Meetings
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[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: We are live. Good afternoon. This is the House Appropriations Committee. It's Thursday, 01/22/2026. It's about 01:25. We're back talking about the budget adjustment. I know people this morning were going to go look at things. And we have so I just kind of want to assess where we are and what we have left to do so we don't forget anything. I want to review the public hearing requests again. We have a little more information from a couple of things. Can tell you what Nolan's been doing some work. We have some updates in the yellow section. So that was good, so we can discuss that. There may be other language. Grady's going to come in tomorrow for the language. Adam is going to come in tomorrow morning at nine to talk about the updated budget adjustment pieces that they're doing based on the downgrade. So we have the language. We'll have an updated spreadsheet. Well, once we figure out what we think we want to do, may be some more language in where we're going to get the funds from. So that's kind of the part that's swirling around at the moment. So what I want to do is just briefly let you know what's happening in those yellow pages. The reach up piece was talking about adding statutory language related to the original reduction when they have excess money and increasing that in the future. This is a big policy issue, which upon discussion with members who are involved in this, I think we feel that the budget adjustment is in place for that discussion. And it should be in the part of FY 'twenty seven budget or any other bills that come from human services. But they can take it up and address it as part of the human services piece. So we're just saying that's where the more appropriate place is. Medicaid FQHC rates, I really like this one. They basically came and they said, please do what's in the governor's REC. And we're doing what's in the governor's REC. Check that out. I could see more of those. The tier one issue with the enhanced residential care providers who are out money, This ends up being a fairly large amount of money. Think Nolan will probably talk about it in more detail. But we end up making decisions. The decisions that we make if we were to spend money here automatically go into the base for FY27. And we haven't really gone into FY27 at this point. So I think the feeling is that we're going to address this as part of the FY27 budget and again, the new policy permits. But we'll hear more from them so you can that ends up being a fair amount of money. And he'll explain that better than what my kids did. And then the last one is the AAAs. And we are going to get some numbers. This is the smallest one. When we said a 2% Medicaid rate increase for all the DAs and SSAs, human services gave 2% to a part of the AAAs, but not another part of the AAAs. So there's a problem related to that. So they didn't get the 2% related to case management. And this is looking like it's about $141,000 There's a question as to whether that's a gross number or a general fund as part of that, or if that's a general fund number and it's a higher gross number. So no one's looking into that and he'll come back and explain it. And that's for all of the AAAs? Yes, that's for all the AAAs. So of all the things on here, this is the one that might be doable. And I know Dave has some thoughts on this, and maybe when Nolan comes back, we'll talk about it. Is that okay? I just want to give kind of an overview of where we are right now. So that's the yellow pages. So back to the other, we've talked about the state housing authority. Great people have language on how that's going to work. So I think we're set on that. Wayne, did you talk to? I tried to find him. He was here this morning. Yeah. Stayed up there all time. Do you want to try to reach out to him? I'll try to call him. That would be great. Okay. Your name is on my list. Got a Brain Talking to I John got it in writing. Thank you. I usually deliver. I'm not writing it, I'm just making it up. We are getting some draft language related to HOP. Yes. So we'll talk about it. We haven't decided anything yet. And there's some,
[David Yacovone (Member)]: yeah.
[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: So, and this is the one where we would be readjusting the shelter, and then so there's no new money involved. So draft language is coming. Katie's going to come sometime this afternoon. There's about four things she has to share with us, and that would be one of them. So, that's where we are with that. She She can come come at two? Yes. Katie's coming at two. So, we have a few things that she's going to talk about. I don't think we have any language, Dave. If you're wanting to address Tri Valley transit, we would need language for that too. And I'm not saying we've agreed to it, but if we agreed to it, at some point we're going to need language for that, I think.
[David Yacovone (Member)]: Trying to think what would the language say?
[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: It might be very short and maybe you can just talk to Grady about it. Okay. You know, if we decide to do it, it would be X amount of dollars for
[David Yacovone (Member)]: public side. If we'd mention that for Biden, we wouldn't mention it for person's name. Caledonia, crazy.
[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Yeah. Nolan is working on the recovery centers and where the money might come from for that. Where the money and we have language that's I have language that goes with it to be very specific as to where the way this is likely to not be general funds. Where would we find it? JULIE: Probably the special what's it called the substance misuse special fund which is where they've gotten their money before that's where the money is so if they've got a surplus we can just use that so but anyway that's what we're looking at so that would be nice to not have to use general fund yeah right Lynn, have you found out anything on Bridges to Health yet?
[Julie (Joint Fiscal Office staff)]: I know we haven't had much time. No, I'm trying to contact someone. Some others I'm trying to figure out who to contact all these new people new commissioner yeah I wonder if you talk to either somebody in the ag committee or the health care committee would know who you should talk to about it because they they're the ones people yeah those are the two committees that strongly support this yeah so they should know Okay, then the end homelessness, we're going to look at it on April 27. Vermont Cares is still on the list and that might, would that be language too? I have asked about that and do not know the answer to that question.
