Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Good afternoon, and it's afternoon. This is the House Bill Creations Committee. It is Friday, 03/20/2026. It is 05:52PM, and we are here to talk about spreadsheets and positions. So James and Emily, thank you. Take it away.

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Hey, Stephanie, joining fiscal?

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Emily, Brian, join fiscal.

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: We are going to begin our walk through with you with our position spreadsheet. Yeah. So we'll just dive right in. So this is a spreadsheet showing positions that were both added by the house of operations committee that were not included in the governor's recommend as well as the governor's recommended positions are included in the government recommend. So we'll identify those as we go through. The b 11 b one eleven tax department. This is reflected in the base changes spreadsheet that we'll be handing out as well. Tax department requested a authorization for a business analyst to assist with Act 73. That's education transformation related changes.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: That

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: was on our spreadsheet yesterday. It said tax education stuff, and it just had

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: a number of 135 or something. So we have that on there yesterday.

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: I'll just hit these. Yeah. So that that's a new one over gov rec. A one thirty two treasurer, unclaimed property, program technician three. You all discussed this earlier. This is funded through unclaimed property with no general fund impact. Also related to h five sixty seven is the authorization of a position at VPIC, financial director three. This is to accommodate the shift through H five sixty seven of OPEB from the treasurer's office to VPIC. And this is funded, and you'll notice there's a number of section numbers identified on the left hand column for that position. This position will be funded through a number of line items related to the various pension funds. So that's also position funded without general fund impact. The secretary of state requested two positions. The first is a records and information management specialist and a business services administrator. The secretary of state's office is seeking authorization, but no funding for this ask. There is sufficient base funding in b two two thirty two to cover the cost of these positions, so just seeking authorization for a permanent classified positions.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Where does the funding come from?

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: This would be funded through the existing governor's recommended base for the Secretary of State's Office.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Okay. All right. I I was not remembering that. Go on.

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Moving on. B two thirty six, Human Rights Commission. You have You all discussed this position already previously in committee. This will be a staff attorney investigator. It's noted on your spreadsheet as a paralegal or other. I think there had been some discussion in the committee about what the appropriate position authorization would be for the Human Rights Commission.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: They gave us money for one and asked them which one they wanted.

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Exactly. So you have all

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: aid of attorney.

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: You've all given appropriated about $170,000 above gov rec to the Human Rights Commission this year in part to cover vacancy savings that were assumed in the gov rec and then as well as $108,000 for a position. So they have sufficient funding to cover this position as well as partially undo the vacancy savings that are assumed in the governor's recommend for their f r twenty seven budget. B three twenty nine, this is the disabilities housing coordinator at the at Dale. B three eleven. This is the item above gov rec that you have all seen before. This is related to flood safety act or act one twenty one positions to better implement the flood safety act. These would be two environmental engineer positions at ANR. Story behind these, the 15 positions were already appropriated at ANR or or authorized at ANR for implementation of the Flood Safety Act, but only 11 were funded. And the budget as it's before you all would authorize two additional positions, bringing them up to 13 out of the 15 that were originally envisioned and authorized for implementing that act. Next, we're on to a batch of positions. The remainder of the positions in this section of the table are all included in the governor's recommend. And you've all heard these in testimony from the various departments and agencies. So there are three line items related to limited service positions that would come out of the position pool for military. Additionally, there would be one administrative services manager authorized in the current governor's recommended language of the agency of ag.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: So there's six positions in the military. Four Yes. That's and one building instruction and one storekeeper.

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Yes. Three. There are three I had three lines for military, but six total positions. Yep. And the next is the position out of the pool at AFM for the administrative services manager. This would be permanent classified. Next, there are one, two, three, four, five items related to Diva. These would authorize a total of 12 positions. Thank you, Emily. Various positions at Diva out of the position pool, these are all included in the governors recommend, and these would be permitting classified positions. And then finally, on this section of the table, we have seven pool positions that were proposed to be authorized at the Department of Corrections, probations and parole officers related to implementation of pretrial services. But you all discussed this language, Brady, earlier today. Given the reversions that are being accomplished through the house budget related to pretrial, this language will be struck.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Were they clear on all of those?

