Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session Status: Introduced Bipartisan · 1 D · 1 R cosponsors

H 741 — An act relating to requiring the court to issue an arrest warrant when a criminal defendant fails to appear in court

Last action — Read first time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary

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  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the House. Introduced January 21, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    2 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (1 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

2 changes Share ↗

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

This bill requires courts to issue arrest warrants instead of citations when a defendant fails to appear in court under specified conditions.

  • 13 V.S.A. § 7559

    The court shall issue an arrest warrant for a person who without just cause fails to appear after being released pursuant to section 7554 of this title with or without bail on condition that the person appear at a specified time and place in connection with a prosecution for an offense. An arrest warrant issued pursuant to this subdivision shall require the person to appear before a judicial officer at the earliest possible time and shall not permit issuance of a citation to appear.

    This mandates that an arrest warrant be issued for a defendant who fails to appear in court instead of allowing a citation.

  • 13 V.S.A. § 7559

    the court shall issue an arrest warrant for a person who without just cause fails to appear after a law enforcement officer has issued a citation to appear at a specified time and place in connection with a prosecution for an offense. An arrest warrant issued pursuant to this subsection shall require the person to appear before a judicial officer at the earliest possible time and shall not permit issuance of a citation to appear.

    This establishes that an arrest warrant must be issued after a citation to appear is given and the defendant fails to show up.

Action History

  1. Read first time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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2 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 188 not signed on

Sponsors (2)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (188)

188 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 188 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors H 741?
H 741 is sponsored by Martin J LaLonde (Democrat) and Thomas Oliver (Republican/Democrat).
What is the current status of H 741?
This bill has been introduced in the House. Introduced January 21, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track H 741?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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