[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Okay, do we? There is language. I have forgotten there is language. Okay, that's okay. Yes, All right, so you'll see that. I'm working on that. Okay, sorry. And then Dave, you have an update on the Vermont Center for Independent
[David Yacovone (Member)]: Living? Yes, it is Medicaid matchable. They are able to do that. Many of the home delivered meals programs throughout the state contract out with them to serve the disabled people in their community, so that they can address not just their meal, but other needs that they have. So they're part of the portfolio and part of the will of providers like that.
[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: But they actually can go statewide it sounds
[David Yacovone (Member)]: like. And they do.
[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: And they go statewide. All right. That's helpful to me to know that because it's not just one. I worry about it when one place says, we just want it for Washington or whatever. Exactly. So it's statewide. How do you still feel about that one, the $30,000 for Meals on Wheels, if we can find the money? I felt like people were interested in doing that this morning. Yeah. Okay. So let's have that right on our list as something you want to do. Is there anything else on here that we're ready to make a decision if we can find the money for? Or do we want to wait and see where we've got So the only thing left on the orange one is perhaps the last one? Yes. And there's a question, we can't do any retroactive payments. It's not allowed when there's a global commitment money. And then so there's a question of is it general funds and how much? And if we try to use more general funds, then there's this whole thing about state directed payments that we learned about last week, and we have to be careful about how all of that works. So no one's digging into it. And if I say any more, I'm going to confuse myself and everyone. We'll get more from Nolan who actually knows what he's telling you. Mike?
[Michael Mrowicki (Member)]: Maybe this is just refreshing my memory. For that piece, I remember having that conversation about the retroactive payment or rate increase. Did they clarify how this happened, why this was excluded from the rate increase?
[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: I think this was another legislative intent that didn't get followed? No, I don't believe there was any clarification as to why this didn't happen.
[David Yacovone (Member)]: Yeah.
[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Thank you for asking. I know, Dave, we didn't hear anything, did we, or you, about why this part wasn't included? For the AAAs? Yeah.
[David Yacovone (Member)]: An oversight. It was an accident. People thought it was included, but it didn't get passed on, and then nobody knew for sure whether it was in or out. But I got a call during the summer and I said I don't know, I remember I contacted Maria and she goes it's normally in, this has happened before, For Chittenden, we've had a couple of years ago. And Jane Kitchell added it in to cover it. And that's where the agencies thought they were gonna get it. Right. So
[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Right. That feels like we should be dealing, taking care of that, assuming Yes, the ball
[David Yacovone (Member)]: was dropped, no one knows by whom.
[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Can I ask a question?
[David Yacovone (Member)]: Sure. What does AAA refer to? Area agency, unagenting. They
[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: are the ones that tend to do Meals on Wheels. They also are the ones, as you're coming into Medicare, they have webinars and you can talk to people about how Medicare works and
[David Yacovone (Member)]: all those good things. I know now.
[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Happy birthday! Okay, yeah. So I think that's where we are for right now. James or anybody else, or we have anything else that we're missing? I guess at some point what we'll need to do is figure out where we're going to get the money for the things we want to do, where the money is available. It's some sort of matching thing. It's a little bit of a challenge, but we'll work something out. Some of these things we can get from other places, but then we
[James (Committee staff)]: Tomorrow morning, you all hear from Rapid Direction about
[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: the demonstrations adjusted fiscal year 'twenty six budget adjustments for the market downgrades. That will help inform that conversation. Yes.
[James (Committee staff)]: And then we'll also have Brady walk through language and modifications as well.
[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: So I think we have a few areas where we have to decide things. We have the things on this sheet. We have can we get money by doing something with a records check, dollars million. Do we take all of it? Do we take some of it? Do we take none of it? In any case, I'm sort of thinking we ought to have some language about that they need to address how they're going to not have this problem. Because I think it's phrased. I know, that's why I'm a disaster. But I think we might want to have some language about how we're going to address that going forward. So that's another thing we can think about. And I know I'm in touch with Emily, even though she's out sick today, she's functional. So she and I had a couple of conversations about where are the possible pots of money and how much are we really talking about? But it's not much. That's what we know. It's really not a lot of money. But maybe we All can do a couple of of the things we want or are
[David Yacovone (Member)]: you talking about?
[Robin Scheu (Chair)]: In general, we aren't going to be able to do everything that's on this list, certainly, but we can see what are the things that we've so far, been to one of them, so you can find the money for that. Okay, so you can have your own priorities, and if there's more checking you have to do in areas, some of you have said you'd call and whatever, so we can do that. So I think we'll go off live, and Katie will be here right at two, and I'm sure she's on a tight schedule, So we'll be ready to go live at two, and we'll hear the various language pieces that she's talking.