Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Good afternoon and welcome to our public hearing for the FY '27 budget. I'm Robin Scheu, the chair of the House Appropriations Committee. And to my right is Senator Berkshire, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. And the rest of our two committees are around us as well. So, each year, we hold two public hearings for this bill. This is our first public hearing. For this hearing, each person will have two minutes to speak. Scott will use the timer, which is now fixed. And representative Martin Feltus will raise her hand to let you know when you have ten seconds left. You can also see it on the screen, but we're just going to have one other little visual to let you know. Senator Perchlich will call the names of who is up immediately and who is on deck. If you're testifying on Zoom today, you will automatically be muted. When it is your turn, Autumn will promote you. Please accept the promotion, unmute yourself, and be sure your video is on so we don't have technical delays. If this is your first public hearing, please note that our job as legislators is simply to listen to your testimony. We will not be asking questions during the hearing. And finally, if your time is up and you have more you'd like us to know, please feel free to submit written testimony. You can also submit your verbal testimony as well. The email link was in the confirmation email you were sent, or you can submit it directly to Autumn Crabtree, who's my committee assistant in House Appropriations. The committee will be reading all written testimony. So we thank you for coming today, and we'll get on with the show.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: All right. So online is first, Karen, Sitka, and then on deck is Deanna Jones.

[Unidentified online testifier]: Howdy. Before I begin my two minutes, may I ask what was the delay?

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: A technical situation.

[Unidentified online testifier]: Oh, okay. Because I'm African American in Vermont. You know, I'm just like I just worked really hard to get on Caucasian time. I'm just like, what is the abnormality? I was confused. Alright. Let's begin. Thank you so much. Is my timer on? I wanna see it.

[Beth Seitler, Executive Director, Washington County Mental Health Services]: Yes. It's on.

[Unidentified online testifier]: I don't okay. I can see it now. Okay. Thank you so much. I'm here once again fighting for Vermonters because I'm just confused why others are not. There's various reasons. They always try to find ways to say that I'm a mercurial young girl, but I'm not. I'm just a US citizen, which is a great position to be. I'm once again trying to warn the state on their really best interests to be nice to me in various ways because, you know, the flood came in Montpelier, and most people ask me, how come we weren't affected? I can't be affected because I'm constantly prophetically telling the state their best interest. And if they choose to, you know, not listen to me and a flood comes, that is not of my era. That is of something of a god of god, one would claim. And the reason why I'm off duty not camera because I always talk about my beauty, especially in federal court and state court, and no one counters this. So, therefore, I think it's a great legal argument, and no one challenges me. So I come here using my beauty often, especially my beauty that we're supposed to protect that the state song talks about. And we are destroying our beauty all the time, and

[Becca Warren]: I just don't understand what's going on.

[Unidentified online testifier]: It's wintertime. The winter uglies is here, and we have to really fight. It's a real fight out here. I'm also here to let the people know that there's a couple of things. You know, I'm gonna talk to the governor himself because we're both Republicans, and we both know that it's our best interest to be kind to our president. No matter our interest, you know, he is that guy, and he his wife is clearly that girl. So, you know, there's just some things that we just can't argue. We have to just get over envy and jealousy and ask, perhaps, get her on our knees if we must because our state is not getting this tax revenues because they have not listened to me and perhaps other people, but to me, preferably. That's why I'm first online. So once again, I will continue to be that girl. I will continue to speak. Next time, I'll show up looking fabulous, but we are clearly in a fight. Look cute.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: K. Next, Diana Jones, also online, and Michelle Feltus is on deck.

[Deanna Jones]: Hi, thank you so much. My name is Deanna Jones. I'm the director for the Thompson Senior Center in Woodstock, Vermont. I'm the president of the Vermont Association of Senior Centers and Meal Providers, and I'm here to represent the collective voice of our senior centers across the state and the thousands of older Vermonters that we collectively serve with meals, transportation, exercise, social opportunities, aging at home referral services, and much more. I'm here to tell you that we, your community based service providers, are doing more with less than ever before, and many of us are struggling to keep up with demand. With the growth in our aging demographic, combined with their personal expenses, we see many more older adults each month, and thousands of Vermonters rely on our meals as their main meal of the day. In Woodstock alone, we're seeing 20 new people through the doors every single month. And even in an area where we often hear that there isn't as much need, we deliver 25 bags of veggie van Gogh produce this week, which we do every month. Look around the state and you'll see this is happening over and over. In Lamoille County yesterday, they packed grocery bags at the Johnson food shelf, which they do every month to deliver to homebound recipients. While we were grateful that there was state and Medicaid funding that was added to help fund Meals on Wheels in 2025, it amounted to about 60¢ per meal. And while that may seem like a lot, it has not kept up with the growth and costs and staffing. Things like fresh fruit that are necessary to meet dietary requirements are $5 and $6 more a pound. And with the caps that are in effect, will be effectively reduced to less funding than we were even prior to that increase. We received no other direct state or federal funding for meals and other services other than this per meal amount, and we have to fill in the gaps ourselves.

[Megan Malbrook, LCSW, Northwestern Counseling & Support Services]: You for this opportunity.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Submit the rest of your testimony. Thank you very much.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Up next here, Michelle and then on deck, Becca Warren.

[Michelle Fay, Voices for Vermont’s Children]: Hi, I'm Michelle Faye with Boysons Rivermont's Children, and I'm here speaking on behalf of the more than 6,000 kids who depend on Reach Up for their survival. Reach up isn't automatically adjusted for inflation each year. So rather than acting as a safety net, increasingly, it's become a sinkhole. The legislature last increased the benefit five years ago at to a level that is still less than 40% of what DCF calculates as a bare bones survival budget. Costs continue to rise, and the impacts of federal policy decisions are landing hardest on people in poverty. Families with low incomes spend a higher share of their resources on essentials like food, housing, clothing, transportation, and utilities than families with higher incomes. Looking at a household budget for families receiving reach up, you will quickly see that the math doesn't add up. Parents have to piece together a patchwork of supports instead of focusing on their long term financial security and on the needs of their kids. Short changing reach up drives families into impossible situations and put them puts them at high risk of homelessness and engagement with family services. The maximum monthly grant for a parent with two children is $880, and that includes $268 for housing. Only about a third of Reach Up households live in subsidized housing. More than 100 are in the GA Motel program right now. We will gladly go into this more in more detail in policy committees, but research on child poverty is clear. It is detrimental to children's development. It leads to worse educational outcomes, reduced earnings, and poor health across their lifespan. These impacts make our communities less safe, healthy, and vibrant, and the downstream consequences are extremely costly. It's not in the state's interest to hold thousands of kids in deep poverty. But unless the legislature acts, reach up's impact will continue to shrink, serving a smaller share of families in poverty each year and meeting an ever smaller percentage of children's basic needs. Please stop the sinkhole from getting any deeper by increasing the Reach Up appropriation. Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Up next, Becca Warren, and on deck, Jonathan Mullen.

[Becca Warren]: Good afternoon. I'm Becca Warren. I manage the Vermont Food Security Roadmap Coalition, and I live in Hartland. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today about our coalition's budget request, which are part of implementing Vermont's Food Security Roadmap to 2035. Vermont has a long legacy of being a leader in policy that moves us toward food security for all in our state. We are facing new headwinds together. But with your leadership, our collective action can still be successful. The details of our appropriation requests are in my submitted testimony, and our requests weave together strategies that ensure that there is food in Vermont and that everyone in Vermont has food. Our Food Security Coalition is requesting appropriations that maximize federal funding and strategic state investments. No state can replace every federal dollar that is being lost, but Vermont can design policy that ensures the best outcomes for Vermonters at this moment. We ask you to appropriate needed funds to continue administration of SNAP Three Squares Vermont, to support Vermonters with benefit assistance for their applications and to ensure our youngest Vermonters have access to nutritious food and places of care. We ask you to fully fund the Land Access and Opportunity Board to use their statutory powers to help food security be achieved for everyone who lives here. Vermont's food security depends on our viable agricultural sector. Our coalition requests appropriations that support local food for Vermonters today, as well as supporting farmers as they face new climate realities and helping us all be ready to respond in food related emergencies. Again, our appropriation requests for weaving together strategies, Vermont style strategies that ensure that there is food and that everyone has food. Our detailed appropriations are in my submitted testimony, and I deeply appreciate the leadership you have shown on food security. And I know that together, we can make our reality a food secure Vermont by 2035. Thank you so much for your time.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Thank Next, Jonathan Williams, on deck, Cindy Dunn.

