Vermont’s S.329 Gun‑Control Bill Dies After Narrow Senate Passage

A major gun‑control package in Vermont, S.329, has officially died in the House, despite narrowly clearing the Senate earlier in the session.

The bill contained several significant restrictions:

• Firearm bans in alcohol‑licensed establishments — including bars, restaurants, breweries, and any venue permitted to serve alcohol.
• A statewide machine‑gun ban — along with prohibitions on any device that could be converted into one.
• New criminal penalties — including enhanced punishment for stealing a firearm and other firearm‑related offenses.

The machine‑gun provision was widely viewed as a response to criminals illegally modifying Glock‑style pistols with switches, a problem already covered under federal law.

Despite passing the Senate, the bill stalled in the House for one key reason: Republican Gov. Phil Scott promised a veto, and Democrats lacked the votes for an override. With the Senate only approving the bill by a narrow margin, an override was effectively impossible, leaving House leadership little incentive to advance it.

Vermont, along with other Northeastern states, continues a long trend of aggressive gun‑control pushes, even as the state maintains its historic Constitutional Carry, a policy in place since Vermont’s founding.