Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the house please come to order and members kindly take their seats. Good afternoon. The devotional today will be led by representative Brian Cina of Burlington.

[Representative Brian Cina (Burlington)]: In honor of Earth Day, I would like to share with you a Sicilian lullaby.

[Representative Brian Cina (Burlington)]: Sleep, sleep until dawn. Now your father comes and he brings you the seeds, the roses and the basil. And he brings you the seeds, the basil and the roses. Oh, my daughter, the saint has passed and of the beauty he has asked. And I said the beauty is sleeping sleep, daughter of my soul. Sleep, daughter of my soul.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Members we have three bills on the notice calendar requiring referral to money committee pursuant to house rule 35A. The first is senate bill 173 which is an act relating to vocational rehabilitation carrying an appropriation. The bill is referred to the committee on appropriations. Next is Senate Bill two thirty two which is an act relating to public libraries and the department of libraries materially affecting the revenue of this one or more municipalities. The bill is referred to the committee on ways and means. And finally senate bill three twenty seven is an act relating to economic development affecting the revenue of the state and materially affecting the revenue of one or more municipalities. The bill is referred to the committee on ways and means. Members we have a joint senate resolution to take up at this time. JRS 50 is a joint resolution relating to weekend adjournment on 04/24/2026. It was offered by senator Bartholomew and was read and adapted on the part of the senate. Please listen to the reading of the resolution.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (Clerk of the House)]: JRS 50 joint resolution relating to weekend adjournment on 04/24/2026. Resolved by the senate and house of representatives that when the two houses adjourn on Friday, 04/24/2026, it be to meet again no later than Tuesday, 04/28/2026.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Now you have heard the reading of the resolution and the question is shall the house adopt the resolution in concurrence. Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor please say aye. Aye. All those opposed please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it and the resolution is adopted in concurrence. Are there any announcements? Member from Westminster. Thank you, madam speaker. I have a very special guest in the gallery today. She's also, in a physical sense, a guest of the member from Putney because she lives in Dummerston,

[Representative Michelle Bos-Lun (Westminster) (tentative)]: but she's my niece, and I've known her since she was born. Please give a warm welcome to my homeschooling eighth grade niece, Crystal.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guest member from Westminster please rise and be recognized? Member from Burlington.

[Representative Brian Cina (Burlington)]: Madam speaker, in the same vein, I would like the body to welcome a constituent of mine who is shadowing me today, Johnny Cunningham of Burlington.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guests of the member from Burlington please rise and be recognized? Member from Brattleboro.

[Unidentified member from Brattleboro]: Thank you, madam speaker. I would like to introduce my UVM intern, She is graduating from UVM with a degree in political science and environmental studies. She's from Bedford, Massachusetts, and she was recently awarded a summer internship with Energy Action Network for a research project on clean energy. She is hoping to continue in this field in the future. And regarding the internship program, I hope that members will consider signing up for the intern internship program next session. You get to work with smart and engaging students, and it's a great asset to our work here. And so stay tuned for an email that you might get in the fall, and you get to work with smart and engaging students like Audrey. So please welcome her.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guests of the member from Brattleboro please rise and be recognized? Member from Colchester.

[Representative Doug Bishop (Colchester)]: Madam speaker, the April school break is a great time for students to have some fun, whatever that may be, but it's also a great time for teachers to have some fun. And I'm appreciative of the fact that today my wife is down in Montpelier for a visit. If you'll help me welcome her, she's sitting in seated in the balcony.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the family of the member from Colchester please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements? Member from Williston. Member from Williston.

[Unidentified member from Williston]: Thank you, madam speaker. If you would join me and the member from Richmond in welcoming our UVM intern, Charlotte Critchenden from North Carolina who is also going to stay after her graduation from UVM, and we're immensely grateful for her service and engagement here.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guest of the member from Williston please rise and be recognized? Member from Mendon.

