The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Vermont S.186 allows juvenile offenders in Criminal Division to elect plea agreements to lesser offenses
Last action · January 6, 2026: Read 1st time & referred to Committee on JudiciarySponsor: Nader Hashim
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
This bill permits a juvenile offender facing certain serious charges in the Criminal Division to elect to enter a for a lesser offense directly in that division rather than transferring the case to the . The legislation applies initially to individuals under 19 years of age upon passage and expands to individuals under 20 years of age on July 2, 2027.
Changes court venue options for young defendants by letting them resolve certain criminal proceedings entirely within the Criminal Division through a lesser plea instead of undergoing transfer to .
- The Vermont Superior Court includes a Criminal Division and a Family Division, which handle distinct categories of legal matters involving adults and juveniles. context
- Delinquency proceedings for minors in Vermont are typically governed by Title 33 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
juvenile offenders
Juvenile offenders are granted the option to elect to enter plea agreements to lesser offenses directly in the Criminal Division instead of transferring to the Family Division.
Criminal Division of the Superior Court
The Criminal Division retains jurisdiction over proceedings when a juvenile offender elects to enter a plea agreement there.
State’s Attorney
State's Attorneys must file charges in the Family Division unless the child elects to enter a plea agreement in the Criminal Division pursuant to the new provisions.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does a juvenile offender enter a plea agreement under this bill?
What happens to court jurisdiction if the juvenile elects to enter a plea agreement in the Criminal Division?
When do the provisions raising the age threshold to under 20 years take effect?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 6, 2026SenateIntroducedRead 1st time & referred to Committee on Judiciary
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Phased Age Expansion
The bill implements a two-stage rollout, initially applying to individuals under 19 upon passage and expanding to individuals under 20 on July 2, 2027.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.vermont.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools