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Read. Follow. Verify.Vermont Prohibits Firearm Possession for Individuals Found by Court to Pose Danger Due to Mental Illness
Last action · February 12, 2025: Read first time and referred to the Committee on JudiciarySponsor: Martin LaLonde
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What This Bill Would Do
Vermont House Bill 200 prohibits individuals who have been found by a court to pose a danger of harm to themselves or others due to a mental illness from possessing firearms, and increases penalties for repeat violations. The measure takes effect upon passage.
Expands firearms restrictions to include individuals subject to specific mental health court orders and increases the maximum prison sentence and fines for repeat offenders.
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.
Individuals with court-ordered mental health treatment
They become newly prohibited from possessing firearms unless granted relief by the Family Division.
Repeat firearms offenders
They face increased maximum prison terms and fine limits for second or subsequent unlawful possession offenses.
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
Who is newly restricted from possessing firearms under this bill?
Can a person restricted under the mental health provisions regain their firearm rights?
What are the penalties for repeat violations of firearms possession by prohibited persons?
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- Feb 12, 2025HouseIntroducedRead 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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Alignment with Federal Standards
The legislation explicitly seeks to mirror federal restrictions by incorporating state-level court mental health determinations into firearm prohibitions.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.vermont.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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