[Jonathan Williams, Executive Director, Prevent Child Abuse Vermont]: Good afternoon, representatives and senators. My name is Jonathan Williams. I am the executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Vermont. It is Prevent Child Abuse Vermont's fiftieth anniversary this year. Last year, we served 11,145 individuals with Vermont programming. That includes 3,451 children and more than 7,000 adults. Programming is designed to prevent abuse and to support families. In Vermont, since PCABT has received state funding, there has been a 72% decrease in child sexual abuse victims since 1992. Vermont state funding correlates to that time. Preventing 100 incidents of sexual abuse per year saves the state of Vermont half $1,000,000. A twenty twenty five study from John Hopkins showed that in seven Vermont counties providing two prevention, adult prevention trainings correlated to a decrease of one substantiated case of sexual abuse. Prevent Child Abuse Vermont is facing a 50% proposed cut in our base appropriation funding. This is funding that has not seen an increase since I was 10. We are facing a proposed cut of $193,000 for FY '27. This represents one fifth of our revenues. We ask that our base funding remain level funded. Cuts will mean approximately a 30% reduction in our programming, which means 2,000 fewer Vermont adults and 1,000 plus Vermont fewer Vermont children served. In my written testimony that I will provide to your your committee assistance, I believe I've identified sources of funding in the f y twenty seven budget that could mitigate these cuts. I sincerely appreciate your time. I know your job is difficult. Thank you very much.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Next, Cindy Dantes, and on deck, Alison Lamoille.

[Cindy Dantes]: I work in the elder care department at Rutland Mental Health, providing care to homebound seniors throughout Rutland County. And I'm here to advocate for more funding for the program. Because it's underfunded and has been since its inception, we've lost so much money that several counties no longer have an elder care program. The reason why this program, in my opinion, besides the human cost, which we're basically working with people who are overlooked, isolated, and have very few supports. It is very, very expensive to ignore the mental health of people. We know that mental health problems can lead to physical problems. Depression alone is known to cause diabetes, heart attacks, stroke. One heart attack can cost easily a quarter of $1,000,000 if you have to have surgery afterwards. Mental health treatment is actually cheap compared to medical treatment. We don't run expensive tests. We don't usually employ expensive techniques or strategies. It is very cheap. This program saves the state of Vermont a tremendous amount of money. Very few of the people that I've served have ever entered a skilled nursing facility other than for rehabs after falls or something. People who work with me don't. They just do not overutilize the emergency room. In fact, if the emergency room feels someone's overutilizing it, they will send them to me if they're seniors. And literally, seriously, after one visit, it usually stops. When people are listened to and cared about, then they work harder at their own well-being. So we prevent falls. We keep people connected. We learned during COVID that people who are in isolation can develop dementias within four to six months. So we are definitely improving brain health. And I really feel that this program needs to get back to statewide. And in order to do that, we're going to need more funding. Thank you.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Next up, Alison Hopefully I got that name right. Lamagna. Okay. And then on deck is Kate Brown.

[Alison Lamagna, Executive Director, Vermont 2-1-1]: Good afternoon. I'm Alison Lamoille, Executive Director of Vermont two eleven. I'm here today because the governor's proposed FY27 budget reduces Vermont two eleven's funding by $332,000 We are requesting that the legislature sustains level funding for Vermont two eleven at $1,600,000 in FY27, consistent with FY26. Vermont two eleven is the front door to Vermont's Health and Human Services system, providing confidential, nonjudgmental support and accurate up to date information on resources statewide. Vermonters call 211 in times of need, whether it's threats to SNAP benefits, extreme weather, natural disasters, or policy changes. And demand continues to rise as federal shifts and funding cuts impact our communities. As families, state agencies, and service providers face increased strain, the state relies on Vermont two eleven's critical infrastructure to meet demand and adapt quickly. Vermont helps people navigate complex systems to help find the help that they need, and at the same time reduces pressure on community organizations, town offices, and emergency services. Call volume continues to grow at Vermont two two eleven year over year. In 2025, we handled more than 61,000 contacts from Vermonters across the state, with our peak demand time being between 4PM and 10PM. We operate seven days a week, including weekends and holidays, and our online database is available 20 fourseven. Adequate staffing during our peak hours is essential to connect callers to services. We recognize this is a challenging funding cycle, and therefore requesting level funding, not an increase. The proposed cuts would directly jeopardize our ability to support the state's emergency housing response, activate during disasters, and respond to anticipated changes to services, and will also threaten our ability to maintain adequate staffing levels. Please support level funding of $1,600,000 for Vermont two eleven. Thank you so much for your time.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Thank you. Thanks, Kate Brian, who I think is online. And then on deck is Claire.

[Kate Bryan]: Yes, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Kate Bryan, and I serve as the Director of Development and Community Relations at Battenkill Valley Health Center, Bennington County's federally qualified health center. I'm also honored to be the site coordinator for Arlington's monthly Veggie Van Gogh events supported by the Vermont Food Bank. In this role, I work directly with families, seniors, and working adults who rely on programs like this to put food on their tables. I see firsthand how essential this support is and how urgently it is needed right now. I'm here today to ask you to support the Vermont Food Bank's $5,000,000 fiscal year 'twenty seven appropriation request, including 2,000,000 for the local purchases through the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters program. The Vermont Food Bank is not just a distributor of food. It is the backbone of our local hunger relief system. Because of the food bank, community based programs like Veggie Van Gogh operate efficiently, consistently, and with dignity. Fresh produce arrives on time. Volunteers are supported. Families receive healthy food without barriers or stigma. In my community, demand for food assistance has not eased over the past year. It has grown. We are seeing more working families who are employed full time but still cannot keep up with the cost of groceries, housing, heating fuel, and child care. Seniors on fixed incomes are making impossible choices between food and medication. Parents are doing everything they can, and it still isn't enough. What makes this moment especially critical is that the rising need is colliding with rising cost across the entire food system. This is particularly true for locally grown food, the foods our community members value most. Transportation, storage, and procurement costs have all increased. Without adequate quit state support, the food bank's ability to meet growing demand is at risk, just when Vermonters need it most. This appropriation is a smart and effective investment. These funds are leveraged efficiently, support local farms and Vermont agriculture economy, and reach every county in the state through trusted community partners. It is one of the most immediate and tangible ways the legislature can support the health, dignity, and ability of Vermonters while strengthening our local food system.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you

[Kate Bryan]: for your time.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: You very much.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Nice player, Kendall. Then on deck, Eric Peppich.

