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Read. Follow. Verify.Vermont creates Adult Involuntary Guardianship Working Group to study court consolidation
Last action · January 8, 2026: Read first time and referred to the Committee on JudiciarySponsors: Martin LaLonde and 1 other
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What This Bill Would Do
The General Assembly of Vermont creates the Adult Working Group to study and report on consolidating adult involuntary guardianship proceedings by December 15, 2026. The act takes effect on passage.
Establishes a 10-member state study committee required to submit legislative recommendations regarding court jurisdiction over adult guardianships and equal access to voluntary arrangements.
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.
Adults subject to involuntary guardianship
Their guardianship proceedings and access to voluntary arrangements may be altered depending on the working group's recommendations and subsequent legislative changes.
Persons with developmental disabilities
The working group is specifically charged with examining equal access to voluntary guardianships for respondents under Title 18.
Key Facts
- The Adult Involuntary Guardianship Working Group is created to study the jurisdiction of proceedings involving the involuntary guardianship of adults.
- The working group must examine whether to consolidate Title 14 involuntary guardianships with Title 18 developmental disability guardianships or keep them in separate divisions.
- The working group consists of 10 members, including state officials, judges, a guardian ad litem, attorneys, a mental health evaluator, and an appointee from the Vermont Center for Independent Living.
- The Commissioner of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living must call the first meeting to occur on or before August 1, 2026.
Show all 7 facts
- A majority of the membership constitutes a quorum, and the group shall select a chair at its first meeting.
- The working group must submit its report and recommendations to designated legislative committees on or before December 15, 2026.
- The act takes effect upon passage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the Adult Involuntary Guardianship Working Group?
When must the working group report its findings?
Who must call the first meeting of the working group?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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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 8, 2026HouseIntroducedRead first time and referred to the 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
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.vermont.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance35How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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