[Unidentified member from Mendon]: Thank you madam speaker. Today I rise to recognize Neschebe School and Friends of Rutland County who have been named the twenty twenty five national or nationwide team of the year by the American Cancer Society as part of the Pat Flynn Spirit of Relay Awards. This national honor celebrates their exceptional fundraising, deep commitment service to their community. In 2025, the team raised over $37,000 an increase of 16,500 from the prior year becoming the top fundraising team for their event and the first non corporate team to do so in its thirty six year history. Beyond their success in fundraising, they exemplify the true spirit of Relay for Life through year round engagement, innovative events like their inaugural golf tournament and their unwavering support for survivors, caregivers and participants. Their compassion, leadership and dedication reflect the very best of Vermont and we are proud to recognize their remarkable achievement. They are seated in the gallery.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guest of the member from Mendon please rise and be recognized. Member from Saint Albans Town.

[Representative Casey Toof (St. Albans Town)]: Madam speaker, I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce a friend, neighbor, constituent, and my former UOVM agricultural county agent, Don McFeeders, and his wife Anita, and their granddaughter Anita who's here learning about government.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guest of the member from Saint Albans Town please rise and be recognized. Are there any further announcements? Member from Milton.

[Unidentified member from Milton]: Madam speaker, in December 1941, only days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, a handful of concerned pilots took it upon themselves to scan the eastern coastline for Nazi u boats. They called themselves the Civil Air Patrol. A short four months after hostilities broke out, this small group of civilian volunteers were formally chartered by the United States Congress and tasked with a simple mission, protect the country. Today, Civil Air Patrol is America's premier volunteer organization made up of 70,000 like minded members across all 50 states who serve their communities and their country as the official auxiliary of the United States Air Force. What started as a single mission of defense is now three humanitarian missions of emergency services, cadet programs, and aerospace education. For the state of Vermont, this translates to disaster relief, youth leadership and character development, and STEM and aviation outreach. The Vermont wing accomplishes these missions through the dedication of 115 adult and 113 cadet members over five locations throughout the state. In 2025, their combined efforts resulted in volunteer hours that had an estimated value of $1,300,000 to the state of Vermont. Also in 2025, the Vermont wing made great strides in developing training and expanding capabilities needed in order to be an effective resource multiplier for several state agencies. Today, we are visited by their wing commander, colonel Brian Benedict, and several of his officers and cadets from various squadrons, lieutenant colonel Scott Lau, he's the government liaison. And from the Champlain composite squadron, we have lieutenant Jeffrey Palmer, senior member Martha Kinsey, cadet captain Jacob Nekrovich, cadet second lieutenant Dylan Neely, cadet airman first class Lorraine McKenzie, and from the capital squadron, we have cadet airman Owen Webb. Madam speaker, the civil air patrol is part of our total air forces and auxiliaries I mentioned before. They are a key partner in mission sets that are nontraditional roles. They are a force multiplier for us. It is also a stepping stone for some of the youth members to become active military members in in traditional military roles. Our guests are seated behind me in the gallery from the Silver Air Patrol today, could we please give a warm welcome?

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guest the member from Milton please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements? Seeing none, orders of the day. Members we will begin with Senate Bill 89 which is an act relating to expanding survivor benefits. Please listen to the third reading of the bill.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (Clerk of the House)]: S89, an act relating to expanding survivor benefits.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: The question is shall the bill pass in concurrence with proposal of amendment? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor please say aye. Aye. All those opposed please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it and you have passed the bill in concurrence with proposal of amendment. Now we'll turn to Senate Bill 157 which is an act relating to recovery resident certification. The bill was referred to the committee on human services which recommends that the house proposed to the senate to amend the bill as printed in today's calendar. A member from Colchester, representative Bishop will speak for that committee that committee. And then affecting the revenue of the state, the bill was then referred to the committee on ways and means which recommends that the bill ought to pass in concurrence with the proposal of amendment recommended by the committee on human services. The member from Norwich, representative representative Holcomb will speak for that committee. Please listen to the second reading of the bill.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (Clerk of the House)]: S 157, an act relating to recovery residents certification.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Member from Colchester.