[Claire Kendall]: Afternoon. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before your committees today. My name is Claire Kendall, executive director of the Family Center of Washington County in Monpelier, My testimony today is on behalf of the Vermont Parent Child Center Network. The PCCN budget request is for an increase to our integrated grant appropriation by 1,880,000.00 for Vermont's 15 parent child centers. The 15 parent child centers located across the state are service hubs for families with young children and actual placed in a local community where families are always welcome and can get the supports they need, regardless of income or family circumstances. Families are coming to our PCCs with more complex needs that include economic challenges, mental health issues, substance use, housing instability, in addition to supports they need raising their children. Losing Medicaid and SNAP is devastating for families. Helping people apply for benefits is a critical role that PCCs play now, and we want to play more of a role. These federal programs bring critical safety net funding to the state of Vermont, and it supports families most in need. PCC staff trained in benefit navigation are able to help families apply for Medicaid and SNAP. The Family Center has three staff trained as Vermont Medicaid assisters through Vermont Health Connect. We have direct experience in helping families we work with apply for Medicaid. One family was currently homeless in our family supportive housing program, and they did not have a regular address, so a male got lost and they lost Medicaid. We were able to help the father reapply, including support and getting all the required documentation together. We are supporting a family who has New Hampshire Medicaid, and we're helping them get their Vermont Medicaid in place. We successfully helped someone who lost employer insurance, and we have helped them apply for Medicaid. Those are just three examples of the way we're helping families directly in our communities keep their benefits. So thank you for the opportunity to testify before your committees today. Vada. And

[Eric Covey, Interim Executive Director, VNAs of Vermont]: Thank you, chairs. Hello, members of the committees on appropriations. I'm Eric Covey, interim executive director for VNAs of Vermont, representing eight local designated home health and hospice agencies. We're asking for a modest 3.5% increase to Medicaid skilled home health rates estimated at $328,580 gross. 3.5% aligns with the home health market basket average from CMS for 2026 and would bring most Medicaid home health payments to at least 70% of Medicare. As a member of the Long Term Care Crisis Coalition, we also support the coalition's request for a 3.5% inflationary increase across long term care services, including choices for care at home delivered by home health and hospice agencies. We perform a critical role accepting fourteen percent of hospital discharges. Care at home reduces costs and will be critical to Vermont's care transformation efforts. Unfortunately, home health agencies are facing significant fiscal pressures. Nearly every agency has presented an operating loss. Ongoing losses cannot be sustained without putting agencies or services at risk. On January 1, CMS implemented a $1,800,000 cut to Vermont Home Health payments, creating a significant hole for providers that our care system depends on. This follows nearly 10% in permanent cuts over four years, and CMS is now implementing temporary reductions to claw back prior payments. The ongoing workforce crisis creates additional strain when rates either don't cover costs of care or don't receive regular inflationary updates. Our modest 3.5% request for Medicaid home health cannot fill a $1,800,000 hole, but it is critical to supporting keystone services in our care continuum. Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: John Sales, and on deck online is Joanne Levy.

[John Sayles, CEO, Vermont Foodbank]: Good afternoon. My name is John Sales. I am CEO of the Vermont Food Bank, and I live in Montpelier. When the state of Vermont steps into leadership for food security, our collective action will be successful. Vermont Food Bank is seeking a total of $5,000,000,000 in FY twenty seven for three purposes. $2,000,000 to fully fund the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters grant program at the agency of agriculture, food and markets. Dollars 2,000,000 to fund food and services going directly to local food shelves in all of your communities and meal sites across the state. And $1,000,000 to fund responsive readiness to ensure food and water is available during natural and manmade disasters and emergencies. Vermonters Feeding Vermonters uses state grant funds to purchase Vermont grown and raised foods that are distributed through food shelves and meal sites and in Vermont Food Bank direct distribution programs like Veggie Van Go, which you've heard about. The full 2,000,000 will allow purchases from hundreds of Vermont farms and distribution to tens of thousands of our neighbors. Funding directed to local food shelves and meal sites supports food purchase and distribution costs so that the flow of food can continue at existing levels. Neighbors are visiting more frequently and seeking more food on each visit. This funding gives Vermont families some needed stability in really precarious times. Finally, through responsive or through ready response, the food bank seeks to formalize our relationship with Vermont Emergency Management to ensure that Vermont Food Bank and our community partners are prepared and resourced to address the acute needs for food and water when an emergency or disaster happens. The food bank and local partners have a unique role to play, which requires coordination and sustained funding. So thank you for considering this $5,000,000 request. In a time of many difficult choices, basic human needs must not get lost.

[Mark Schmle (Washington County Mental Health Services)]: Thank you. Thank you, Chad.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Up online, Joanne Lamoille. In, Jack, it's Tom LeBron. Hi.

[Joanne Lamoille]: Hi. Thank you. My name is Joanne Lamoille. I live in Castleton, Vermont. I work for Rutland Regional Medical Center on the community health improvement team, where I am the site coordinator for Veggie Van Gogh, our food bank distribution partnership with the Vermont Food Bank. I am here today to ask you please appropriate 5,000,000 to the Vermont Food Bank, including the full 2,000,000 in funding for the Vermonters feeding Vermonters program. Have you ever had to go hungry so your kids could eat? Have you ever had to make the decision to pay for fuel or buy food? Have you ever had to pay for your medications instead of buying food? These are only some of the hard choices Vermonters are making and have been making. People from all walks of life show up to the veggie van go each month for the produce to supplement their limited food budgets. When one arrives for the first time, they are nervous, mortified, humbled, and then relieved when they realize it was an easier process than they feared and grateful for the nonjudgmental and friendly way they were treated while they were getting their produce. We have people who come not to pick up for themselves, to pick up shares for their neighbors, their friends, their families. People show up because they count on the fresh produce to supplement their groceries until the next paycheck. And they get even excited when they see the fresh local Vermont produce to take home. People often share with me their appreciation and gratitude because without this, they would go hungry. Without the Gingot, they cannot afford food from our local farms. One group of three elderly ladies share that they take their produce to their separate apartments, create dishes, and share the dishes not only with each other but others in their neighborhood. Not only are they keeping themselves fed, but they are helping us do our jobs by keeping neighbors who can't make it to the food distributions fed. Please, to keep our neighbors fed, I would say 5,000,000 to the Vermont Food Bank is priceless. So please appropriate 5,000,000 to the Vermont Food Bank, including the full 2,000,000 in funding for the Vermonters, feeding Vermonters program. I thank you for your time.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Up next is Helen Levin. And on deck online is Justin Rich.

[Helen Levin]: Thank you. My name is Helen Levin, and I am speaking on behalf, today, I'm speaking on behalf of the Long Term Care Crisis Coalition. That's a partnership of eight organizations representing more than 200 service providers who are engaged in different aspects of long term care in Vermont. Long term care services support our family members, friends and neighbors with basic activities of daily living, such as dressing or bathing. Support can be offered in an individual's home or at facilities in their community. Coalition members serve thousands of Vermonters every day. Age is the primary predictor of whether these services will be needed in a given year. And Vermont's population is aging quickly. The Department of Labor projects the population of people 65 years old and older will increase by 45% by 2030. And if we focus just on the 75 and older population, which is most of who our members are serving, that number goes up to 80%. So that's an 80% increase by 2030. 2030 is four years from now. And our coalition is concerned that the governor's proposed budget reduces capacity in long term care services at the precise moment when we need to expand that capacity. We understand the constraints of this budget year, but at the very least, we cannot go backwards. We have submitted written testimony outlining a modest, as Eric said, modest, it really is modest, request to preserve budgets for the elder care program, the day health and rehab services, enhanced residential care, Tier one, and the area agencies on aging. And we are also asking for an inflationary increase of 3.5% to the home and community based services rates. And that amount is reached using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data, so it represents only what's needed to keep pace with increasing costs. Thank you for recognizing the importance of long term care in Vermont and considering this budget request.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Thank you. Up next online, Justin Rich, and on deck is Gail Zatz.

