Michelle Childs (legislative counsel), Charlie Glisserman (Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence), Carolyn Hanson (assistant attorney general), Anthony Jackson Miller (equity analyst, Office of Racial Equity), Angela Laso Jimenez (policy and research analyst, Office of Racial Equity), Kim McManus (legislative attorney, Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs), Eitan Nasreddin Longo (chair, Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems Advisory Panel), and Thomas Zonay (Chief Superior Judge). The committee report characterized the amendment as aligning the stalking statute with technologies used for covert tracking and as adding a civil-tool option to require accountability programs earlier in the process.

The Senate voted by voice to propose to the House the committee's amendments and ordered third reading. No roll-call tally was provided on the floor.

Supporters emphasized the measure's intent to expand protections for stalking victims and to provide more flexible civil remedies. The committee also clarified that the accountability program requirement is civil in nature: noncompletion can be treated as contempt, not a separate criminal offense, and judges may consider program completion when deciding whether to extend final orders of protection.