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: So that brings us through new classified positions. And next, the second section of the table is authorizations for exempt positions. And then after that, we'll discuss conversion of limited service to profit.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: But before we go down, I see that I'm not finding this out. So in the governor rec, he had 26, and we have 28. So it's not that much different in large part because we eliminated those seven positions of DOC. Okay, thank you.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: I'm just looking at this now, right? Those seven positions of DOC were created from the pool. So if you wanted to, we could create seven of the new positions from the pool as opposed to That's completely

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: probably a good idea. I don't know that we can do the treasurer or VPIC, but we do can we do all the others? Yeah. Let's see. Let's do the flood safety. Two, three, four, five. Yeah, that and then the housing coordinator, the HRC, the two SOS,

[Representative Wayne Laroche]: three, four, five.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: The tax, and then maybe the unclaimed property. So I think there were eight there. Does add up?

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: It does. I think without the unclaimed property, I think you're at seven.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Okay. So let's not do the unclaimed property in Vichy, and then we have seven. That's a great idea. Thank you.

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: So moving on to authorizations for exempt positions. Budgets, it's before you would authorize the staff attorney at the labor relations board or staff attorney slash mediator at the labor relations board. Ethics commission staff attorney at the one thirty six point one. This would be related to fulfilling management act one seventy one and would assist with municipal ethics consultations and support. And that's actually the entirety of that section. And if you flip over the physical copy in front of you, we're now on to the conversion of limited services to permanent. So this is also a mix of several that are new as proposed by house appropriations and conversions that are proposed in the governor's recommended. So at the

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: So these were some of the ones that normally would be in the E100, but the governor didn't put them in the E100? Because our conversions usually put in E100? From sometimes yes, sometimes no. I mean, remember I've seen it in the past. I can't remember. And It's just sometimes. Okay. It seems easy.

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: And this is the F-one hundred twenty seven gov rec language does have conversion language in the Yeah. Section.

[John Sayles (CEO, Vermont Foodbank)]: Various spots. Yes.

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: But yeah. So a b 200, attorney general's office. There are two positions included in the house of probes budget as it's before you that would be converted from limited service permanent. This is the assistant director of court diversion and pretrial services and the home improvement specialist, you all voted on and discussed earlier today. B two zero four, judiciary. So this is a request that you all heard about from judiciary when they testified back in February. In the FY twenty five big bill, the judiciary was authorized for 26 limited services limited service positions, but the money for those positions was carried in their base. So the authorization for those 26 limited service positions will be expiring at the end of f y twenty six. They're seeking authorization to now carry those positions in their base. This would not represent new funding since it's kind of funny, but they were authorized as limited service, but because they were funded in their base, it's included in their proposed governor's recommend for this year.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: This stuff always confuses my fault in my heart. Trevor, does this all make sense to you?

[Representative Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: Yeah, it does, and I spend time talking to Admiration about this stuff.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: You're fine with it, okay. Great.

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: All right. So we're on to a request from the This Secretary of State's would also not carry a fiscal impact for FY '27 as the cost of this position would be carried in the secretary of state's base budget. But they are requesting authorization to convert a municipal services division position and administrative services coordinator from limited service to permanent. This is authorized in FY '25, I believe. And, they had always envisioned the position as permanent, but it had been authorized initially as as limited service. And they are hoping for permission to make that conversion. E two thirty three, public service department. Oh, and just to to be clear, the secretary of state's request conversion is above above GOPRA. That is not included in the GOPRA's.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: But there's no new money?

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: No. There's no no money attached to that request.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: It's an existing position that we're just converting. That's correct.

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: So now we're on to governor's recommended limited service conversion. So E233, public service department, financial director four, this is an existing position that they're hoping to convert. This position would help oversee various federal grants and is, I believe, covered in the existing PSD base. It would be funded primarily through the indirect rates of various grants that this position will help administer. Then after public service department, there are five agency of education positions that were authorized under the ed transformation bill that the agency is hoping to convert from limited service to base. Agency has testified that there are a number of vacancies in these positions. I can't recall if all five are vacant or a subset of those. But the agency has testified that they have had trouble recruiting for these positions given the level of seniority attached to some of them with only three years of authorization.

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: A clarification. I realize that I don't really know when we make a decision to take from the pool versus create a new position. What's the calculus that goes into that? We said for certain positions, nope, can't take from the pool. What does that mean exactly?

