Meetings
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[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: We're live. This is the conference committee on h seven ninety, the budget adjustment act of f y twenty six. It's our second meeting. And we have something to report back, and then assume you have some language for us. You want us to go first?
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: Yes, please.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: We had thought about the Meals on Wheels proposal. We would like basically to kinda split the difference. I didn't print out a lot of these, but here is the basic chart, which would just move meals on wheels to 55,000 and then Vermonters feeding Vermonters at $3.85.
[Senator Richard Westman (Member)]: And senator Westman has more information that we learned about the program, if you want to. I just because you say there, you indicated there wasn't need. I contacted the director of DCIL. We have a waiting list. We did request of the administration to give us additional money, and we have been requesting that for many years, and it's just not getting added. So we decided to go this way. And they had a waiting list for a very long time. And I will say as and I'm gonna speak for myself as somebody that's been here through recessions and most of our legislature hasn't, at that point, you have to focus. And what I would now say is the administrative costs in Meals on Wheels as it is in food shelves is extremely low. And sometimes you have to focus in. This is a group that is particularly in need and has no place to go. And I love the fact in the hearing that the organic farmers all come in, but they own a farm, and they have resources, and a lot of these people don't.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Yeah. Right.
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: So I think, with your change, I think we're we're good with that. We can accept that. Cool.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Okay.
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: Yep. And that's great. It's a wonderful organization. They're all really important, and they're all needy. Yeah. These are really needy. Yes. They are. They are. So And and as we were talking a little bit earlier, sometimes, you know, the leanest organizations ask for the least amount of money.
[Senator Richard Westman (Member)]: You know? Well, and the other piece for organizations like this, if they've been to the administration and put in a request, they feel like if we go out around the administration, next time, we'll get passed by.
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: Yeah. It it's really hard, but it's important to support people, so I agree with you. Yeah. Yeah. 14.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Right.
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: Okay. So that that would take care of 18 and 14. No. 18 16. I think 14 should have oh, no. No. Sorry. No. No. Not 16. No. Never mind. 14. 14. Oh, global community. Okay. Oh, interesting. Okay.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Although, was the yeah. This the way it's it closes it out, but these aren't the right numbers.
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: Right. Right. That's why we have JFO. Yeah. That'll
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: be correct.
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: Okay. So so do you need We have a copy of this. 5,000. Right? Okay. Alright. So the other two were language items that we touched on briefly. Let's why don't we do it in an order? So housing assistance would be the first. I don't know who's got copies of this already.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: We do not have that.
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: No. I know you
[Senator Richard Westman (Member)]: you don't,
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: but I don't know unless I there you go. Do you have I have a past one. I have past two. Yes. Mhmm. Ron, do you want a copy of this? It's got the highlighted changes.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: What I just saw?
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: It may be, but now it's got the highlighted changes, so it might be easier. So after further conversations, basically, we kind of modified the Senate language. And where you had talked about a state an unnamed state agency, we named the state agency, which is Department for Children and Families. So, DCF would be, we're we're basically asking them to set up a program now and have the guidelines ready. The same purposes that were in there before, to maintain a current housing assistance payment, or prevent retirement of a housing assistance payment. And then we also said we added the word written with prior written approval from HUD to provide housing funding to prevent termination of assistance to a current housing voucher. And we are asking the housing authority the housing authorities to, submit reports on financial need to DCF by April 15, which we understand that that is doable for them because they're gonna hear more information by March. So by April 15, they can give us that information. And then, DCF by May 1 will set up the program, establish procedures, guidelines, etcetera, so that they can ensure that funds are distributed in an equitable manner. We were, we talked a bit about that yesterday that there isn't necessarily a relationship between the number of vouchers and the need, that they will need to determine what what that is. And so then if funds are transferred, we ask them to come and report back to the Joint Fiscal Committee, which I think we're all on, at the September meeting and then submit a written report by 01/15/2027, on what happened with it.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: So it'd be up to DCF to decide what equitable means in this
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: context? Yes. Okay. Yes. And, you know, the other thing I'll just note is we we know that this has been a changing, fluid situation. And if we learn more, then we can add something in the '27 budget if we have to in the section c if we need to make any further changes. But
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Okay. Well, we'll wanna So if you want spend some more time with the language. Yeah. Thank you for doing that work.
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: Okay.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: So it's just the highlights or the changes?
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: Yes. From the The changes from what the senate
[Senator Richard Westman (Member)]: did. Yes. Which
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: is really helpful. And then the third item is, the developmental disabilities payment reform implementation.
[Senator Richard Westman (Member)]: So
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: what our concern with was with the original the previous draft of this was that things were happening outside the the session, and we wanted to, change the dates to ensure that all activity happened before we adjourn in the May. So I don't think this one is highlighted. But
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: It's highlighted on the back, but I assume that's a change from a prior
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: have the dates We don't have the dates highlighted. So
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: This is a change probably just from a prior version.
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: Oh, it's like no. That was a change from, yes, from a prior version, but the dates are also some changes. Let's see if I have the old one here. I must have the old language in here somewhere. Okay, I have an old one here. So I can walk you through that. In section two, we took out some excess language that said to support designated and specialized service agencies in need of financial stabilization in advance of reconciliation. We just took that out and just started with each agency currently below the threshold. And in that section two, we kept the date of 10/01/2027 for financial for the financial stabilization. And then in section b, where it originally said, that there she'll submit to the department on or before May 1. We back that up to April 1 to, submit agent agent information. What we learned, is that they're giving this information more or less on a regular basis anyway, so that it's not, an additional hardship for them to back that up to April 1, again, with the goal of trying to get this done before we return. And then in c, we, at one point, had June 30. This was for them convening a meeting with various chairs or their designees. And so we backed that up to April 15 to convene that meeting. I have my designee picked out. Should we do this? Otherwise, the rest again, we just changed dates. And then in section d, it said, April 15 to submit a quick and progress report product report. And we made that May 1. I just figured out that should happen after the convened meeting between everybody, but there should be an update, two weeks after that. So that gets us, you know, to finish that all before the end of the fiscal year. And then the the section, e at the end, that was in there before some of it, that that the notion was that AHS would find the money to, you know, advance funds, ahead of time. But if they don't find the money, that they'll unreserve an amount of funds equal to the deficiency from the case load reserve. But we didn't have that and notwithstanding transfer the amount to agent. So that's just that the technical correction. So that is where the changes are there. And it it gets them a mechanism of where to find the amount. Right. Right. Well, if we don't say where to put it, who knows what will happen. So so it's it is the same language, but it's just with those date changes and that clarification.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: It would be good if we could have a copy that shows the changes. Is that possible?
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: The highlighted version? Okay.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: From this from the senate version? Yeah. I mean, I think we're okay with it, but just to be clear about that.
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: Sure. Yeah. Great. Grady will get that to all of us.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Yeah. That would be
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: Okay.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Would be good, and then we can talk about it. Yep. Yep. Still wanna meet at 10:30? Yeah.
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: That's the
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: work for you guys. Yeah. Works for us. Cool. Right? 10:30.
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: So any other questions on the language from us, or you can let us know if you have any more.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: No. We'll just confer and
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: then Okay.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Get back to you, but it sounds good.
[Representative Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: 10:30. Okay.