republic-os/legislation/us/states/vt/2023-2024/h-45.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "An act relating to abusive litigation filed against survivors of domestic abuse, stalking, or sexual assault"
description: "An act relating to abusive litigation filed against survivors of domestic abuse, stalking, or sexual assault"
jurisdiction: "us/states/vt"
legislature: "Vermont General Assembly"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "H 45"
citation: "Vermont H 45 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Katherine Donnally"]
version_count: 9
action_count: 31
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2023-01-12"
last_action: "2023-05-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/ab97c450-b147-470d-9c20-f5a65e65710f"
source_url: "http://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/loadBillDetailedStatus/2024/74"
source_hash: "ceb73703907266afe2f0dfebc8bcca6494f5ab807d8c5539b85ad74f105d4278"
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 45 (2023-2024) — An act relating to abusive litigation filed against survivors of domestic abuse, stalking, or sexual assault

## 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/H-0045/H-0045%20As%20Introduced.pdf)
2. **Act Summary** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/ACTS/ACT048/ACT048%20Act%20Summary.pdf)
3. **As Enacted** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/ACTS/ACT048/ACT048%20As%20Enacted.pdf)
4. **As Passed By the House (Official)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/H-0045/H-0045%20As%20passed%20by%20the%20House%20Official.pdf)
5. **As Passed By the House (Unofficial)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/H-0045/H-0045%20As%20Passed%20by%20the%20House%20Unofficial.pdf)
6. **As Passed by Both House and Senate (Official)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/H-0045/H-0045%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/H-0045/H-0045%20As%20Passed%20by%20Both%20House%20and%20Senate%20Unofficial.pdf)
8. **Senate Proposal of Amendment (Official)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/H-0045/H-0045%20Senate%20proposal%20of%20amendment%20Official.pdf)
9. **Senate Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/H-0045/H-0045%20Senate%20Proposal%20of%20Amendment%20Unofficial.pdf)

## Sponsors

- Katherine Donnally — primary (person)
- Barbara Rachelson — cosponsor (person)
- Martin LaLonde — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-12** Read first time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary `introduction`
- **2023-01-31** Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2023-02-01** Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2023-02-01** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-02-01** Rep. Rachelson of Burlington reported for the Committee on Judiciary
- **2023-02-01** Report of Committee on Judiciary agreed to
- **2023-02-01** Third Reading ordered `reading-3`
- **2023-02-02** Action Calendar: Third Reading `reading-3`
- **2023-02-02** Amendment as offered by Rep. Rachelson of Burlington agreed to
- **2023-02-02** Read third time and passed `reading-3`
- **2023-02-07** Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Judiciary `introduction`
- **2023-05-03** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2023-05-03** Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `amendment-introduction`
- **2023-05-04** New Business/Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2023-05-04** Favorable report with proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary `amendment-introduction`
- **2023-05-04** Read 2nd time, reported favorably with proposal of amendment by Senator Sears for Committee on Judiciary `amendment-introduction, committee-passage-favorable, reading-2`
- **2023-05-04** Proposal of amendment by Committee on Judiciary agreed to `amendment-introduction`
- **2023-05-04** 3rd reading ordered
- **2023-05-05** New Business/Third Reading `reading-3`
- **2023-05-08** Unfinished Business/Third Reading `reading-3`
- **2023-05-09** Unfinished Business/Third Reading `reading-3`
- **2023-05-09** Read 3rd time & passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction, reading-3`
- **2023-05-09** Rules suspended & messaged to House forthwith, on motion of Senator Baruth `passage`
- **2023-05-09** Senate Message: Passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2023-05-10** Notice Calendar: Senate Proposal of Amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2023-05-10** Rules suspended and taken up for immediate consideration as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney
- **2023-05-10** Senate proposal of amendment concurred in `amendment-introduction`
- **2023-05-11** House message: House concurred in Senate proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2023-05-12** Delivered to the Governor on May 31, 2023 `passage`
- **2023-05-12** Signed by Governor on June 6, 2023 `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-12** House message: Governor approved bill on June 6, 2023

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/ab97c450-b147-470d-9c20-f5a65e65710f`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Vermont legislature records).