[Representative Doug Bishop (Colchester)]: Madam speaker, there is no doubt that we have a substance use disorder crisis that touches every part of our state. Many inside state government and out are working hard to combat this devastating affliction, and one area in which we are making some progress relates to our recovery residences. Recovery residences are shared living environments that offer peer support and the connections to services for people recovering from substance use disorder. They fill a critical gap between clinical treatment and independent living. They're not treatment facilities, they are communities built around accountability, mutual support, and the hard work of staying well. Recovery is not a singular event, it is a long and difficult journey. And where someone lives during that journey can make all the difference. The evidence is clear that stable recovery supportive housing significantly improves long term outcomes. People in recovery who have access to safe structured housing are more likely to maintain sobriety, old employment, and avoid the criminal justice system. For Vermont, investing in the integrity and quality of recovery residences is a direct investment in success of our broader substance use disorder response. I'm pleased to share that the number of beds available in these recovery residences is on the rise and anticipated to continue to grow potentially significantly over the next few years. Existing state resources are helping to expand the number of recovery residents beds and the Department of Health has testified before our committee that the expansion of this resource is among one of the goals of Vermont's rural transformation efforts. There is a goal to more than double such beds over the next few years, increasing from roughly a 150 to over 300. As the number of recovery bed recovery residents beds increases, it's more important than ever that we ensure that these resources are serving Vermonters through the use of best practice and they are supported in doing their vitally important work. So why advance this legislation? First, Vermont's recovery residences and the existing voluntary certification process are seeing a new level of engagement and support from our Vermont Department of Health. And second, Vermont's residential landlord tenant statutes were not written with recovery residences in mind. They operate differently from typical rental housing. They maintain substance use policies, require engagement in programming, and sometimes need to quickly exit or transfer residents whose behavior threatens the safety or recovery of others in the home. Under current law, the future of the legal framework governing those living situations is unclear and potentially unworkable. Act one sixty three of 2024 implemented implemented specific provisions that are set to expire as of July 1. This two year trial period was put into place to assess any potential issues with exempting recovery residences from certain parts of our landlord tenant laws. The experience and testimony have shown that it is advisable that we make these changes permanent. Without action, the exemption and the protection would disappear this summer. Let me highlight how the bill addresses these issues. S one fifty seven, as voted out by your committee on human services, takes a two pronged approach. We continue to have a substance use crisis and Vermont has increasingly recognized, as I said, the important role of these recovery residences in our continuum of care. With this rise and the current anticipated increase in investment of the state and federal dollars, it makes it it appropriate that the Department of Health take the lead in oversight and rule making. Certification standards will comply with the standards maintained by the Vermont Alliance for Recovery Residences or another department approved organization. The program will include data collection and annual reporting to the legislature so we can track how it is working. On the landlord tenant side, the bill makes permanent the framework governing how certified recovery residences and only certified recovery residences may exit or transfer residents under limited defined circumstances. In doing so, it does it with significant safeguards that include a written residential agreement, a resident consent to the agreement, notice provisions, alternative housing arrangements, and a grievance process. Taken together, these provisions support both quality and accountability giving residents confidence that the certified homes meet real standards while giving those homes the legal clarity they need to operate effectively. I'll now provide a section by section summary. Section one. This section updates definitions in the substance use disorders chapter of Title 18. This includes the addition for the first time of a statutory definition of recovery residence. Additionally, the sections also starts a process of modernizing language to replace outdated terms like substance abuser with person first language. Such as individuals with substance use disorder. There's more work to be done in this chapter and the Department of Health has committed over the off session to continue to look at the language and identify additional places where this upcoming session week will look to modernize even further. Section two. This section adds recovery residences to the statutory list of services for which the Division of Substance Use Programs within the Department of Health is responsible. This formally situates recovery residences within the department's existing oversight and program structure. Section three. This is a section of the bill that addresses resident protections in the context of a recovery residences exemption from landlord tenant provisions. It makes permanent the framework currently set to expire July 1 as I noted that governs how a certified recovery residents may exit or transfer a resident notwithstanding certain provisions of Vermont's landlord tenant laws. To use this authority, a recovery residents must meet a series of conditions. It must have a written residential agreement with the resident that has approved has been approved by a certified organization, explains the program rules and expectations, includes a substance use policy that would exempt prescribed medications, sets out the criteria for exit or transfer and the con and the consequences of certain behaviors, and it designates alternative housing arrangements in the event of a removal. The resident must sign this agreement and reaffirm it seven days later. A recovery residence may only exit or transfer a resident who has behaved in a way that impacts the health or safety of others. This includes violating the substance use policy, repeatedly refusing to engage in programming, being charged with a criminal offense, engaging in theft, materially interfering with other residents recovery, or engaging in acts of violence that threaten the health or safety of other residents, recovery resident staff or volunteers. Residents must also provide for arrangements for reengagement beds, sometimes referred to as stabilization beds or other temporary housing for the period that someone is asked to leave the recovery residence. New statutory language requires that written notice is provided to the resident with a date and rationale for the removal and also provides information on the grievance process approved by a certifying organization that's in place to assist residents who are concerned about their exiting. There's two additional provisions of importance I'd like to highlight. First, a relapse related exit from a recovery residence shall not be deemed a cause of the resident's own homelessness for the purposes of obtaining emergency housing, reinforcing the removal of this barrier to shelter that people in recovery have faced in the past. Second, recovery residents' employees are expressly permitted to enter all parts of the residence at reasonable times as necessary to carry out operational functions notwithstanding tenant privacy provisions that would otherwise apply. Importantly, and I, as mentioned earlier, it's worth repeating, these protections provided to recovery residences are only available to those that are certified by a department approved organization. Along with the fact that the Department of Health funding is only being provided to certified recovery residences, we are creating a strong incentive to certify. This helps ensure quality programs and is a check on the effective use of taxpayer dollars. Section four. This section formally repeals the sunset provision acted in enacted in act one sixty three of twenty twenty four that would have terminated the landlord tenant framework as of July 1. Cause S 157 makes that framework permanent, the sunset language is no longer needed. Section five. This section addresses the voluntary state certification program for recovery residences. As previously noted, it directs the Department of Health to take the lead. Initial proposed rule must be filed with the Secretary of State by 09/01/2027 and to complete rulemaking and adopt a permanent rule by 12/01/2028. At a minimum, the rule must require that certified residences comply with the standards of the Vermont Alliance of Recovery Residences or another department approved organization and must establish data collection and reporting requirements including exit and transfer data. Along with an annual reporting to the general assembly, this will help the legislature assess and continually assess the efficacy of the program in this in this statute. If the department determines that a fee is needed to sustain the certification program, it must first propose that fee to the General Assembly for enactment into law before it can be incorporated into rule. This ensures legislative oversight over any costs associated with the program. Section six is the effective date. The act takes effect on July 1. The date on which the existing temporary framework would otherwise have expired. In our review of this bill, the committee heard from the following witnesses. Legislative counsel, office of legislative counsel. Director of substance use disorders, Department of Health. Co founder, Jana's Promise. Current resident, Jana's Promise. Executive Director, Vermont Foundation of Recovery. A person in recovery and a former resident of Vermont Foundation of Recovery. Executive Director, Vermont Alliance for Recovery Residences. Executive Director, Recovery House Inc. Vice President, Medical and Clinical Services, Valley Vista. Executive Director, End Homelessness Vermont. Additionally, testimony was received from the Executive Director, Recovery Partners of Vermont. Policy advocate with American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont, executive director, Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform. Madam speaker, the committee on house, human services voted nine zero two to recommend this strike all amendment to the body. It is a measured, carefully constructed bill that protects the integrity of Vermont's recovery residences while providing thoughtful and necessary protection for the people who live in them. We respectfully ask for the body's support.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: And now speaking for the committee on ways and means, member from Norwich.