[Justin Rich]: Hello. My name is Justin Rich, and I own and operate Burnt Rock Farm, a medium sized certified organic vegetable farm in Huntington, Vermont. I'm also the current president of the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association. I wanna thank the committee for the opportunity to testify about the importance of adequate funding for the Farm Security Fund as envisioned in s sixty. I'm asking the committee to please appropriate 15,600,000 in fiscal year twenty twenty seven for the Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund. In an increasingly unstable climate, disaster aid like this is critical to help maintain the viability of our working lands businesses. We farm fields along and above the Huntington River, most of which rarely see floodwater. On 07/10/2024, hurricane Beryl dropped five and a half inches of water in seven hours in our valley, and we experienced catastrophic flooding unlike any since at least 1938. As a result, we lost hundreds of thousands of dollars of crops and had many acres of fertile farmland destroyed by the Russian waters. We do carry crop insurance, and that certainly helped, but it was not adequate to cover the losses we experienced. Aid from the state of Vermont's Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program or BGAP was absolutely instrumental in helping us recover from that disaster and ensuring that we could afford to clean up and put crops in the ground the next spring. The only downside to the BGAP program was that it was not authorized until almost two months after the flood, so it was hard to plan. An adequately funded Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund will codify the supports that we received from the Ad Hoc BGAP program and ensure that similar support can be available for others to rely on in the future. Please appropriate $15,600,000 in 2027 for the Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund. Thank you.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you.

[Gail Zatz]: My name is Gail Zatz, and I represent the AIDS Service Organizations. For about twenty seven years, both Virginia Renfrew and I have represented them. And I think that we have come before you twenty seven times, asking for some changes in the budget language. We're still trying to figure some things out, but I would like to flag some issues. So first is the budget language. HIV and AIDS service language has resided in Section E3 12. This year, the administration had changed it and put the aid service portion of that appropriation in one section and the harm reduction in another. That doesn't work well because some of the funding sources are both for aid services and harm reduction. So we'll provide some language to you to help to rectify that. Since the transfer of harm reduction funding to DSU, the funding stream has become extremely inconsistent and not transparent. The ASOs asked me to give a shout out to Erin at the Department of Health and Nicole at DSU for doing the best they can. However, there are some examples of some serious problems that we are encountering. The ASOs have not received their FY '26 general fund appropriation for syringe services programs, and it's now February. In addition, part of the funding for the SSPs was moved into the opioid settlement funds. That was fine, except now the administration has recommended that the FY twenty seven OSF not include the SSP funding because they said that there was a carry forward. However, the ASOs have not received their FY twenty six SSP funding through that. The ASOs were also awarded a grant of 350,000 through the OSF in FY twenty five. It's now February 2026. They have not received that grant. And finally, the department changed the grant period from the calendar year to a fiscal year. That left a six month gap. They were supposed to provide extra funding for that, and that has not occurred yet. So I just wanna thank you so much for the support you've given us in the past. Thank you very much. We

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: have next President Segal, then our guy from line, Kamara Hodge.

[Brenda Siegel, Executive Director, End Homelessness Vermont]: For the record, I'm Brenda Siegel, Executive Director of End Homelessness Vermont. We are requesting 6 and $11,625 in the budget adjustment for disability focused case management and concrete supports. End Homelessness Vermont provides trauma informed services to people experiencing homelessness with significant disabilities or medical complexities. We are the only organization in Vermont providing this specialized service. Over the last several years, large numbers of medically complex Vermonters and people with disabilities were exited from GA emergency housing, their only access to shelter. Let me share with you what success looks like, though. Our client, Darren, in Rutland has MS. For years, he was removed from hotels because his wheelchair could not fit through doors. He ended up outside multiple times, unable to eat and perform basic functions, and one time was found frozen. We have been almost frozen. We eventually found a hotel that would build a ramp and retrofit a room. With stability, we were able to surround him with the right supports and in home care. We have worked with him since 2023. In August, he finally made it into permanent housing. In the last fourteen months, we have supported 80 people with complex needs into permanent housing with only two returning to homelessness and one already rehearsed, a 97.5% retention rate. In 2025, we answered over 3,000 hotline calls appeared more than appeared before the Human Services Board more than two fifty times in fair hearings and provided ongoing support for hundreds of Vermonters. This $611,625 will provide disability focused case management, technical assistance, and the concrete supports that prevent catastrophic outcomes. In order to sustain our current services, we need this funding. Without funding, this funding, Vermont's most vulnerable residents would lose critical support. We've been successful on a shoestring. Imagine what we could do if we had the budget that others do. I ask this committee to support this request. Thank you.

[Cindy Dantes]: Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Up next, Tamara Hodge online, and on deck, Karen Gronscarf Scott.

[Tamara Hodge]: Hi, can everybody hear me okay?

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Yes, we can.

[Tamara Hodge]: Okay, great. For the record, I am Tamara Hodge. I am the intake coordinator at End Homelessness Vermont, and I provide casework to support people with disabilities in their emergency housing and permanent housing. But as during the BAA, I am here today because I was once a client. End Homelessness Vermont is requesting $611,625 in the budget adjustment for disability focused case management and concrete supports. This request is critical. There is no one else doing this work, and every single day I see the success of people living with disabilities finding support that is specific to their needs. I got to where my children and I are permanently housed and to where I was able to do this career job because of the services of End Homelessness Vermont. I know what it's like to need someone who understands disability barriers, not just homelessness, but the specific ways disability makes everything harder. That's what End Homelessness Vermont provided for me, and that's what I help to provide others with now. Our outcomes speak for themselves. Eighty people with complex needs moved into permanent housing. Only two of those returned to homelessness. That's a ninety seven point five percent retention rate. We are asking for just enough to sustain our current services and supplement our budget. That is all. This $611,625 will provide the disability focused case management and concrete supports that prevent people from falling through the cracks. I am living proof that this approach works. Without this funding, others won't get the same chance that I did. I ask the committee to support this request and thank you so much for your time.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you. Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Up next, Scott. And now on deck is Becky Gagne.

[Karen Tronsgard-Scott, Co-Executive Director, Vermont Network]: Good afternoon. My name is Karen Chomsgaard Scott, and I'm the co executive director of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. Vermont Network is our state's leading voice on domestic and sexual violence. Our members are 14 independent nonprofit organizations that provide advocacy and support to domestic and sexual violence survivors in every town in Vermont. These services are lifesaving and life changing. Our member organizations provide 20 fourseven crisis response when a survivor's safety is at risk, shelter for survivors and their children fleeing violence, and confidential advocacy to help people navigate medical care, legal system, and basic needs. Advocates meet survivors where they are and help them retain safety, dignity, and control over their lives. In 2024 alone, our member organizations answered more than 23,000 hotline calls from Vermonters seeking support and provided in person supports for nearly 8,000 individuals. Despite the impact of this help on the lives of our fellow Vermonters, services have been largely flat funded through the Vermont Domestic and Sexual Violence Special Fund for nearly fifteen years. The fund has experienced a deficit in almost every fiscal year since FY15, requiring one time appropriations to prevent cuts. In FY twenty six, the fund is once again facing a shortfall. We have two vital requests for the FY twenty six state budget. First, we're requesting $450,000 in base funding to level fund domestic and sexual violence direct services for survivors. While we estimate the special fund must eventually support a $5,000,000 annual expense, given the current fiscal price or fiscal climate, this request focuses on maintaining current services. Without fully investing $450,000 for direct services, domestic and sexual violence survivors and their children could lose access to these life saving services. Second, we request 717,750 thousand dollars to the Department of Children and Families, and I will end there. You can see the rest of it in my written testimony. Thank you very much.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you so much.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Okay, next, Becky then Megan Malvo.