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: I'm asking anybody, just joint I need a shot at it. Go ahead.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: So when if it's the number of positions in state government is set by the general assembly, right, as a number. If you direct the executive branch or whoever to take the positions from the pool, then it means that there are no new positions. The net number of positions in state government remains the same. And the secretary of administration has authorization to go and sweep vacant positions into the pool. Or if there's a program that goes away, for example, physicians get swept into the pool, and the pool, sometimes it's a kiddie pool, and sometimes it's a deep pool. Sometimes it varies. Why would we say, no, we can't take from the pool for this? I don't know if there's a specific reason why this one versus that one, because at the end of the day, they're all physicians that are coming in and out of pool. It's really a matter of, you want to ask, do you want to not increase the number of positions being created? Executive branches signal that the pool is a little deeper than because all of these, the positions they put on the table are created using pool positions. So, there's some flexibility to use pool positions and not If you establish all of the positions as new, then you'll create all these positions. To the extent they told you there is this much capacity in the pool, you could establish a chunk of them from the pool, and then the remainder would be net new to state government. All right.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: And I take the treasurer VPIC in particular, just because I think it's a very specialized thing outside of state government, I don't want to get messed up. I suspect that that's a especially since you're going to be doing OPEB or she's going to be doing OPEB financial services type of analysis, they're probably not going to have a common there's not going be many people to choose from unless you go outside the pool. Right, exactly. Wayne,

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: did you have anything?

[Representative Wayne Laroche]: I don't remember whether or there were any detoxification levels followed the physician into the pool.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Yeah, I think it's just the numbers.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: They eliminate financial director three, and it just becomes a number, and then it can come back out as a environmental analyst.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Whatever you Whatever you need it to be. You

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: have to go through the RFR process. Amy's back at TFO, and hopefully she's listening. She could appear. That may be a good thing to talk about with her after you finish this. Yeah, actually,

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: I had written down things to do in April. Positions was one of them. So I think I'm coming around to this as somebody I hope will remember that that's one of the things we want to talk about. Marty, did you have something? Well, I just

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: want clarification. Indeed, do we somehow, and I don't know where the number came from, we have a fixed number of positions, employees. We're gonna only employ 8,000 people or whatever the number is. And we get these changes because they're places that are empty, nobody's there, and so we say, okay, well, now Ag, you can hire somebody because there's an empty spot over here in TFR. Okay. So who sets that top number? General Assembly. And when did we last change it? Perhaps

[Representative Wayne Laroche]: I don't know that there's a cap on it per se. Cameron Wood came over to me after he testified earlier and just with an answer to the question that we asked earlier, which was

[John Sayles (CEO, Vermont Foodbank)]: the general assembly since we

[Representative Wayne Laroche]: can determine who and how many people we want in whatever position. I think we've been I don't want to say Caled, but I just did. So we've been convinced that there is a cap of some sort or that the administration sets these numbers and the fact is bottom line is that it's us. So we can determine.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: It's not like there's a number that exists in statute or something to that. It is a every time you say establish a new position, then the number goes up.

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: Created another one. Okay.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: When you say abolish it, sometimes it says you say abolish and you fully abolish it and the count goes down. Sometimes you say abolish it, but put the put the positions in the pool. So it

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: can vary. So the total amount that's authorized at any one time can vary when we decide we want a new position. It's not like there's some law that says, hey, that's period.

[Representative Wayne Laroche]: And the thing that Cameron reminded us of is that the question we had was about adding positions or allowing the treasurer's office to add positions, which has no immediate impact on general funds as testified. But there might be an impact with the pay act later. There might be an impact with or not even when they're not in the pay act, but it's just the way benefits are calculated. So it's I mean, I think we've assumed that because we want to be prudent. But in the end there is you know we are the we get to do that. And it's political as well.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Okay. Are we good on that? Let's continue with do we have any more positions that we have to talk about if we could hear everything?

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: If you go to this, we'll make sure that the language is drafted. All of it.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Yeah. That's right. Because aorta is the last one. Correct. Correct.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: So this one I realized is the other three are a little bit bigger. Sorry for

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: the this is a little smaller. But let

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: me look at it one more

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: time on Monday. We'll make

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: it bigger. We'll turn it sideways and make it two pages.