[Representative Rebecca Holcombe (Norwich)]: Thank you, Madam Speaker. S 157 was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. The principal fiscal analyst from the joint fiscal office stated that the bill has no fiscal impact. However, as noted, if the Department of Health identifies the need for a fee to support the voluntary recovery resident certification program in the bill, the department shall first propose the fee to the General Assembly. At that point, this body can consider whether to enact this fee. The committee took testimony from both legislative council and the principal fiscal analyst from the joint fiscal office. The house ways and means committee found the bill favorable. The vote was eleven zero zero, and we respectfully ask for your support.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: So the question is, shall the house propose to the senate to amend the bill as recommended by the committee on human services? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor please say aye. Aye. All those opposed please say nay. The report of the committee on human services be amended as printed in today's calendar. Member from Putney, representative Mollieke will speak for the committee. Please listen to the second reading of the bill.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (Clerk of the House)]: S two thirty nine, an act relating to the child abuse and neglect reporting working group.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Member from Hartford.

[Representative Esme Cole (Hartford)]: Madam speaker, s two thirty nine would establish the child abuse and neglect reporting working group. The purpose of this bill is to assemble a team of experts to review current state statutes on mandated reporting of child abuse and neglect and to provide recommendations to a future legislature on how to modernize these laws in line with best practices. Your house committee on human services was glad to receive this bill from the Senate for several reasons. Firstly, Vermont's mandated reporting statute has not been substantially reviewed in over a decade, and some of the language used reflects that. Secondly, certain elements of Vermont requirements differ from that of nearly every other state in the nation, which has had real consequences for young people. I'll elaborate on these aspects further as we move through the bill. Although updating the rules and definitions surrounding mandated reporting is a new undertaking, your House Committee on Human Services of last biennium took an important step toward improving the state's response system to reports of abuse. Act 154 of 2024 tasked the Department of Children and Families with modernizing investigation and substantiation procedures after a complaint is filed. This law was the most prominent updates of Vermont's child protection system in recent history. The act raised standards to require a preponderance of the evidence for substantiation, enhanced response timelines, updated rules surrounding the child protection registry, required better storage of relevant data and history of decisions and more. We reviewed the outcomes of this act to carefully build upon the work and address the remaining steps of the mandated reporting process. Our committee felt that it would be helpful to elucidate the reasoning behind creating this working group to better tee up precisely what would be asked of them and why. So section one of our strike all amendment creates a finding section, which did not exist in the underlying Senate bill as passed. Witnesses shared that Vermont's rate of reporting is exceptionally high and the data corroborates that. You'll see in the first finding at the bottom of page nineteen eighty six in your action calendar, that Vermont has recently had a rate of reporting to DCF three times higher than the national average. Only 17% of these reports met the established criteria for further investigation compared to 54% nationally. Witness testimony called our attention to the fact that although we have a high rate of reporting, Vermont exhibits a low rate of referral to therapeutic or family services. In our finding section, we underscore that of those children and families impacted by a report to DCF, only twenty eight percent were referred to supportive services such as mental health counseling, substance misuse treatment, parenting education, etcetera, compared to the national average of fifty seven percent. Based on these findings, our committee felt it was important to clarify that we would like the working group to come back with recommendations for all stages of a potential report before, during, and after. Looking at the whole life cycle of reporting could provide us with better tools to address the root causes of child maltreatment and moreover prevention recommendations for each step should support a child's immediate safety first, but also consider overall well-being, which certain elements of current statute do not necessarily leave room for. We heard testimony that the interpretation of current law by mandated reporters is that discretion is seldom allowed when it comes to, alleged scenarios of abuse or neglect, especially with respect to liability for the reporter. For example, we learned of a situation where a school principal faced legal consequences because although he took reasonable steps to respond to a concerning situation and elevated the problem to higher ups, the formal report was filed by his superintendent and he did not file duplicative report himself. Another witness also expressed concern that mandated reporters may not may be legally required to report regardless of ongoing risk or access to the child when a state level investigation may not be in the child's best interests. For example, we received testimony that there is