---
type: "Bill"
title: "An act relating to eligibility of domestic partners for reimbursement from the Victims Compensation Program"
description: "An act relating to eligibility of domestic partners for reimbursement from the Victims Compensation Program"
jurisdiction: "us/states/vt"
legislature: "Vermont General Assembly"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "H 553"
citation: "Vermont H 553 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Barbara Rachelson"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 47
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2022-01-11"
last_action: "2022-05-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/dc961a97-81c1-494b-94a3-d7cf6e3e44a6"
source_url: "http://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/loadBillDetailedStatus/2022/1378"
source_hash: "43f257449511cdda2e39d5f636a2f3694931323f3930af2fa67022a0d9161114"
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 H 553 (2021-2022) — An act relating to eligibility of domestic partners for reimbursement from the Victims Compensation Program

## 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/Documents/2022/Docs/BILLS/H-0553/H-0553%20As%20Introduced.pdf)
2. **Act Summary** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2022/Docs/ACTS/ACT122/ACT122%20Act%20Summary.pdf)
3. **As Enacted** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2022/Docs/ACTS/ACT122/ACT122%20As%20Enacted.pdf)
4. **Official** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2022/Docs/BILLS/H-0553/H-0553%20As%20passed%20by%20the%20House%20Official.pdf)
5. **Unofficial** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2022/Docs/BILLS/H-0553/H-0553%20As%20Passed%20by%20the%20House%20Unofficial.pdf)

## Sponsors

- Barbara Rachelson — primary (person)
- Karen Dolan — cosponsor (person)
- Maxine Grad — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2022-01-11** Read First Time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary `introduction`
- **2022-01-12** Notice Calendar: Favorable with amendment
- **2022-01-12** Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Rule 35(a)
- **2022-03-22** Notice Calendar: Favorable with amendment
- **2022-03-23** Action Calendar: Favorable with amendment
- **2022-03-23** Read Second time `reading-2`
- **2022-03-23** Rep. Rachelson of Burlington reported for the Committee on Judiciary
- **2022-03-23** Rep. Townsend of South Burlington recommended for the Committee on Appropriations
- **2022-03-23** Rep. Rachelson of Burlington moved to amend the bill which was agreed to
- **2022-03-23** Report of Committee on Judiciary as amended agreed to
- **2022-03-23** Third Reading ordered `reading-3`
- **2022-03-24** Action Calendar: Third reading `reading-3`
- **2022-03-24** Read Third time and passed `reading-3`
- **2022-03-29** Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Judiciary `introduction`
- **2022-04-19** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2022-04-19** Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `amendment-introduction`
- **2022-04-19** Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Senate Rule 31
- **2022-04-22** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2022-04-22** Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `amendment-introduction`
- **2022-04-22** Favorable report by Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2022-04-25** New Business/Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2022-04-25** Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `amendment-introduction`
- **2022-04-25** Favorable report by Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2022-04-26** Unfinished Business/Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2022-04-26** Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `amendment-introduction`
- **2022-04-26** Favorable report by Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2022-04-27** Unfinished Business/Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2022-04-27** Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `amendment-introduction`
- **2022-04-27** Favorable report by Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2022-04-28** Unfinished Business/Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2022-04-28** Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `amendment-introduction`
- **2022-04-28** Favorable report by Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2022-04-28** Read 2nd time, reported favorably with proposal of amendment by Senator Sears for Committee on Judiciary `amendment-introduction, committee-passage-favorable, reading-2`
- **2022-04-28** Reported favorably by Senator Sears for Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-04-28** Proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary agreed to `amendment-introduction`
- **2022-04-28** 3rd reading ordered
- **2022-04-29** New Business/Third Reading `reading-3`
- **2022-04-29** Read 3rd time & passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction, reading-3`
- **2022-04-29** Rules suspended & messaged to House forthwith, on motion of Senator Balint `passage`
- **2022-05-02** Notice Calendar: Senate proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2022-05-02** Senate Message, passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2022-05-03** Action Calendar: Senate proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2022-05-03** Senate proposal of amendment concurred in `amendment-introduction`
- **2022-05-05** House message: House concurred in Senate proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2022-05-12** Delivered to the Governor on May 13, 2022 `passage`
- **2022-05-12** Signed by Governor on May 19, 2022 `executive-signature`
- **2022-05-12** House message: Governor approved bill on May 19, 2022

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/dc961a97-81c1-494b-94a3-d7cf6e3e44a6`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Vermont legislature records).