---
type: "Bill"
title: "An act relating to a news media privilege"
description: "An act relating to a news media privilege"
jurisdiction: "us/states/vt"
legislature: "Vermont General Assembly"
session: "2017-2018"
identifier: "S. 96"
citation: "Vermont S. 96 (2017-2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Jeanette White", "Richard Sears"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 22
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2017-02-24"
last_action: "2018-05-10"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/7484e211-acf0-4c49-9dcf-1c9140adfa9c"
source_url: "http://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/loadBillDetailedStatus/2018/943"
source_hash: "ada3ae288fbb589226db23f3e69a092c0a459acc796cb75666bf704e5b3b135e"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-vt"]
---

# Vermont S. 96 (2017-2018) — An act relating to a news media privilege

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **As Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/assets/Documents/2018/Docs/BILLS/S-0096/S-0096%20As%20Introduced.pdf)
2. **Act Summary** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/assets/Documents/2018/Docs/ACTS/ACT040/ACT040%20Act%20Summary.pdf)
3. **As Enacted** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/assets/Documents/2018/Docs/ACTS/ACT040/ACT040%20As%20Enacted.pdf)
4. **Official** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/assets/Documents/2018/Docs/BILLS/S-0096/S-0096%20As%20Passed%20by%20the%20Senate%20Official.pdf)
5. **Unofficial** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/assets/Documents/2018/Docs/BILLS/S-0096/S-0096%20As%20Passed%20by%20the%20Senate%20Unofficial.pdf)

## Votes

- Read 3rd time & passed on roll call, requested by Senator Collamore, Passed -- Needed 15 of 29 to Pass -- Yeas = 29, Nays = 0 — **29–0** (pass) · legislature
- Roll Call Results Passed -- Needed 72 of 142 to Pass -- Yeas = 140, Nays = 2 — **140–2** (pass) · legislature

## Sponsors

- Jeanette White — primary (person)
- Richard Sears — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2017-02-24** Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Judiciary `introduction`
- **2017-02-24** Committee on Judiciary relieved; bill committed to Committee on Government Operations on motion of Senator Sears
- **2017-03-21** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee onGovernment Operations
- **2017-03-22** New Business/Second Reading
- **2017-03-22** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Government Operations
- **2017-03-22** Read second time, reported favorably with recommendation of amendment by Senator White for Committee on Government Operations
- **2017-03-22** Recommendation of amendment by Committee on Government Operations agreed to
- **2017-03-22** 3rd reading ordered
- **2017-03-23** New Business/Third Reading
- **2017-03-23** Read 3rd time & passed on roll call, requested by Senator Collamore, Passed -- Needed 15 of 29 to Pass -- Yeas = 29, Nays = 0 `passage`
- **2017-03-28** Read First Time and Referred to the Committee on Judiciary
- **2017-04-19** Read Second Time
- **2017-04-19** Rep. Lalonde of South Burlington reported for the committee on Judiciary
- **2017-04-19** Third Reading Ordered
- **2017-04-20** Read Third time and Passed in Concurrence `passage`
- **2017-04-20** Roll Call Results Passed -- Needed 72 of 142 to Pass -- Yeas = 140, Nays = 2
- **2017-04-21** House message House passed bill in concurrence
- **2017-04-21** As passed by Senate and House `passage`
- **2017-05-11** Delivered to Governor on 5/11/17
- **2017-05-17** Signed by Governor on 5/17/2017 `executive-signature`
- **2017-05-18** Senate Message, Signed by Governor May 17, 2017 `executive-signature`
- **2018-05-10** New Business/House Proposal of Amendment

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/7484e211-acf0-4c49-9dcf-1c9140adfa9c`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Vermont legislature records).