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: Everybody has a copy.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Okay. Alright. So we're gonna start with base budget and at one times. Madam chair, do you want me to go through line by line? I mean, I can go through line by line.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: And also, we've talked about it a lot. Yeah. I

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: can flag ones that I think we might want

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: to know more about.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: The gray ones are the ones that you chained that we talked about yesterday or that have changed in the last twenty four hours. Gray ones? They're sort of gray.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Technically, they're gray.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: If you look at them online, they're more gray.

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: It's a lighter gray.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Oh, the lighter gray. The darker gray, didn't change from the governor's. So I

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: don't need to go through any

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: of that. I don't think.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Do want me to go quick? Let's go quick. And I'll just do the changed ones. So the first one on row two, this is the updated pay act that we talked about a couple of minutes ago, an hour ago. Updated numbers based on executive branch, legislative branch, and judicial branch needs and are in the pay act bill that passed the box. On line eight is the mediator position of the labor relations board. Row nine is the position of the ethics commission. Row 11 is the position of the tax department. This is easy.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: You already just talked about other things.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Row 12 is the home improvement specialist position of the attorney

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: general's office and shout if I'm not going look up every time I talk to you, gotta yell or have a question.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: So line 13 is the additional $350,000 for the Defender General for training and for their contracts and related administrative costs for- So you guys may never

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Trevor did that the way you want him to do it. Okay. Awesome. Thank you.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Line 14 at the judiciary, an additional $250,000 for sheriff's court security contract. Line 15, the state's attorney fifteen, sixteen, and 17 are the elimination of vacancy savings for the state's attorneys, the victims advocates and the sheriffs. And we'll jump to line 21, a $100,000 for grant administration at the Center for Crime Victims for the Post. Line 24, secretary of state's office, Vermont Access Network. Line 25 is the Human Rights Commission, the new position and the buyback of their vacancy statements. On line 28 is the additional funding for the healthcare advocate. It's a small amount of general fund, but there's match associated with that. So it'll be a $450,000 increase. Yeah, that's okay.

[Representative Wayne Laroche]: I'm sorry, back on line 24, my access network was four fifty what they asked for. There was also the 90 for the radio.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Yes, that's a one time.

[Representative Wayne Laroche]: Is that a one time? Yeah.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Okay, thank you.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Line 29 is the annualization of the rate increase for AAA case management that was in the Budget Adjustment Act. And then line 30 is the same thing. The annualization of the restoration of the tier one and enhanced residential care rates

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: that was also in the budget adjustment.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Line 31, this is the general fund match for a rate increases for the DAs, SSAs and home and community based services. The total appropriation is about $6,500,000 when you include a goal of commitment. When you see that in the web report on Monday, that will show up in the general fund will be in the mixing goal appropriation and then all of the detail appropriations will show up in Dale and DMH and VDH and Diva across AHS. Line 32 is the rate change for the skilled nursing and home health rates. Line 33 is the elder care program at mental health. So these ones are a little tricky, right? So for the general fund, shows up in the mixing bowl, right? So we've tried to indicate where the total appropriation will show up. It'll be clear in the web report.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Let me get that on Monday.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Line 34, this a decrease in Diva, but it's in net neutral impact. They're gonna get special fund spending authority from the school based Medicaid fund. This was that fun that we went through yesterday related to five fifty eight. So there's two more transactions at AOE and DCF associated with that. Line 35 is the bridges to health funding. Line thirty six and thirty seven are the AHEC funds. Line 38 is the additional harm reduction services. This is also an annualization of a change in the Budget Adjustment Act. Line 13, actually this one we added by,

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Okay.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: On line 39 is the funding for the free and referral clinics. The health department has a fiftyfifty state federal match. Line 41 is the increase in the two eleven contract for services in the evenings. And that one also has a global match component to it. Line 42, this is a second transaction related to the school based Medicaid net neutral change, when we figured out that there was money in DCF associated with school based Medicaid that AHS wanted to clean up. Line 44, we have the disability housings coordinator at Dale.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: So 43 and Oh, sorry. I said 43 and 46.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: 46 are just swapping to put it in the right place. Correct. Yes. I don't think we mentioned that anywhere, but that was a technical change we received from AHS a long time ago. So I forgot about it. And then in line 45, we have the deaf and blind support services for $150,000 And then the next line is line 48. So this is the reduction in pretrial services funding out of DOC's base budget that we've

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: talked about. Which is different from pretrial supervision. Yeah,

[Representative Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: let me ask one more.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Or maybe it's the wrong

[Representative Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: I think we should, it's not pretrial services, the $8.50 should be the pretrial supervision. Pretrial supervision, okay. Right? Yes. And that should be the reduction. The pretrial services is probably the one above that.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: It's the one above that, okay.

