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[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: Alright, good morning again. This is Senate Health and Welfare, and we've had a little delay in getting back on, but here we are. We're looking at H534, our first walkthrough, right? Yes. We don't have the reporter that it's okay, sometimes we get them and sometimes we don't. We'll see where they are another time. Okay, thank you. Katie McLeod, Legislative Counsel. Let me share the document.
[Katie McLeod, Legislative Counsel]: There we go. So this language is about the community action agencies. I recognize half of the committee is new, and to you it will look familiar, but to the committee members who were here last year, this language will look very familiar. These are a series of sections that made fairly small changes to the chapter on community action agencies. This was part of the bill on emergency housing, the big bill that was either. So my understanding is that it was requested from the community action agencies that these sections be removed if they were not particularly controversial, and they're moving as a separate standalone bill. This changes the name community service agencies to be community action agencies, which is how they're generally referred to. That's less confusing then, right?
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: Because we always think of DAs and SSAs. That's true.
[Katie McLeod, Legislative Counsel]: Cleans up some antiquated language. There is a change about the board itself getting to of a community action agency getting to decide terms. Aside from that, those are sort of the major things this language does. So I will walk you through it. But again, it was pretty much just pulled right out of your bill from last year.
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: Nice.
[Katie McLeod, Legislative Counsel]: So first you can see the title of the chapter is being changed, Community Action Agencies. Section 3,901, Findings of Purpose. Cleaning up some language currently reads, it remains evident that poverty continues to be the lot a substantial number of Vermont's population, and it would change to, it remains evident that a substantial number of Vermont's population continues to experience poverty. Subsection B, Subdivision 2. First we have our lead in, is the purpose of this chapter to strengthen, supplement, and coordinate efforts that further this policy through, and on line 19, the better organization and utilization of a range of services related to the needs of individuals with low income instead of the poor. Similarly, and three, replacing the poor with individuals with low income. The broadening of the resource base of programs secure a more active role in assisting individuals with low income from business, labor, and other groups from the private sector. Then we move to Section 3,902, Office of Economic Opportunity. You'll see in subsection A that we're changing community services agencies to community action agencies. Same change in subsection B, lines nine and ten. Same change on line 11. And then, lines, well, line 16, really, making, changing the structure of the sentence so we have person first language. So instead of low income participants, participants with low income. Right now, we have some language that the responsibility of the office is to provide and maintain adequate housing and a suitable living environment, and that was, the proposed change is to have access to safe, secure, and permanent housing. In Subdivision E, to obtain, currently it reads, to obtain services for the prevention of narcotics, addiction, alcoholism, and the rehabilitation of narcotic addicts and alcoholics. The proposed change is to obtain prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery services for individuals with substance use disorder. So, replacing language that's a little bit more antiquated at this point with the phrasing that we more typically see in the statute. Subdivision 10, starting on line 12, again, we're changing the construction of the sentence, so it's person first language, so instead of low income persons, it is persons with low income, And no changes in subsection C. That brings us to the top of page four, three thousand nine hundred three. In this section, on lines three and four, we are changing community based, oh, I guess it doesn't have a hyphen, that's what's going on. So, the editor said it needed a hyphen. It's hard to see what the change is. Straight through, it goes right through the hyphen. So, same language. The director shall designate your,
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: are you in London? Yes. That's right.
[Katie McLeod, Legislative Counsel]: So this is what Yeah, yeah, yeah. It looks like we're striking out community based and putting it back in, which we are, but this community based doesn't have audience funds, that's why it's appearing this way. So the director shall designate nonprofit community based organizations that have demonstrated or that they demonstrate the ability to provide services and activities as defined in this chapter of this title as community action agencies instead of community service agencies. 3904, same change in the titles to the community services Agency, Community Action Agency, Assessment and Plan. So this language reads, well first on line nine, we're updating the name of the agency. So each designated community action agency shall determine the need for activities and services within the area served by the agency, every three years, complete an assessment, and incorporate that information into an annual community action plan. So it's my understanding that there's already a three year requirement on an assessment, and I'll let you hear more about that from the community action agency themselves. The plan shall include a schedule for the anticipated provision of new or ongoing services, and shall specify the resources are needed by and available to the agency to implement the plan. Striking out the language that the community services plan shall be updated annually for addressing that up here.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: I remember. Page five,
[Katie McLeod, Legislative Counsel]: I know it all comes back.
