Meetings
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[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Good afternoon. This is the House Appropriations Committee. It is Monday, 01/26/2026. It's just after 1PM, and we are back to finish up with the Budget Adjustment Act for FY '26. The way it's going to work today is we will look at the documents the JFO spent the weekend putting together for us based on what we voted on in our straw poll on Friday. After they go over it and answer any clarifying questions, we will go off live, give everybody a chance to actually read everything. James and Grady and Emily will be around to answer questions if you're going through things, if you find errors or can't remember why we did something or whatever, they'll be here. And I'm thinking we'll probably give ourselves maybe an hour and a half to do that. And then we will come back, finish up any other questions, and then we'll take our real vote, and then we'll be done for the meeting. Okay? Any questions on that? Great. Take that away, please.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: Thank you for the record. Emily Byrne of the Joint Fiscal Office and
[Jamie (Joint Fiscal Office)]: Jamie Stuffy, Joint Fiscal.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: And the only Representative Chittenden, the only thing I would add that if there are specific questions for folks like Nolan or Chris Oh, yes. We will get in touch with them for you if you need something from someone. So just we'll figure it out.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: All JFO is available to us.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: We really appreciate getting on all the help. So we will hand out first the big spreadsheet. And we thought we would just walk through the changes
[Jamie (Joint Fiscal Office)]: Thank you.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: Which are all highlighted in blue in the House column, just the differences of what the governors recommend.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: And these are on our web page, the committee web page
[Jamie (Joint Fiscal Office)]: emailed to you. Pardon? These are
[Autumn (Committee Assistant)]: in my email to you all. They are not yet Exactly.
[Jamie (Joint Fiscal Office)]: Attack committee? Yes.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: So starting up at the top, the gray box doesn't change. Remember, that's what actually passed in f y twenty six. Now I'm just gonna hit on the the stuff that's in blue, so the things that are different. So hopefully, are. Yeah. This is familiar. Only funds. Only general funds. Yep. That's correct. So at the very top, the first three lines, we forgot to include on Friday, which is sort of ironic given that that impacts the branch, that the legislative branch itself. But there are the three changes to appropriations. They're net neutral. Should add that to the notes. But this is moving legislative operations to legislative council and the joint fiscal office. So it's a net zero impact. I wanted to reflect those here.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: That was the 10 pages of stuff Rin came in with to remind us of the They were dividing it separately. We have lots of stuff in our language about this, just crossing things out
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: and cleaning up the statue. Okay. Okay. And so the next one on line 13.1, this is the change that we talked about on Friday, which is taking the pilot appropriation or the reappraisal and listings payment appropriation, which is in B 139, shifting that from the general fund to special funds, thus freeing up $3,400,000 of general funds
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: to be allocated elsewhere. The pension, etcetera, we had to do. Right. Correct.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: So the next line, the 39.1 in the health department. This is adding $45,000 to Vermont CARES appropriation. Down on line fifty nine and fifty nine point one, this is the change related to the shelter investments and the housing opportunities program. So this is taking $1,300,000 that was proposed to go to shelter investments and redirecting it to the housing opportunities program. And in the language, you'll see the specific allocations to the entities receiving those funds. Are there any other questions on the first page? See, Annie. Great. We'll go to the second page. The first line right at the top, 62.1. This is the Meals on Wheels grant going to Dale. The next two lines are the, additional funding for or taking the money from the EFR appropriation, the nursing home emergency financial relief, and reallocating it to cover the 2% increase for the AAAs and the ERC rate change, taking it back up to the amount for, taking it back to the FY 25 levels. Okay. Then, so those are all the changes that are going on in the base. Next, we have the one time changes. The first one in seventy six point one is the accountability courts, another half $1,000,000 as recommended by the governor who's in his updated, budget adjustment request. 76.2 is where we find the $3,000,000 needed to meet the ADEC for the Beasters, pension plan as requested by the treasurer. Line 77.1 is the additional funding for the Medicaid non emergency transport. This is the general fund component of it. There is global commitment involved, so there's federal funds.
[Jamie (Joint Fiscal Office)]: And
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: general funds involved.
[Autumn (Committee Assistant)]: The only additional note we wanted to flag for you all on that, we discussed that adjustment last week. But we talked to AHS Friday afternoon, who did point out that that is a base builder going into FY '27. So it can live for the purposes of BAA as either a one time or a base appropriation. Technically, I I don't think that matters for our purposes, but just for your all information that will be incorporated into their base going into FY '27.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: Okay. So then the next line, 78.1, is the bridges to additional funding for bridges to health. I think the 167,000 there, in line 78.2, this is the general fund component of the additional spending associated, with the recovery centers. So the total spending is $420,000 You'll see in the web report for this section both the additional general funds plus the additional substance misuse special funds for that.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: I should highlight that blue. Yeah. Was just gonna say that should be blue.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: Okay. There's always something, right?