[Representative Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: Which is the gov record.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Yes, we can tweak that language.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: We just switched supervision and services on those two lines. Yes.

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Make that change.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: We can do that.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: On line 50 is the AOE change related to the school based Medicaid funding change. And then the next one on line 55, Department of Fish and Wildlife. So we have to backfill the fishing, the access fee that the miscellaneous tax bill does not allow to go forward. They need money in the base budget.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: The budget had assumed that they could charge bird watchers of access.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Line 56 is the funding for the two positions for the flood safety bill. And line 58 is the federal matching fund for the Arts Council, or the matching fund so they can pull down the federal match.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Hopefully, those all sound familiar. So we really only added under $7,500,000 in BASE.

[Representative Wayne Laroche]: Did you want more?

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: No. I'm just observing.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Now, we go to the other bills. There's the $25,000 for the H-four 10, 50,000 for H-five 59 for the parole board, And in June, the unaccompanied homeless youth. So that's the changing the reach up asset test.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: All of those are the money is going with the bill, so they're not in the budget, unlike some of the other ones. What about

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: are we carrying age 67? It's one time. We're carrying it That's right. Have to is There's a whole bunch more in the one time sheet.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: That's right. This is base. Yep. Got it.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: So then if we go down to the bottom, we carry the changes related to the miscellaneous tax bill sort of separately. So you could see the specifics. So there's the downtown payment assistance tax credit. We put the research and development tax credit on here just as an awareness that it's happening, but there's no fiscal impact in 2027. The expansion of the downtown and village tax credit. There's the linking and decoupling related to the tax provisions that was talked about when you talked about the miscellaneous tax bill. And then the change in the allocation of the meals and rooms tax, dedicating more to the education fund than the general fund in lieu of transferring general funds to the education fund.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: So you'll see that on a one time sheet.

[Representative Wayne Laroche]: Yeah,

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: I think this would go in here. It would be a transfer from the crime victims services to DCF. That should that appear here? There's a transcript.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Yeah, it'll be a decrease in crime victim services and an increase in DCF. Is that right? Yeah.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Interesting. You're right with that?

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Yes, I know what you're talking about. Sounds familiar. Yeah. Okay. Excellent. Glad that. Thanks. And the one thing that I did skip is the direct applications line, which is line 76. Another spreadsheet to segue into the next.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: How did ours get oh, that was the AHS difference from the one. Correct. Okay. That's that only change. We just rounded up to an even 5,000,000. So

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: I can go through this sheet very quickly before you're gonna see some of these again on the one times. Oh, well, I've got it. So on line 11 is where you'd see that additional $360,000 from the earned federal receipts. One or that'll be a base transfer to the general fund. And then I'll while we've got this one up, so in terms of transfers to the general fund, we're also carrying on the onetime sheet the money from the technology modernization fund, the 9,550,000.00 of interest.

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: The bottom.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Those are the only changes in terms of money from other funds coming to the general fund. We're gonna scroll up to the top part, which is money leaving the general fund. The two the three changes in this section are in the one time section. So on line six is where we have the money going to the education fund. Because of the change in the meals and rooms tax, you can reduce the transfer to the education fund by $10,000,000. There was an originally 10,000,000 to make up for the purchase and use loss, but because of the way ways and means did that, that transfer is no longer needed. And then on line eight is the transfer to the domestic and sexual abuse special fund. And line nine is the final transfer to the CIT fund at ETS.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: The police and radio too, did you mention that one? I think you skipped over that. Yes, Oh,

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: that one didn't change from gov rep. That's why I didn't talk about it.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Oh, I see. Got it. Yep. Sorry.

