VT H0361

Creates municipal and regional community police oversight boards to receive, investigate, and address complaints against law enforcement agencies and officers, with authority to issue subpoenas, administer oaths, and access personnel records and body camera footage

Requires boards to have at least seven members appointed by local legislative bodies, including at least one BIPOC individual, one person with lived experience in the criminal justice system, one civil rights representative, one mental health/disability rights expert, and one attorney with civil rights experience

Mandates law enforcement agencies report all complaints to both the Vermont Criminal Justice Council and the relevant oversight board within 10 business days, and fully cooperate with board investigations

Empowers boards to publish public reports with findings and recommended sanctions, which must be given deference by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council when adjudicating unprofessional conduct complaints

Requires oversight boards to participate in collective bargaining negotiations involving municipal or regional law enforcement officers, effective July 1, 2025