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: That's what we go over it.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: Slide 79.1, this is the Vermont the READ Vermont program that the governor proposed in his updated budget adjustment that is waiting for further testimony potentially in the budget. So it is not no additional funds are appropriated to that in the Budget Adjustment Act this time. The next one, line 81, this isn't highlighted in blue only because the governor updated it and you accepted the update. But the Bratiboh Retreat Reconciliation Payment, that amount was reduced just based on updated negotiation numbers as part of this. And 81.1 in the Agency of Agriculture is another $400,000 for Vermonters feeding Vermonters. And then the very the last second to last line in blue in line 84.1, this is more just as a there are no actual appropriations that are changing as part of this, but I would just put it out here as a zero to remind everybody that there is a sort of redesignation of $5,000,000 of the $50,000,000 that was appropriated to the secretary of administration for federal fund reductions. It doesn't get we're we're not reverting and reappropriating or changing any appropriations. We're just saying, you've got 50,000,000 here. Take five of it. Do this thing with it. So that's why it reads a zero even though it's really a $5,000,000 change.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Because it's not general fund. It's it's general fund, but it's already designated.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: It's already been appropriated. Yeah. So it's not changing. It's not adding or subtracting from appropriations. And the last one is the transfer to the pilot special fund. The governor's recommended proposed 67,000 of general fund and another $292,000 of transportation funds, and that transfer has not happened. That's an
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: AOT thing in America. Correct.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: So after all of that, buried down at the bottom line is about $15,000 of unallocated funds at this point, which is the right amount just in case one of the global commitment matches is off or something like that. That's where we end the same amount. And that amount would be reserved and carried forward into next year. But for purposes of this, the 74.91 as proposed by the governor is the same amount reserved for next year.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Do you see the 15? 0.02
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: on line 102.2.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Oh, we still got 0.2.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: It's 18.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: It was 18,000. 18, okay. Yeah, and so it shows up there as 0.2 because they round the rounds. Oh, okay.
[Jamie (Joint Fiscal Office)]: Okay.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: And I think that's it. We also have I don't know that I need to hand these out if you want to look at them, copies of the reversions. Nothing has changed from what the governor proposed, but you're assuming there will be $35,900,000 worth of reversions in the Budget Adjustment Act. And then we also have the transfers to and from the general fund. Again, I can hand these out if you would like, but you can also have
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: them I'll get copies, but you don't have to hand them all out right now. If people want them, when they can complete your model.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: We basically walked through those transfer changes when
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: we walk
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: through this. So if you wanna see it in more detail here, we have them.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Okay. That all sounds familiar. Great. Okay.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: We've given you a copy of the web reports. You should go through and make sure that the notes make sense, the numbers.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Yeah. If there's some language stuff we should check before Yeah, would read through the language, make
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: sure refers to anything you wanted to refer to. Is there anything you need to point out to us in the language at the moment before we go? We did update the child care language that I spoke about on Friday. We tried to clarify There's a little, very small clarification, which Grady can show you if you want, but you probably won't even notice it. It just says reserve and transfer it to the child care.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Okay.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: Okay. That's the piece that was
[Jamie (Joint Fiscal Office)]: All right.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: But I think everything else should look familiar. Okay.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Great. Great. All right. So the one, the one that we didn't talk about that we had
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: to draft on Friday, the criminal records checked. Oh yes,
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: was there language for that? Why don't we look at that for a second?
[Jamie (Joint Fiscal Office)]: So on the document that I handed out, current drafts of the bill language, if the committee refers to page 33, you'll see section 53 an amendment to Act twenty seventeen Section D 101, the fund transfer section in sub I on 13 and then going forward the rest of the lines on that page just explicitly layout intent language for the general assembly that the transfer that's occurring there is one time and directing the Department of Public Safety to include as part of its FY20E budget presentation the submission of a sustainability plan for the fund or proposals for alternative funds sources for those associated salary benefit across that this transfers them to address or both.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Thank you. So I'm wondering, that's a year from now, which is why you were doing it, that makes sense. But I'm also wondering if, and I'll look to Trevor or anybody else, whether we want that for budget adjustment next year as opposed to the next budget or if that's unreasonable.
[Jamie (Joint Fiscal Office)]: This is Marty's Department of Public Safety.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: That's right. Yes, that's fine. Anything judiciary, I think. Trevor,
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: so.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Again, what's going to happen is it's going to happen again, probably between now and then, which isn't unreasonable to expect since they haven't fixed it yet but I'm just wondering if that's the timeline we want just a question. How about we ask for a report on January 1 or December 15 so that we could act upon it and budget adjustment if we want to. The
[Jamie (Joint Fiscal Office)]: committee could also just treat that in English rather than saying fiscal year twenty twenty eight budget presentation or in this fiscal year twenty twenty seven budget adjustment presentation?
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: We won't be meeting in December next year. But yes but then it would have to go through it would still have to go through Adam and all of that to get to us. Mean I think that could work. Yeah because we get it in the first week in January So as part of their presentation for budget adjustment they have
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: to tell us what was in January.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Yes, yes. Or a report and then we consider it. Either way, I mean I think I agree, I think we want at least an analysis from them and some kind of a suggested earlier than fiscal year twenty eighth. So, submit a plan. They shall submit a sustainability plan or any other proposals for alternative fund sources.
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: But,
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: but yes I think we would want to do that by January so we would put it in the budget adjustment if we need it. Right so we can just say as part of its fiscal year twenty twenty seven VAA presentation. Does that
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: work? Yeah. Okay. Great.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Thanks, Luke. Is there anything else we need to bring up before we
[Emily Byrne (Joint Fiscal Office)]: go off and read on our own? I think it was the only one that at the end of the day on Friday we said, we're grafting for your Monday.
[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Great. I'm not seeing other questions that we need to have answered right now. So, what I'll suggest is that we go off live and, why don't we check-in at 02:45 and see if people are done. So, that's an hour and twenty five minutes. Does that feel like enough time for people to take a look at things? And if we need more time, we can add more time after that. But if we don't, then we'll just be done and we'll both be done. So, so, Autumn, let's go off live and we'll return at two