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: Yes.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: If you want me to talk about any of the GovRec ones, I can.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: I No. That's fine.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Okay. Great. Now we'll talk about one times.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: I like I haven't

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: handed out enough spreadsheets, so that's why I'm we had, like, nine different versions of this last year of that one while I'm at it.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Summary of reversions. Does that come

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: from? Yes. Oh, think spreadsheet, the first line on it is the summary of the reversion rounds. Check You to make sure the number matches the delta. So there were three changes to reversions from the governor's recommend. The first one is $80,000 from the agency of digital services. The redistricting task force is done, and believe there's $80,000 there that can be reverted. Line 16, correctional services. We have to this weekend, one of the things we'll fill in is what their correct debt ID is for that. But that is the reversion of current year did I get it wrong free trial supervision? Supervision. Supervision money from DOC.

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: And

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: then the last one in line 19 is the DEC emissions repair program reverting the remaining funds there.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Comes with the reverse. I'll go back. Go ahead.

[Representative Wayne Laroche]: Just a general question. Is there a relationship in I mean is there a technical relationship when we say reversion for money that's been granted and then we're pulling it back, the appropriating was pulling it back. Correct. How would we refer to in the same way we saw that vacancy savings where there's like $80,000,000 worth of vacancy savings in the governor's rec. Is it just is vacancy savings just a separate thing, but isn't it doing the same thing as in a way of doing reversions, just a way of saying we gave you this money or we gave you these provisions to potentially spend, but we don't want you to spend that money on those positions and therefore we're saving it?

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Complicated. So the to try to keep it short. So the vacancy savings effectively lowers the spending authority that you're granting to an agency or department. So when they build the budget, they say we need a million dollars for positions, but we're gonna assume that one, we're gonna have a vacant position. So we're gonna have a $100,000 of vacancy savings. So rather than appropriate a full million dollars, you only appropriate 900,000. So you never a reversion is you've actually made the appropriation, and now you're pulling it back. Vacancy savings in effect reduces the initial appropriation right out of the gate.

[Representative Wayne Laroche]: Right. It's a form of take back. But

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Yeah. Yeah.

[Representative Wayne Laroche]: Okay. Thanks. I just wanted to

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: Yeah.

[Representative Wayne Laroche]: Just getting the world of money going in many directions. Yeah.

[Representative Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: Take back is never getting this

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: year.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Okay. So we'll go down through the top through the sources of one time funds. So we just talked about the reversions. And then there is the $30,000,000 that was part of governor's recommend of unreserving money that was set aside for education property tax relief or other, needs of the state. And then on line three, there was 74,910,000 at the end of FY twenty six in the Budget Adjustment Act that's carried forward into f y twenty seven for f y twenty seven needs. That amount is being reduced in your construct because of the miscellaneous tax bill. So how we manage the loss of corporate anticipated loss of corporate tax revenue in 2026 is by reducing the amount of money that will be carried forward from the prior year. Line four, we just spoke about this, but this is the transfer from the technology modernization fund to the general fund. And then in line five is what was left over from the base sheet, which I realized I never actually call pointed that out. But in your current construct, there's anticipated to be $27,000,000 of base, sources that are unallocated to base things that can be utilized for onetime expenditures in f y twenty twenty seven. So, do you want me to just touch on the house added items? Okay. So line eight, is the item we just talked about. We're double checking with the agency of administration in terms of where this should appropriated, but providing Is

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: there a special fund for flood relief or something like that that you can put

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: in the air? So we could transfer it

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: to

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: the town highway fund. Yeah, we need to figure out exactly where that's going to go. But now we're going to the placeholder right place. Is there for those impacted towns. Then if we go down to line 14

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: We have to make a decision.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Yes, this is where we need We put it in DCF for now, because grants to local food shelves through the food bank are through DCF. But if you had not decided as of yesterday if you wanted to do Vermonters,

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: feeding Vermonters or a local food shelf. We had two choices, and I didn't pick one, and I thought we could decide, and then I forgot that we needed to decide yesterday. So, I don't think we should divide it up any further. I think we should just give the 400 to one or the other. Although I could be Sorry? Oh. Well we have the head of the food bank here, maybe we could ask him. John, would you like to introduce yourself and if you'd like, if you have an opinion?

