---
type: "Bill"
title: "An act relating to prohibiting a comparative negligence defense in an action for a negligence claim relating to a sexual act or sexual conduct"
description: "An act relating to prohibiting a comparative negligence defense in an action for a negligence claim relating to a sexual act or sexual conduct"
jurisdiction: "us/states/vt"
legislature: "Vermont General Assembly"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "S 278"
citation: "Vermont S 278 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Richard Sears Jr.", "Tanya Vyhovsky"]
version_count: 9
action_count: 38
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2024-01-17"
last_action: "2024-04-24"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/c8a3b6b7-2c17-49fd-8266-2d10aab146d2"
source_url: "http://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/loadBillDetailedStatus/2024/3802"
source_hash: "a744de696c8e310ce2741034eeff69713ab9620e93f9c23d84c3ae657ec0b669"
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 278 (2023-2024) — An act relating to prohibiting a comparative negligence defense in an action for a negligence claim relating to a sexual act or sexual conduct

## 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/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0278/S-0278%20As%20Introduced.pdf)
2. **Act Summary** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/ACTS/ACT090/ACT090%20Act%20Summary.pdf)
3. **As Enacted** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/ACTS/ACT090/ACT090%20As%20Enacted.pdf)
4. **As Passed By the Senate (Official)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0278/S-0278%20As%20passed%20by%20the%20Senate%20Official.pdf)
5. **As Passed By the Senate (Unofficial)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0278/S-0278%20As%20Passed%20by%20the%20Senate%20Unofficial.pdf)
6. **As Passed by Both House and Senate (Official)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0278/S-0278%20As%20Passed%20by%20Both%20House%20and%20Senate%20Official.pdf)
7. **As Passed by Both House and Senate (Unofficial)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0278/S-0278%20As%20Passed%20by%20Both%20House%20and%20Senate%20Unofficial.pdf)
8. **House Proposal of Amendment (Official)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0278/S-0278%20House%20proposal%20of%20amendment%20Official.pdf)
9. **House Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0278/S-0278%20House%20Proposal%20of%20Amendment%20Unofficial.pdf)

## Sponsors

- Richard Sears Jr. — primary (person)
- Tanya Vyhovsky — primary (person)
- Alison Clarkson — cosponsor (person)
- Andrew Perchlik — cosponsor (person)
- Anne Watson — cosponsor (person)
- Irene Wrenner — cosponsor (person)
- Martine Gulick — cosponsor (person)
- Rebecca White — cosponsor (person)
- Ruth Hardy — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-01-17** Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Judiciary `introduction`
- **2024-02-23** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2024-02-23** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2024-02-23** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2024-02-27** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2024-02-27** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2024-02-27** Read 2nd time, reported favorably with recommendation of amendment by Senator Vyhovsky for Committee on Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable, reading-2`
- **2024-02-27** Recommendation of amendment by Committee on Judiciary agreed to
- **2024-02-27** 3rd reading ordered
- **2024-02-28** New Business/Third Reading `reading-3`
- **2024-02-28** Read 3rd time & passed `reading-3`
- **2024-02-28** Title amended
- **2024-02-29** Read first time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary `introduction`
- **2024-03-26** Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2024-03-27** Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2024-03-27** Rep. Burditt of West Rutland moved to postpone action until 03/28/2024, which was agreed to
- **2024-03-28** Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2024-03-28** Rep. LaLonde of South Burlington moved to postpone action until 03/29/2024, which was agreed to
- **2024-03-29** Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2024-03-29** Rep. Burditt of West Rutland moved to postpone action until 4/02/2024, which was agreed to
- **2024-04-02** Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2024-04-02** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2024-04-02** Rep. Burditt of West Rutland reported for the Committee on Judiciary
- **2024-04-02** Report of Committee on Judiciary agreed to
- **2024-04-03** Action Calendar: Third Reading `reading-3`
- **2024-04-03** Read third time and passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction, reading-3`
- **2024-04-04** House message: House passed bill in concurrence with proposal(s) of amendment
- **2024-04-05** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2024-04-05** House proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-04-09** House proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-04-09** House proposal of amendment; text `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-04-09** House proposal of amendment concurred in `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-04-09** As passed by Senate and House `passage`
- **2024-04-10** Senate Message: House proposal of amendment concurred in `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-04-16** Delivered to Governor on April 16, 2024 `executive-receipt`
- **2024-04-23** Signed by Governor on April 22, 2024 `executive-signature`
- **2024-04-24** Senate Message: Signed by Governor 4/22/2024 `executive-signature`
- **2024-04-02** Third Reading ordered `reading-3`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/c8a3b6b7-2c17-49fd-8266-2d10aab146d2`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Vermont legislature records).