Vermont House advances stepped offenses for vehicle intrusion and reduces attempted-grand-larceny penalty

Representative Burdett of West Rutland, speaking for the House judiciary committee, outlined changes in House Bill 563 on the House floor, saying the bill would create a series of offenses between trespass and grand larceny to address vehicle intrusions and attempted auto theft.

"The new subsection . . . establishes a new misdemeanor that someone knew or should have known they did not have consent to enter someone's vehicle yet did so anyway," Burdett explained on the floor, noting that a first offense would be a three‑month misdemeanor and that second or subsequent offenses would carry a one‑year misdemeanor term. He also said the bill shortens the penalty for attempted grand larceny from up to 10 years to up to 5 years and adds a misdemeanor for operating another person's vehicle without consent.

Burdett said the bill inserted a "step process" of escalating offenses meant to capture conduct such as a joyride that does not meet current grand larceny thresholds, while preserving a full grand larceny charge for more serious thefts or cases involving significant damage. He cited testimony from law-enforcement witnesses including the president of the Vermont Sheriffs Association, chiefs of police, and victim-service organizations and reported the judiciary committee voted 11‑0 in favor of its recommendation.

The House adopted the committee-recommended amendment by voice vote and ordered third reading of the bill. The sponsor and committee emphasized that the bill is intended both to hold offenders accountable and to create opportunities to direct people toward services when substance use or other underlying issues are implicated.

Next steps: the bill was ordered for third reading after the amendment was adopted; no recorded roll-call tally was included on the floor beyond the committee vote and the voice votes reported by the presiding officer.