---
type: "Bill"
title: "An act relating to competency to stand trial and insanity as a defense"
description: "An act relating to competency to stand trial and insanity as a defense"
jurisdiction: "us/states/vt"
legislature: "Vermont General Assembly"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "S 3"
citation: "Vermont S 3 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Richard Sears"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 64
vote_count: 1
first_action: "2021-01-12"
last_action: "2021-05-21"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/69a067e0-e6b0-4b78-9943-c6490a938fab"
source_url: "http://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/loadBillDetailedStatus/2022/174"
source_hash: "fbfe21a11a9480ec3c7fbe79effeab193d32b5250e5afab3741b6936a7f2b4d5"
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 3 (2021-2022) — An act relating to competency to stand trial and insanity as a defense

## 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/S-0003/S-0003%20As%20Introduced.pdf)
2. **Act Summary** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2022/Docs/ACTS/ACT057/ACT057%20Act%20Summary.pdf)
3. **As Enacted** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2022/Docs/ACTS/ACT057/ACT057%20As%20Enacted.pdf)
4. **Official** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2022/Docs/BILLS/S-0003/S-0003%20As%20passed%20by%20the%20Senate%20Official.pdf)
5. **Unofficial** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2022/Docs/BILLS/S-0003/S-0003%20As%20Passed%20by%20the%20Senate%20Unofficial.pdf)

## Votes

- Roll Call Results Passed -- Needed 72 of 143 to Pass -- Yeas = 143, Nays = 0 — **143–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Richard Sears — primary (person)
- Alison Clarkson — cosponsor (person)
- Jeanette White — cosponsor (person)
- Virginia Lyons — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-01-12** Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Judiciary `introduction`
- **2021-03-16** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2021-03-16** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-16** Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Senate Rule 31
- **2021-03-18** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2021-03-18** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-18** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-19** New Business/Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2021-03-19** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-19** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-23** Unfinished Business/Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2021-03-23** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-23** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-23** Recommendation of amendment to be offered by Senator(s) Sears
- **2021-03-23** Read 2nd time, reported favorably with recommendation of amendment by Senator Sears for Committee on Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable, reading-2`
- **2021-03-23** Reported favorably by Senator Sears for Committee on Appropriations with recommendation of amendment `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-23** Recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary amended as recommended by Committee on Appropriations
- **2021-03-23** Recommendation of amendment by Senator(s) Sears, text
- **2021-03-23** Recommendation of amendment agreed to
- **2021-03-23** Recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary, as amended, agreed to
- **2021-03-23** 3rd reading ordered
- **2021-03-24** New Business/Third Reading `reading-3`
- **2021-03-24** Read 3rd time & passed `reading-3`
- **2021-03-26** Read First Time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary `introduction`
- **2021-05-04** Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Rule 35(a)
- **2021-05-14** Read Second time `reading-2`
- **2021-05-14** Rep. LaLonde of South Burlington reported for the Committee on Judiciary
- **2021-05-14** Rep. Yacovone of Morristown recommended for the Committee on Appropriations
- **2021-05-14** Report of the Committee on Judiciary amended as recommended by the Committee on Appropriations
- **2021-05-14** Rep. LaLonde of South Burlington moved to amend the report of the Committee on Judiciary, which was agreed to
- **2021-05-14** Report of Committee on Judiciary as amended agreed to
- **2021-05-14** Third Reading ordered `reading-3`
- **2021-05-14** Rules suspended and bill placed in all remaining stages of passage as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney
- **2021-05-14** Read Third time `reading-3`
- **2021-05-14** Rep. Morrissey of Bennington demanded yeas and nays
- **2021-05-14** Roll Call Results Passed -- Needed 72 of 143 to Pass -- Yeas = 143, Nays = 0
- **2021-05-14** Passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-14** Rules suspended and bill messaged forthwith to the Senate as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney
- **2021-05-14** House message: House passed bill in concurrence with proposal(s) of amendment
- **2021-05-18** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2021-05-18** House Proposal of Amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-19** New Business/House Proposal of Amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-19** Proposal of amendment to be offered by Senator(s) Sears `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-19** House proposal of amendment; text `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-19** Senator Sears moved to concur in House proposal of amendment with proposal of amendment; text `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-19** House proposal of amendment concurred in with further proposal of amendment as moved by Senator(s) Sears `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-19** Rules suspended & messaged to House forthwith, on motion of Senator Balint `passage`
- **2021-05-19** Senate Message, House proposal of amendment concurred in with further amendment thereto `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-20** Rules suspended and taken up for immediate consideration as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney
- **2021-05-20** Rep. LaLonde of South Burlington moved to concur with the Senate proposal of amendment to the House proposal of amendment with a further amendment thereto `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-20** Which was agreed to
- **2021-05-20** Rules suspended and bill messaged forthwith to the Senate as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney
- **2021-05-20** House message: House concurred in Senate proposal of amendment to House proposal of amendment, with further proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-21** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2021-05-21** House proposal of amendment to Senate proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-21** Rules suspended & taken up for immediate consideration, on motion of Senator Balint
- **2021-05-21** House proposal of amendment to Senate proposal of amendment, text `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-21** House proposal of amendment to Senate proposal of amendment concurred in `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-21** As passed by Senate and House `passage`
- **2021-05-21** Rules suspended & ordered delivered to Governor forthwith, on motion of Senator Balint `executive-receipt`
- **2021-05-21** Senate Message, House proposal of amendment to Senate proposal of amendment to House proposal of amendment concurred in `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-21** Delivered to Governor on June 1, 2021 `executive-receipt`
- **2021-05-21** Signed by Governor on June 7, 2021 `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-21** Senate Message, signed by Governor June 7, 2021 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/69a067e0-e6b0-4b78-9943-c6490a938fab`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Vermont legislature records).