A new House bill proposes to absorb the Capitol Police under the auspices of the Vermont State Police.

H.183, introduced Tuesday, aims to clarify the authority and chain of command of the police force that oversees the security of the Statehouse.

The bill proposes to create a department tasked with protecting the Capitol Complex within the Vermont State Police. Officers would have the same powers of sheriffs and law enforcement across the state.

Under the current system, security is fractioned across the different buildings of the Capitol Complex. The Capitol Police look after the Statehouse; Vermont State Police are responsible for security in the governor’s office in the Pavilion; and the Vermont Supreme Court is under the jurisdiction of the Washington County Sheriff.

The bill follows a meeting last month of the House Corrections and Institutions and the Government Operations Committees about the background of the Capitol Police system. Lawmakers aired concerns that the chain of command for security over the Statehouse is not clear.

Some concerns stemmed from the interruption of the governor’s inaugural address and the subsequent occupation of the House Chamber by protesters from the Vermont Workers’ Center.

“If anything really good came out of the demonstrations on Inauguration Day, it motivated [us] to move forward on a bill like this,” said Rep. Butch Shaw, R-Florence, who sponsored the bill.

Shaw said that the object of the bill is to make sure employees and visitors to the Capitol Complex feel safe and secure.

H.183 spells out the scope of powers for the Capitol Police, including developing emergency response plans, maintaining order among spectators, and doling out traffic violations.

The House Corrections and Institutions Committee, of which Shaw is a member, is likely to produce a bill addressing other security concerns later in the session.