[Becky Gagne]: Good afternoon. My name is Becky Gagne. I'm the executive director at the Clarina Howard Nichols Center. For forty five years, Clarina has been a trusted community based resource for survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Lamoille County. I'm here today in strong support of a $450,000 appropriation to fill the deficit in Vermont's domestic and sexual violence special fund and preserve life saving services for survivors. At Clarina, we are a dedicated team of eight staff and five volunteer hotline advocates. Last year alone, Clarina served four zero three individuals, including responding to eleven fourteen hotline calls and providing emergency shelter for 56 individuals, 35 adults and 21 children. Our team remains deeply committed to our mission and the survivors we serve. Yet each year, we're asked to do more with less. In FY 'twenty six, Clarina received $30,321 through the Domestic and Sexual Violence Fund. While modest, these funds are critical. They allow us to continue to offer high quality, informed services at no cost to survivors in the Memorial County. These services include emergency shelter, a twenty four hour hotline, legal advocacy, housing navigation, medical accompaniment and sexual assault response and so much more. The stark reality is that we cannot sustain these services if the domestic and sexual violence funds are reduced. A reduction in funding would require our organization to reduce staffing. This would impact services as our team already works tirelessly, nights, weekends, on call whenever needed. What would the impact be? Longer response times? Reduced legal advocacy? Maybe a waiting list. We have never turned anyone away. Please consider a $450,000 appropriation to the Vermont Domestic and Sexual Violence Fund to ensure survivors can access support when they need it most. You for this opportunity to speak to you today and for your considerations.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Up next, Megan Malper. If I said the name wrong. But then on deck is David Kasc.

[Megan Malbrook, LCSW, Northwestern Counseling & Support Services]: Good afternoon. My name is Megan Malbrook, and I'm a licensed clinical social worker at Northwestern Counseling and Support Services. I'm here today to ask that you ensure that the $1,500,000 in Reach Up funding for designated agencies cut from the governor's proposed budget is reinstated and protected. NCSS has a long standing successful partnership with Reach Up. We currently employ a full time mental health clinician dedicated to Reach Up clients, and we've recently added a Reach Up wellness coach. In fiscal year twenty twenty five alone, 63 people were served by our Reach Up clinician. This collaboration exists for a simple reason. Mental health and substance use are the leading barriers to employment. The Reach Up clinician role was created to meet people where they are, providing screening, assessment, coordination, and treatment planning that directly supports their success in the program. The warm handoff between Reach Up case managers and our clinician helps us reach a vulnerable population that is unlikely to seek services on their own. These are adults facing serious socioeconomic barriers, limited income, transportation challenges, childcare issues. And without this model, many would fall through the cracks. Let me share one example. A 38 year old mother of three with a history of significant trauma and frequent crises at home simply couldn't maintain a traditional therapy schedule. Because of the Reach Up grant, our clinician had the flexibility to keep checking in, teaching coping skills, and staying engaged until this client could fully participate. Today, she's managing her trauma, parenting more effectively, and showing real compassion for herself while juggling enormous responsibilities. This low barrier program demonstrates preventative community based care. It keeps people out of crisis and out of the emergency departments, and it helps them move towards stability and work. I'll close where I started. Please ensure the $1,500,000 in reach up funding is reinstated and maintained in the governor's budget. This program works and Vermonters can't afford to lose it. Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration. Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Up next, David Tek, and then on deck, Amanda Andrews. Sorry. It's been bothering me. Yeah. Thank you for

[David Tek]: feeling wonderful. Right? It looks that way. Hi. My name is David Tek. I'm the owner of Stella fourteen Wines in Cambridge, Vermont. I farm two vineyards in Cambridge, Jeffersonville, and I've produced Vermont wine grown and fermented here since 2020. I'm asking that the committee appropriate $15,600,000 to the Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund. In April 2023, it was 85 degrees. We were on an upward trajectory with wine in the cellar and a tasting room that we had recently opened in Jeffersonville. And then it was 25 degrees that May and frost hit the vineyard that we lease at Boyden, and we lost 90% of our fruit. Grapes are an uninsurable crop in the state of Vermont. Federal assistance, there's a small amount of insurance that you can get that covers a tiny fraction of the value. What aid did come from the state, Justin spoke about it earlier, the BGAP assistance had a cutoff date that was actually after the frost event. So apple farmers, grape farmers, any fruit farmers affected in the frost of twenty twenty three were unfortunately left out of that and devastated by that frost. So we were forced to take on other employment, close the tasting room, and continue maintaining the vineyard because we wanted to maintain the health of the vineyard, so spraying, pruning, continuing to mow a vineyard that had no fruit on it, which was an odd upside to the fact that it then flooded later that year. And the fact we had no fruit meant that we weren't so concerned about the flooding, but but it did affect our vineyard as it was in that flood plain in Jeffersonville. So we've diversified locations since then, adding a vineyard at a higher elevation, but the risk of frost is obviously still present. Viticulture in the wine industry in the state of Vermont is huge, and we've seen press in Food and Wine, New York Times. It continues to be a huge industry that will grow. Right now, it's tiny. There's massive amounts of potential here. So please appropriate $15,600,000 to this fund so that we can be proactive, not reactive in supporting Vermont farmers after catastrophic events. Thank you for your time.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Up next, Amanda Andrews, and on deck, LC steps. My

[Amanda Andrews]: name is Amanda Andrews. I'm the owner operator of Tamarac Hollow Farm, starting my seventeenth year growing vegetables in Plainfield. I'm a proud member of four of the organizations that have come together to advocate for the Farm Security Fund. I want to thank the Appropriations Committee for the opportunity to testify on the fiscal 2007 budget priorities, and I'm asking the committee to please approve the 15,600,000 for the Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund. As my peers have been saying, climate change is an existential threat to small farms, which are not supported by federal crop insurance and disaster programs designed to support large agribusiness. My estimated losses between the heavy rainfall events in 2023 and 2024 was 113,006 and $40 I hold NAP insurance, the only USDA program providing some degree of safety net for diversified vegetable producers. And my combined payment for those two years of losses was $3,035 The funds I received from my state's BGAP program are what kept my business going. And agricultural businesses are key to keeping our state's economy going. Farmers and foresters steward 20% of Vermont's land base, and the effects of those working lands reach far beyond that 1,200,000 acres. Our farms are at the base of Vermont's larger food system, which is home to 20.6% of Vermont's workforce. And our farms and forests are a linchpin of Vermont's tourism economy, which represents another 10% of the state's workforce. I know you have many considerations before you this funding cycle. But by appropriating $15,600,000 for the Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund, you are securing the industry providing some 30% of the state's employment. And as income tax is the largest revenue source for the state, an investment in our farms and forests is an investment in the state itself. Thank you for your time and consideration.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Thank you. Back to Kelsey Stanson, and then on deck, Elizabeth Feiber. Kelsey's online.

[Kelsey Seffseth]: There we go. Can everybody hear me now?

[Connor Timmons]: Yes.

[Kelsey Seffseth]: Great. Thank you for the opportunity to testify in Vermont's '27 state budget. My name is Kelsey Seffseth, executive director of Northeast Kingdom Human Services and co president of Vermont Care Partners representing both the three county service area of the Northeast Kingdom and all 14 counties statewide. We're requesting a 3.5 increase to the fiscal year twenty seven budgets for designated and specialized service agencies. This investment provides stability, addresses health care costs, workforce issues, reduces reliance on less effective and expensive care, enables the D. A. S. S. System to fulfill its statutory mission of serving Vermont's most vulnerable citizens across the lifespan. Designated agencies like NKHS are essential health care infrastructure, delivering affordable care where people live and fulfilling the state's obligations through our contracts with the departments of mental health, department of health, and department of aging independent living. Specifically for Northeast Kingdom, we open the front porch for months first 20 fourseven co occurring urgent care center reducing ER visits. We drove over 1,000,000 miles last year connecting people in the rural as part of The States to needed appointments in their jobs. We launched an intensive school based program keeping kids in their community instead of costly out of district placements. We're a critical partner to law enforcement, first responders and hospitals. We're excellent stewards of public resources investing in technology and data systems that maximize every dollar towards community needs, allowing us to transparently share our impact and how scarce taxpayer dollars are being used to improve the health of Vermonters. Home community based services meet Vermonters where they are, alleviating pressure on law enforcement, EMS, and hospitals, and help contain the increasing cost of health care and over reliance on more intensive services. Investments in the past have been effectively utilized to address key needs and allowed us to fill our mission. A 3.5% budget increase in '27 is essential, not only because it supports Vermonters, but also because it addresses the health care and educational affordability Adequate funding for home and community based services isn't just good for Vermonters, it's also fiscally responsible. Thank you.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Up next, Elizabeth and I'll bet Jesse stay in online.