[John Sayles (CEO, Vermont Foodbank)]: Sure, John Sales, CEO of food bank. I hope you're Montclair here, extra chance speak. I would say you know the Vermonters, feeding Vermonters program is a way it's got kind of got the win win win. So we're purchasing food from Vermont Farms, that fleet was coming to the food bank and then getting restricted throughout our system including to local food shelves. So if asked to make a choice there, think Bluematters would be one that would touch everything.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: All right sounds good to everybody. Let's do that. Thanks for being here.

[James (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: So the next time you see this, that will be reflected not in the DCF budget, but the AFF budget.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Right. Right. Okay.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: We'll make that change. Line 15 is the nurturing parents program. There's some additional match funds there that will be in the total appropriations. Yes. Line 16 is the parent child center is the concrete supports program. Line 17, a grant to end homelessness Vermont. Line 18, the supervised visitation funding that we talked about earlier this afternoon. Line 19 is the Agency of Human Services Central Office funding for the Legal Aid Helpline. On line 20, the Meals on Wheels funding for the AHS so the general fund will be in the AHS central office, and then there'll be an appropriation for the global commitment funds that can be matched in Department of Disabilities Aging and Independent Living. It's a good match, more than 50%. In line 22 is Forest Parks and Rec serve, learn and earn. Line 25 to, I believe we have to double check if this is the right one now that I think about it. Department of Economic Development, the Vermont Professionals of Color Network, 75,000. Line 26, the Department of Health for AEDs in schools. Line 27, the Department of Health funding for the Youth Council. Line 28, at the Department of Mental Health, the community outreach program funding. And in line 29, CBOEO Day Shelter, the Department of Mental Health. Line 30, Disabilities Aging Independent Living, funding for HomeShare Vermont. Line 31 for the Agency of Agriculture to NOFA Vermont for CROSH CAP and oh, no, I always get this one backwards, I apologize. Crop Cash and Crop Cash Plus.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: That's correct. That's the

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: first time. I don't know how many years. Okay. Line 32, and that is the agriculture funding for the conservation districts. This one, I'm actually on line 33, we have at the attorney general's office the funding for the legal aid immigration attorney. I don't actually know if it should go to the attorney general's office, but that seemed like the most logical place for a grant to legal aid was through but that may not be correct. So I don't know if there is a

[Representative Wayne Laroche]: I don't know what can because they received from somebody. It could go

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: through AHS. Right. It could go through AHS. Didn't know. But since it's immigration work, I didn't know if AHS

[Representative Wayne Laroche]: was We're not funding it right now, apparently. But the immigration grant program, the guardianship of immigration, because where is that? I didn't print out that sheet, Jim, if you can look up there. Don't have an answer.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Okay. We are going to figure it out, or we'll go to the AG, and we'll fix it Yeah.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Along the way. Great.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Okay. We can reach out to

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: the AG and see if

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: it makes sense, too. Okay. So in line 34, we have the van community radio we mentioned earlier, and line 35, the Secretary of State's office, and line 35, funding for the elections this fall. Line 36, Department of Labor, funding for Advance Vermont. Line 37, to the Agency of Education where the Child and Adult Care Food Program is line 38, to the Agency of Commerce and Community Development for the municipal technical assistance And in line 39, also to the Agency of Commerce and Community Development funding for the Vermont two hundred and fiftieth anniversary. Line 40, funding for the Freedom and Unity grants at VSAC. And line 41, funding of the Treasurer's Office for the Mont Taxpayer Assistance Program. And then we have the bills that currently are carrying one time appropriations. Starting in line 44, Act 67 that you just passed related to government accountability. This will the language in that is to have the appropriation cover two years worth of costs. Line 45, H-two 11, the data brokers bill, H-five 59, the parole board bill.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: So, these are all those three are all going in with the bills, and we're just accounting for them. Correct. Correct? Yeah. Are we doing that with I don't think we're doing that with the amortization study, though, are we? Aren't we bringing that into the bill, the budget?

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: You did take that out? We took that out

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: of the bill. It needs to go into

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: the budget.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Put that one in the budget?