an expectation that a mandated reporter may be legally required to report to DCF upon learning about abuse that took place years ago, even when a child is not currently at risk. In cases like this, the most helpful response may be to connect the child with a trusted qualified adult for support. However, as one witness explained, some young people hesitate to come forward due to fear of the whole system coming down on them. Vermont's well intended approach established over a decade ago has in some instances had the unintended consequence of leading an impacted child to feel more isolated when they really would have benefited from further support and connection. Research on adverse childhood experiences, ACEs shows that untreated childhood trauma increases the risk of negative outcomes across the lifespan. Our statute warrants renewed attention to identify ways it can better promote safety, provide more comprehensive support to children, and avoid unintended harm. In section c, you will find the list of members who will carry out the important work and provide a future legislative body with recommendations. At the top of the list, your house committee on human services recommends that two individuals with lived experience be at the table. One having experienced neglect or abuse as a child appointed by the Vermont Child Youth and Family Advisory Council, and the other being an individual who experienced a formal investigation of reported abuse that was found to be unsubstantiated. Other members include the Vermont Child Youth and Family Advocate or Deputy Advocate, the Executive Director of the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services or designee, a co executive director of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence or designee, a member from the Department of Children and Families Family Services Division appointed by the deputy commissioner of the division, the executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Vermont or designee, the director of the Vermont Parent Child Center Network or designee, a certified law enforcement officer who has served on a special investigative unit appointed by the law enforcement advisory board, a physician co chair of the Vermont Citizen's Advisory Board, a principal appointed by the Vermont Principles Association, a representative of a designated agency that works in children's mental health appointed by Vermont Care Partners in the office of racial equity. Our committee's philosophy behind changes to the working group composition from the original list as passed by the Senate was to prioritize those who work most directly with children or have mandated reporting statuses rather than administrative positions. Madam speaker, there are so many experts across the state who care deeply about children's safety and well-being and would add value to the conversation. In order to balance the range of voices needed to properly inform the work while maintaining efficiency in the sides of the group, we kept the group of voting members at 13 and listed a group of consultants to further advise recommendations for best practices. These consultants are listed in section d of the strike all amendment. In section e, we prescribed the timeline for the deliverables of the group. They shall provide an interim report on their progress to the legislative committees of jurisdiction by 04/01/2027 and final recommendations by 10/01/2027. Section f at the top of page 1,989 of your action calendar further specifies how we would like the group to prioritize its time and efforts. We pointed to the precise statute to be analyzed, which although may have been implied was not indicated in the Senate version of the bill. These laws include 33 VSA sections 49, twelve and forty nine, 13. Listed assignments included comparison of laws and best practices from other states, recommendations on which profession should be included in the list of mandated reporters, who should or should not be exempted, what penalties should exist for failure to report, how to identify alternatives for reporting when in the best interest of the child, and how we can best support our mandated reporters with training and resources. We also require the group to leverage prior research on the topic, including the work of the Children's Justice Act Task Force and the Vermont Citizen Advisory Board. The first meeting must take place on or before August 15 and the bill would take effect on passage. The committee heard testimony from the team lead of legislative council, office of legislative council, the bill reporter in the senate, the deputy commissioner in the family services division in the department of for children and families, the child safety director in the department of children and families, family services division, the Director of Policy and Planning, DCF, Family Services Division, Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs, DCF, the Director of the Office of Child Youth and Family Advocate, the director of policy and legislative affairs of the attorney attorney general's office, the executive director on the Center for Crime Victim Services, director of policy Vermont net network against domestic and sexual violence, the director of the Vermont Parent Child Center Network, the senior executive director of the Vermont Principals Association, school counseling directors and a school counselor of Lemoyal Union High School, government affairs and communications director of Vermont CarePartners, and two members of voices of, Saint Joseph orphanage. Our committee voted out s two thirty nine favorably with amendment on account of nine zero two, and we respectfully request your support.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: And now speaking for the committee on appropriations, member from Putney.