[Beth Seitler, Executive Director, Washington County Mental Health Services]: I'm Beth Seitler. I'm the executive director of Washington County Mental Health Services. We support people with developmental disabilities, substance use issues, mental health, similar to what Kelsey was just talking about. Washington County employs over 700 people. We serve 4,000 people in Washington County. Some of these people are people that you know, and any one of us could need the services that we provide here. I'm here today because we're asking for 3.5 Medicaid rate increase for the services that we're providing. That comes through a total of $5,800,000 Our staff show up for people who are in the worst parts of their worst times in their lives. They are needing educational supports, they're needing housing supports, they're in critical condition, and they show up every day, and they take care of them, and they support them. Again, these are the people who are in our community doing this work. This work is getting harder and harder for us to sustain. More than 80% of our budget goes to staffing. When the funding doesn't keep pace with the rising costs, the impact lands on our workforce, and then lands on the people who we're trying to support. In the past year, we had to change our insurance rather dramatically, which meant we had to increase the insurance premiums for the people who work for us, and we were only able to give out a 1% increase. As a leader, I can tell you that is a hard act to follow, very difficult. But our staff absorbed those changes. They continued to work. They continued this incredible investment they're making in their jobs. But it's not something that we can continue to keep doing. Again, this year, the state has said that our work is essential, and that's true. It is essential. And again, this year, the state has not included a cost of living increase for the specialized and designated agencies. So I'm asking you this year to please put in a 3.5% increase for us so we can continue this work that we're doing. Thank you.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: On the line, Jessica and on deck, Dennis Smith.

[Jesse Kayen]: Hello. Thank you so much for the opportunity to be part of this process today. My name is Jesse Kayen. I live in Brattleboro, and I'm a co owner of Wild Carrot Farm. I'd like to urge you to appropriate $500,000 for local food security programs like Crop Cash, Crop Cash Plus, and the Farm Share program. Our farm and the community of customers that we serve have benefited from these programs for over thirteen years. The Farm Share and Crop Cash programs have allowed hundreds of low income Vermonters to participate in our CSA and shop in our farm stand who would not have been able to do so otherwise. Each year, our farm has leveraged more than double the state funding through private fundraising and cost shares. More than any other state program, this appropriation has a real impact on our farms' financial viability and our ability to further food security in our community. The state of Vermont can make policy choices that will ensure food security for everyone who lives here while ensuring our farmers can profit from growing the food we all need. Please support a $500,000 appropriation for local food security programs like Crop Cash, Crop Cash Plus, and Farm Share. Thank you.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: It's there. And then I'll take Gabby Ossen.

[Denise Smith]: Hi, good afternoon, everybody. It's good to see some of you. I want to thank you for having me. My name is Denise Smith, I'm the executive director of the Vermont Council on Rural Development. The council is an organization that's been around for thirty years, and we work with rural communities throughout the state. Today, I'm here representing two investments that I'd love this body to consider. The first is a request for further investment in our working lands of $5,000,000 And the second is to continue investment in our rural communities and support a rural technical assistance capacity grant of $500,000 Forestry and agriculture are the foundation of the Vermont economy, which we've heard from many people today. And while we have funding to support the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative, we see a need to increase investment in that program as it is necessary to continue to grow and foster the backbone of our economy in rural Vermont. The working lands in Vermont support our clean water and our clean air, provide jobs in rural areas, provide outdoor recreation and the views we cherish that support our physical and our mental health. And they are the foundation of our food systems. This program is currently funded at $1,000,000 in the governor's budget, and we're asking for $500,000 as an increase in base and then $3,500,000 in one time funding this year. I'm also here on account of requesting a one time funding to support rural technical assistance to communities. This past year, I served on the steering committee for the Vermont Evaluation on Rural Technical Assistance. We're making our rounds right now in many committees, if you want to hear us present on that, that research how the state and partners deliver technical assistance to rural communities. And what partners are asking, what rural communities are asking for is simplified process, navigation services, patient and flexible funding and support across all phases of project development. This small one time funding is going to help us continue that work. Thank you so much for having me. It's great to see you

[Becky Gagne]: all. See you soon.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Up next, Gabby Boyson on deck, Margaret Walsh.

[Gabby Boyson]: Hi everyone. My name is Gabby Boyson and I live in Burlington. I'm the food access manager at the InterVille Center and you're a member organization of the Food Security Roadmap. Through my work at the InterVille Center, I hear stories from families every week who cannot afford to eat the food that they need and deserve. The roadmap shows us how to ensure everyone in Vermont has the food they need. Please support the following budget requests to keep us on the road to food security. To maximize federal funding with strategic state investments, please appropriate an additional $6,300,000 to ensure continued state administration of Three Spurs Vermont. Please appropriate $182,000 to incentivize the sponsor organizations of the child and adult care food program. Please appropriate $4,950,000 to service providing organizations to expand capacity for benefit assisters for SNAP and Medicaid. To support local food security, Vermont farms and food producers, Please fully fund the land access and opportunity board at $3,200,000 Please appropriate $500,000 to NOFA Vermont to support the crop cash, crop cash plus and farm share programs. Please appropriate $5,000,000 to the Vermont Food Bank to ensure responsive readiness and emergencies and support food purchase and distribution. Please appropriate $15,600,000 for the Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund. And please appropriate $5,000,000 to the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative. When the state of Vermont steps into leadership for food security, our collective action will be successful. Thank you for your time and thank you to the committee for considering this request.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Margaret Walsh, on deck, finding the field online.

[Margaret Walsh]: Good afternoon. My name is Margaret Walsh, and I'm the director of the Parent Child Center at Northwestern Counseling and Support Services. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today on behalf of Vermont's PCC Network and the families we serve. The VPCCN budget request is for an increased Vermont Parent Child Center Networks integrated grant appropriation by 1,880,000 for Vermont's 15 parent child centers. Parent child centers are written into Vermont statute as a statewide coordinated network, delivering eight core services to families with young children. One of those services, access to concrete supports, is foundational to all the others. Concrete supports are defined in statute as community services and resources that address immediate family needs and contribute to long term well-being. Locally and as a statewide network, we are seeing a clear and measurable increase in need. Request for PCC based concrete supports have increased 28% in the past year. At NCSS, funding for concrete supports is used to prevent evictions and utility shutoffs, provide essential clothing, support transportation for children, complex medical needs and stabilize families before challenges escalate. Research consistently shows that material hardship increases parental stress and negatively impacts early childhood development, while access to concrete supports reduces risk factors for maltreatment and improves long term outcomes. Our staff are currently supporting a single mother of three who lost her housing last fall. Since then, she and her children have experienced homelessness and multiple hotel placements. Throughout this time, our PCC has provided both trusted case management and concrete supports, which help to meet her family's basic needs, reduce stress, and maintain stability during an incredibly uncertain time. For these reasons, I urge you to increase the Parent Child Centers Network's integrated grant by 1,880,000.00. Thank you for your time.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Thank you. Now I'm Connie Videel and on deck, Autumn Mone.

