Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateVermontEnacted
H 635: An act relating to eliminating Department of Corrections supervisory fees
Troy Headrick
H 635 status: Enacted — Signed by Governor on May 27, 2026 (updated May 27, 2026).
Source
OpenStates
Confidence
Low
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
70OUT OF 100
Score:70/100 civic fit
Risk:Low Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 40/100
Constitutionality100%
Bipartisan50%
Public opinion85%
Bill summary
What changes
The legislation removes the requirement for individuals on parole or probation to pay monthly supervision fees to the Vermont Department of Corrections.
Who is affected
All individuals under community-based correctional supervision in Vermont.
Requirements and enforcement
The Department of Corrections must cease the assessment and collection of these fees.
Costs and funding
Direct loss of fee revenue to the Department of Corrections budget; exact figures depend on historical collection data.
When it takes effect
The bill is enacted and effective as of May 2026.
Potential benefits
Provides immediate financial relief to individuals re-entering society and removes a potential trigger for technical violations related to inability to pay fees.
Risks and tradeoffs
Potential budgetary shortfall for the Department of Corrections if these fees previously supported essential program delivery.
What is still unknown
The specific mechanisms the state will use to offset lost revenue in future budget cycles.
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
Mixed / Neutral
60%
Benefits
- Reduces direct financial burden on individuals under supervision
- Decreases economic barriers to successful community reintegration
- Lowers costs associated with pursuing fee collection
Risks
- Reduces total revenue for the Department of Corrections
- Shifts budgetary reliance to state general funds
- Requires potential administrative adjustment of department operations
Society
Positive outlook
80%
Benefits
- Promotes greater stability for individuals on probation and parole
- Reduces stress for justice-involved families and households
- Lowers risk of re-incarceration due to non-payment of fees
Risks
- Potential for reduced oversight of specific correctional programs
- Dependency on annual legislative appropriations for services
- Possibility of service scaling if budget gaps are not bridged
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Civic Accountability
Positive outlook
70%
Benefits
- Simplifies state administrative revenue structures
- Eliminates punitive fees that prioritize revenue over rehabilitation
- Increases transparency in correctional agency operations
Risks
- Increases reliance on executive/legislative budget prioritization
- Reduces agency autonomy regarding self-funded operations
- Requires adjustment to departmental fiscal reporting
Public Health & Safety
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
OpenStates
Official bill text or data from OpenStates.
Confidence
Low
Information is limited or incomplete.
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
LegiScan returned a PDF-only document. PDF extraction is not enabled in this build, so the pipeline used a safer fallback.
Analysis scope
Source provided is a brief summary only
04
Where it stands
Official recordSigned by Governor on May 27, 2026
- IntroducedComplete
- CommitteeComplete
- Chamber votesComplete
- Final agreementComplete
- GovernorComplete
- EnactedComplete
05
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06
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