[Representative Michael Mrowicki (Putney) (tentative)]: Thank you, madam speaker. Your appropriations committee heard from joint fiscal office who did not offer a fiscal note because the any expenditures were estimated to be below $10,000 if if that and that would be for per diems of legislators in there. We approve this by an 11 o vote and ask your approval as well.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Member from Hartford.

[Representative Esme Cole (Hartford)]: Your house committee on human services, thanks house appropriations for this recommendation, and we took a straw poll and voted on their amendment favorably on account of nine zero two.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: So the question is, shall the report of the committee on human services be amended as recommended by the committee on appropriations? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor please say aye. Aye. All those opposed please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it and you have amended the report of the committee on human services. Now the question is shall the house propose to the senate to amend the bill as recommended by the committee on human services as amended. Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it, and you have proposed to the senate to amend the bill. Now the question is, shall the bill be read a third time? Are you ready for that question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it, and third reading is ordered. Members, that completes the orders of the day. Are there any announcements? Member from Burlington?

[Representative Brian Cina (Burlington)]: Madam speaker, two quick announcements. One, that today at 5PM, we're having a meeting of the Universal Healthcare Caucus and I emailed the Zoom link out to everyone. Two, I would like to welcome another community member to the State House today. Please welcome from South Burlington, Karen Sarita, seated in the balcony.

[Representative Doug Bishop (Colchester)]: Thank you.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guest member from Burlington please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements? Seeing none, member from Pultely, can you please offer us a motion to adjourn until Thursday, April 23 at 1PM?

[Representative Patricia McCoy (Poultney)]: Madam Speaker, I make a motion this body stand and adjournment until Thursday, 04/23/2026 at 1PM.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: You have heard the motion. Are you ready for the question? If so No. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. Aye. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it, and this body