[Connie Beal]: Good afternoon. My name is Connie Beal. I live in St. Albans, work full time and a single parent of two young children. I serve as the director of Working Bridges, a shared program of United Way of Northwest Vermont and Green Mountain United Way. We partner with more than 30 workplaces across Northern Vermont in manufacturing, health care, child care, and higher education settings to help employees stay employed and achieve economic stability. Our signature strategy on-site and confidential resource coordination is both worker support and a business solution. Employers invest in this model because they see results, reduced absenteeism, lower turnover, and a more stable workforce. Thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of funding the Benefit Assister proposal. This investment would equip trusted community organizations to help eligible Vermonters maintain access to Three Squares Vermont and Medicaid, benefits that directly strengthen Vermont's workforce and support Vermont's employers. The organizations in this proposal are prepared to meet increased documentation and renewal needs, helping eligible Vermonters stay connected to Three Squares Vermont and Medicaid. Funding assists a strategic, cost effective approach that strengthens families. When employees lose access to Three Squares Vermont, employers feel the impact immediately. Food shelves experience greater demand, while businesses lose workers who are forced to prioritize food or health over work. In an already strained labor market, this instability worsens workforce shortages. We see this every day when workers skip meals, cut grocery budgets, or delay medical care, they experience more crises, more stress, and more missed work. I hope you will fully fund the Benefit Assisted Proposal as a key strategy in this moment for strengthening our workforce and advancing economic prosperity for all Vermonters. Thank you for your service and your leadership. Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Up next, Autumn Moen, and then on deck, Mary Mack.

[Autumn Moen]: Hello, my name is Autumn Moen, and I live in Burlington, and I'm the legislative policy lead at Hunger Free Vermont. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today in support of our appropriation request for $182,000 for the sponsor organizations of the Child and Adult Care Food Program, also known as the CACFP. The CACFP is the most equitable way to provide nutritious meals and snacks in early child care settings, because it makes sure that children receive the same developmentally appropriate nutrition. In order to participate in the CACFP, family child Care Homes must have a sponsoring organization. And so this means that without sponsoring organizations, Family Child Care Homes can't participate in the program at all, and the children that are in their care may not be able to access developmentally appropriate nutrition, meals and snacks that they receive in their care. In recent years, we've seen a decrease in the number of CACFP sponsored organizations. Right now, we only have three for the entire state of Vermont. So that's Capstone Community Action, Brock Community Action, and Winston Prouty Center for Child and Family Development. Now, these three sponsor organizations cover the entire state, which consists of a large administrative burden to geographically cover the entire state and do three site visits every year. The federal administrative payments for CACFP do not adequately cover the administrative costs of running this program. In fiscal year twenty twenty six, the legislature appropriated $150,000 to support the sponsor organization. What we've seen is that all three were able to stay on and continue doing this really important work as sponsors of the CACFP. We've even had a fourth organization reach out with interest in joining as a sponsor organization of this program. And so with this continued investment into the sponsors of the CACFP, we can expand the CACFP for family childcare homes, getting even more nutritious meals and snacks to Vermont kids. Thank you all. Thank you. Mary Mackie and Tanya Mason.

[Mary Mackie]: My name is Mary, and I am the Director of Advocacy at Mosaic. We work here in Washington County, supporting people who have experienced and been affected by sexual harm. I am here in support of a $450,000 appropriation fulfilled a deficit in Vermont's domestic and sexual violence special fund. This request is not abstract for us. Right now, when someone calls, we answer. This funding helps ensure that we can continue to do that 20 fourseven. If these funds are reduced, we will not be able to maintain our current level of service. It would mean fewer advocates to respond to things like rape, trafficking, and child sexual abuse, and limited capacity, limiting how quickly and comprehensively we can meet survivors wherever they need us, whether that be on the helpline, in hospital rooms or police stations, in courtrooms, in coffee shops, and even in classrooms and schools. Pulling back funding will deepen harm across our community. At the national level, funding streams are shrinking, victim protections are eroding, and leaders are appearing in really troubling places. When national systems falter, state leadership matters even more than ever. This appropriation is more than just filling a deficit. It's about affirming that the work that we do is essential. It's about investing in our organizations at a level that allows us to serve survivors well. Level funding is not the same as adequate funding, but it would maintain our current capacity. We cannot sustain these essential services on commitment alone. We need resources that match that responsibility. Vermont has long said that we value safety, dignity, and accountability, and this appropriation is a chance to demonstrate that those values are real. At a time of very public reckoning about power and harm, we don't always like to admit it, but a budget is a values document, and this is a moment to make those values visible. Thank you for your time and your consideration. Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Are you Mason? There she is. Good job. And then on deck, Mark Small.

[Tony Mason]: Good afternoon. Chairs and members of the committees, thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Tony Mason. I am the DS director at Howard Center representing the designated and specialized service agencies. I am asking you to support a 3.5% inflationary increase for the DASSA system of care. Howard Center delivers required essential community based services and crisis response for Vermont's health system. Every day, we provide mental health, substance use, and developmental services to people across our region, regardless of complexity, acuity, or ability to pay. Our dedicated staff support through their most vulnerable moments, delivering mandated person centered services while maintaining community safety and creating meaningful opportunities for growth and independence. More than 80% of our costs are personnel related, which means inflation directly affects our ability to retain staff, maintain essential coverage, and meet our mandated responsibilities safely. As wages, benefits, and operating expenses increase, providers are forced to absorb those costs. When community providers fall behind, the impact shows up elsewhere in emergency departments, inpatient beds, law enforcement, and other high cost systems. Families are also directly impacted by an already strained service system. We are currently supporting a youth adult, young adult with co occurring mental health and intellectual disability who is aging out of the school system, who requires skilled 20 fourseven staff to maintain both family and community safety. This young person has experienced significant trauma and expresses both homicidal and suicidal threats. Without stable, well trained staff, family and community safety are at risk, emergency system uses increase, and this young person's long term success is jeopardized. Inflationary adjustment supports workforce stability, protects access to essential services, and helps ensure care continues to be delivered in lower cost community based settings. Investing in Us means investing in healthier communities with better outcomes. We appreciate your partnership in sustaining these essential services.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Okay. Up next, Mark Schmle, and then on deck, Ellen Fransson, Master Brad Pritz. Hi,

[Mark Schmle (Washington County Mental Health Services)]: my name is Mark Schmle. I've worked at Washington County Mental Health Services for the past thirty nine years. For most of that time, I served as director of the counseling services in what's now known as the Intensive Adult Mental Health Program. For the past twenty five years, I've also coordinated our elder care program. I'm here today to ask that the 349,763 proposed for elimination in the FY27 budget be restored. Elder care is essential mental health care for older Vermonters. The elder care program has long been one of the most effective ways to reach older adults who cannot access traditional office based care. Many of the people we serve are homebound due to medical conditions, mobility limitations, and cognitive decline. Without Elder Care, they would receive no mental health support at all. Over the years, funding reductions have steadily weakened the program. At its peak, WCMHS had three elder care clinicians providing outreach across multiple counties, serving approximately 130 older Vermonters each year. Today, to funding reductions, the program has been reduced to a single half time clinician working twenty hours per week with the capacity to serve only 20 to 25 people. At the same time, Vermont's older population is growing. The mental health needs associated with aging, including isolation, depression, grief, and cognitive decline are increasing. Reducing elder care further will leave vulnerable Vermonters without access to care at a time when they need it most. Elder care allows older Vermonters to remain stable, maintain their dignity and continue living in their communities. Without it, many will struggle alone and some will require more intensive and costly care. Some will wind up unhoused or at risk of that outcome as the Elder Care program provides stability to assist in this significant area. I respectfully ask you to restore funding for the Elder Care program and I thank you for your time and consideration.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Thank you. Thank you. So we're, a couple of people aren't here. So we're going down to Ellen And on deck is Nicole Miller.