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: But it was from that bill.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: Yes. We'll put that in the notes and put it in the treasurer's office one time. Then we have the prescription drug discount card, though I think that one stayed in the bill.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: It's in the bill. Yep.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: $7.62, the study committee for county and regional government in the bill. The rental arrears program, that one is coming into the budget. That one you just did, so we've to update that. Seven seventy eight relating to dam safety, those stayed in the bill. The miscellaneous tax bill, the ten year tax study, stayed in the bill. And then the $500,000 for emergency ready response funding was able to Is

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: that in the budget or in the bill,

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: Marty? Well, because the bill has all this nice language about its purpose and how to do it and where it should all that kind of stuff. But just

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: The bill that

[Representative Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: I just left

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: had it in And I wasn't sure,

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: sometimes we, you know, well, how we want to do that.

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: Right, I understand. But just because all the language is there, if somebody's wondering about it, there's all the language.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Okay, great. Thank you.

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: So then the last, the very bottom, these are the transfers we just talked about and should look familiar. So the domestic sexual violence fund, the mobile radios that the governor had, to the domestic and sexual violence fund, to the to buy down the deficit and the CIT fund. You don't have to do the education the transfer to backfill the purchase and use tax phase down, and then the 104,000,000 for property tax relief going to the education fund. All is said and done, it looks like there's $10,000 on the bottom line, but it's really $6,900 So it rounds up to $10,000 Of one time? Yes. Total everything. When all is said and done, 6,000. Amazing.

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: Everything. I

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: think we did pretty well. All right. Thank you. Yeah. So I think these are all the pieces that we're gonna get. Right, yeah. In

[Emily (Joint Fiscal Office analyst)]: terms of things you will there's, like, a handful of things on Monday that I'm I should say out loud so you're aware. There'll be changes related to the t bill that you passed. I believe there are a few small movements that need to happen in the budget associated with that. And then the changes to the education payment related to updated school budgets that will be in the web report based on what those new numbers are.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: I just got a text. It's good to know who's listening. From Todd at the AG's office, we'll connect with you. Perfect. So I think we have all the pieces and parts that we're going to get. I hope everything looks familiar. I think we have reached that point where we get to do a straw poll. So we'll take a straw poll. Is there a motion to approve the FY27 budget as we know it now? I move that we approve the budget as we have reviewed all these numbers up to three

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: times, we think we understand them a lot, but nevertheless, I think we understand the reversions and the transfers and time send the basis and down the bottom there. So I move that we approve this question.

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: You. Is there a second? Second. Thank you. Any further discussion? I just want to thank you all. This has been amazing. Thank you. Once again, here we are. When it's Monday, I think, oh my gosh, are we ever going to make it to Friday?

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: And what time will it

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: be? And we have to thank JF. We always have to thank JF for always getting to that. Thanking my committee because you're wonderful, and it's a joy to work with you all. And I'm thanking Emily and James and Chris and Catherine and Autumn and anybody else in that. Nobody's not here, but what a team you guys have. I don't know where we do without you. So we thank you for all your work. Thanks for all the help from the advocates who are here who correct us and just text me when I'm not sure what's happening. So think we have that ready to go. Great. Great. Great. Yeah. Let's be all feel good about it. Let's take a soft hold. The clerk is ready. Okay.

[Representative Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: Representative Bluemle?

[Representative Tiffany Bluemle (Ranking Member)]: Yes.

[Representative Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: Representative Dickinson?

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Yes.

[Representative Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: Representative Feltus?

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: Yes.

[Representative Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: Representative Kascenska? Yes. Representative Laroche? Yes. Representative Mrowicki?

[Representative Michael Mrowicki]: Yes. Representative Nyberg? Yes. Ms. Squirrell, yes.

[Representative Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: Representative Stevens? Yes. President Yacovone? Yes. And representative?

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: Congratulations, Ms. Squirrell. Okay. All All I will say is be available. Our Fracker Jack team is going to be working all weekend. Maybe get some fun in, too. But be available in case they have questions for your stuff. And otherwise, we'll come back on is 01:00 on Monday good for you guys? Enjoying fiscal if we're back here at one to, and then we'll go over, we'll get all the stuff, they'll show

[Representative Martha Feltus (Vice Chair)]: us whatever we need to see,

[Representative Robin Scheu (Chair)]: and then we'll all go off and read, and then we'll come back and vote.