[Ellen Amstetz]: There. You the opportunity to testify today. My name is Ellen Amstetz. I'm director of the Vermont Parent Child Center Network. The network brings together the state's 15 child centers, which are established in statute to work collaboratively to provide eight core services for families with children under the age of six. We are requesting a 1,880,000 increase in the statewide Parent Child Center integrated grants so that we can sustain this critical work and respond to the increasing challenges Vermont families are facing. Since our full implementation as a network in 2024, we've made steady progress in establishing shared standards, strengthening our accountability and aligning our work to meet local needs while achieving statewide impact. I want to just highlight a few of our outcomes this past year. We've served 22,000 parents in Vermont. That's an increase of over 3,000 parents over the previous year. As economic stability for many Vermont families has become increasingly fragile, PCCs provided 4,220 families with concrete supports. That represents a 28% increase over last year. We have reached seventeen oh seven families through our welcome baby supports. That's reaching about one third of all of the babies born in Vermont so that their parents know about the supports available that we can provide. We're continuing to build the parent child centers as a cornerstone of Vermont's system of care for families and young children. Parent child centers are key providers of state services, including children's integrated services, licensed childcare, childcare financial assistance programs, and other state services. Sustaining this role requires stable and adequate investment. We're asking the legislature to support our full request of 1,880,000.00 to increase the integrated grant so that we can continue to build PCCs as a partner in supporting Vermont's families. Thank you. Thank you very much.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Up next on line, Nicole Miller and on deck, Connor Timmins.

[Nicole Miller]: Hi, can you all hear me okay?

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Yes.

[Nicole Miller]: Great. Thank you. Good afternoon. My name is Nicole Miller, and I'm the executive director of Vermont After School, a nonprofit organization that works to strengthen after school and summer programs, empower youth, and expand access so that any child or youth in Vermont who wants to attend a program can do so. Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak with you today. I am happy to see that the governor continues to ensure that the after school and summer special fund is fully funded. I also support the agency's proposed budget language request. I hope that the legislature will, ensure that the full allocation continues to go to the after school and summer special fund as well, demonstrating Vermont's commitment to ensure that all youth in Vermont have access to after school and summer programming at lower no cost. Additionally, Vermont After School supports the Vermont State Youth Council through a grant agreement with the Vermont Department of Health. The council is currently funded through the Department of Health's federal funding, and given the uncertainty and challenges of federal funding at this time, I wanted to flag that this is a potential challenge as it could change at any time. The FY twenty seven cost for the State Youth Council is about a $140,000, which includes youth stipends, mileage reimbursement for themselves to travel to meetings, meeting venues, website fees, and Vermont After Schools administrative and technical assistance, such as staff time to coordinate council and committee meetings, logistical support, being a liaison for the council, processing stipend payments, and more. This funding is essential for the council to continue providing a direct avenue for youth to have a voice in policymaking, creating a more inclusive democracy in Vermont. Every year, we see more requests for the council to meet with policymakers and state leadership. However, the council and Vermont After School are both concerned about the instability of federal funds and increasingly about the potential censorship based on federal changes. The council is requesting its appropriation of federal funds be replaced by state funding for FY '27. Thank you.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Next, Connor Timmle, on deck, Jonas Spivak.

[Connor Timmons]: Good afternoon. Thank you so much for your listening to everyone today. My name is Connor Timmons. I'm the executive director at HomeShare Vermont. I'm seeking your support for the continuation of a $235,000 funding path parcel that you folks approved last year. You may recall I was sitting here last year asking for this for our expansion project into the Northeast Kingdom and Wyndham County, and we're gonna talk about that. Just as a recap, HomeShare Vermont is a program that matches older Vermonters with older older Vermonters, Vermonters with disabilities, or anyone with extra space in their homes with folks looking for an affordable place to live. Guests provide some form of household support like shoveling, transportation, or very often a just in case presence in the home in exchange for reduced rent. We run six background checks, three reference checks, and conduct lengthy interviews for all participants so they can be considered for a match. Critically, our program also provides ongoing support for all participants. Our expansion plans have moved forward at a good pace. We've made progress relatively quickly, just as we expected we'd be able to do. We've onboarded and trained a complement of new case managers from our partner organizations at Windham Windsor Housing Trust and at the Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging. We've conducted dozens of outreach events in our new service areas, I'm excited to report that participation numbers are stronger than expected, and I continue and continue to trend in the right direction. Our model requires, however, that case managers conduct regular check ins to make sure that all parties are safe and that all arrangements are being honored. That accountability and peace of mind that comes with ongoing support is critical to the success rates we've seen over the last forty three years of operation. As such, once we've opened an area and begun making matches, we're not in a position to simply close down any a region, a town, a county, where we have matches activate. Expanding home share services statewide has been suggested by lawmakers for many years and has most recently been singled out as a strategy in the age strong plan. And I'll also note that our need will go up as cuts go up go down or up as well. So we consider this need essential in the next couple of years.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you very much.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Jonas, they're already ready to go. On the mud deck, Matt, last but not least, Donovan Arnold.

[Jonas Spivak]: Hi, my name is Jonas Spivak and I'm one of 14 commissioners appointed by Governor Scott to serve on the statewide two hundred fiftieth anniversary planning commission. My request may feel a bit out of place as it relates to history and commemorations rather than health or social services. But as many of us in this room will not likely be here for the three hundredth anniversaries, this is literally a once in a lifetime request. Our commission began work in 2020 and last year was our first of three anniversary years. Why three years? We had to start in 2025 because that was the two fiftieth anniversary of the capture of Fort Ticonderoga by Vermont's Green Mountain Boys, America's first offensive victory in the American Revolution. This year of course is the two fiftieth of the Declaration of Independence and like the rest of the country, we will be commemorating that anniversary. But everything we did last year and this year is a buildup to Vermont's own signature anniversary year in 2027, which is the two fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Vermont and the key role our state played in the 1777 campaign that was the turning point of the American Revolution. The fact is we have amazing stories to tell. Our state was born in the crucible of the American Revolutionary War and played a major role. Our story is more diverse than commonly known and can unite us. Finally, we will use these anniversaries to shine a spotlight on these stories and increase civic awareness. Indeed, we need the lessons that history can teach us today perhaps more than ever. There's an economic reason as well. Beyond the thousands of visitors who will come to these commemorations, it's an opportunity to educate our youth as well as our citizens in general to build and inspire a pride of place that will keep young people and their future families in our state. We respectfully request that an amount of $75,000 be allocated to continue this important work. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you.

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: Next, Arnold. That would be it unless somebody else can call.

[Donovan Arnold]: Alrighty. Hello, everyone. Thank you for having me. My name is Donovan Arnold. I am from Richford, and I earned a debt free associate degree in accounting at CCV through the free degree promise just one year after graduating from Richford Junior Senior High School. I am here today because I am concerned about the part of the governor the governor's budget that would take 15,000,000 out of the high higher education trust fund to help pay for a new facility at UVM. The building itself might be great, but using this fund to pay for it is a problem. The high the Higher Ed Trust Fund is meant to help low income Vermonters to go to college by giving non loading non loan aid. That same 15,000,000 could permanently fund the free degree promise year over year, giving younger students a chance to have a fast track free associate degree at CCV like I did. For me, this matters because by tenth grade, I had taken most of the math classes offered to me at my high school. And through the free degree promise, I was able to earn a bookkeeping certificate and to do an internship with the finance team at my local health center before graduating high school. Last spring, I earned my associate degree in accounting without taking on any debt. The free degree promise creates opportunities for students who might not be able to afford college, and it builds youth talent that employees employers need. I encourage you to I encourage you to use the Higher Ed Trust Fund to make the free degree promise permanent. This program has tripled the number of low income students in accelerated pathways at CCV, and many go to UVM and Vermont Technical University and get the associate degree. The whole program only costs about $750,000 a year, and I think this is a better bet than

[Sen. Andrew Perchlik]: a building.

[Donovan Arnold]: Thank you for having me again.

[Rep. Robin Scheu, Chair, House Appropriations Committee]: Thank you very much. All right, everybody. That is the last that we have. Thank you all who are still here for hanging out and for participating. Our next public hearing is

[Beth Seitler, Executive Director, Washington County Mental Health Services]: next

[Tamara Hodge]: Thursday,