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: I just want to
[Senator John Benson (Member)]: clarify question. Collecting the data every three years over creating an annual report.
[Katie McLeod, Legislative Counsel]: Let me take a look at this again. So, each agency shall determine the need for activities and services within the area served by the agency every three years. They're doing that assessment, complete an assessment, and incorporate that information into an annual community action plan. So So, it sounds like there is an annual community action plan and that is informed by the three d assessment that's conducted every three years. That's
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: an interesting question, isn't it?
[Senator John Benson (Member)]: It's that you're putting something together annually that's based on
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: data from
[Senator John Benson (Member)]: the research that seems it shouldn't be the other way around. Collect the information annually and then create a report every three years that incorporates it. But so all I can see is I a lot to
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: see that Representative Noyes has come in, maybe we'll get him to come up here after we
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: go through the bill, help us out with that.
[Katie McLeod, Legislative Counsel]: Page five, on line one, again changing the title from Community Services Agency Community Action Agencies. Same change on line three and four, same community based change on line six with the hyphens, changing the title on on line seven. And then, now, this subsection B talks about the composition of the board. So each board, a community based organization designated as a community action agency, is to have an executive committee of not more
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: than seven
[Katie McLeod, Legislative Counsel]: members who shall be representative of the composition of the board, and the board shall be constituted, shall be so constituted that, so now we have as the, I'm remembering out loud now. So, services changed the order that this list appears in. So this one third has been bumped lower on the list. So now that number one on the list will be a minimum of one third of members of the board are persons chosen in accordance with election procedures adequate to ensure they are representative of individuals with low income in the area they are served. And then, one third of the members are elected public officials, so this one is bonking down to be two, currently holding office, or their designees, except that if the number of elected officials reasonably available and willing to serve is less than one third of the membership of the board, membership of the board of appointed public officials may be counted in meeting such one third requirement, and then three remains where it is. So just one and two swap on that list. And then we have language. Right now that each member of a board selected to represent a specific geographic area within a community shall reside in the area that the member represents. There's language currently that a person selected as a member of a board under this section shall serve on the board for not more than five consecutive years or not more than a total of ten. This proposal is to strike that language and instead each board shall adopt term limits to govern its members. So the boards themselves would govern how long a member could serve. And then it takes effect July '26.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: Good. Questions for Katie. So the one question that came up is something we'll have to We have Josh Davis online, I think, testified. He's on Yeah, we'll go to him first, then we'll hear from Ann Cummings, Representative Gulick as well. So, Josh, thank you for being here. Why don't you introduce yourself for the record? And before you do that, I'm gonna have Senator Benson introduce himself because he's new here.
[Senator John Benson (Member)]: John Benson from the Orange District.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: And John Morley, Senator Morley is from Orleans and he stepped out for a minute so he may show up as well.
[Joshua Davis, Executive Director, SEVCA]: Excellent. Thank you, chair Lyons. Thank you for allowing me to be here today to speak to this bill again. I was with you three weeks ago. So I'm Joshua Davis. I'm the executive director of SEVCA, Southeastern Vermont Community Action. We serve Wyndham and Windsor County. I'm also sit on the Vermont VCAP, a community action partnership. Okay. So that is the five community action agencies that get together. And so these recommendations came from that group. We're fully in favor of what is being presented before you and what I testified on about three weeks ago. And specifically to your question around the community assessment versus the annual plan, that section was put in there to reflect what we are required to do. And so we wanted the statute to be in concert with what our requirements for community action agencies, which is once every three years, we have an extensive community needs assessment that we undertake. Each of the community action agencies are required to do that once every three years. And then every year we are required to submit an annual plan. Community needs is not something that we wait for every three years to assess. And so our annual plans are meant to reflect the ongoing and shifting community needs that we're seeing in our respective areas. But we do have once every three years a more formal and robust community needs assessment that we undertake.
[Senator John Benson (Member)]: Makes sense.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: K. And so we'll have to look at the wording and make sure that it agrees with what the onset is. Thank you. Anything else we need to know about this? Is this something that the PCAP is excited about, would like to see happen? Will it improve your function overall, I guess?
[Joshua Davis, Executive Director, SEVCA]: I hope that this is a relatively light lift and I appreciate that we're talking about hyphens and language. Really, one of the we wanted to make sure that we updated the statute to reflect the reality, both in terms of name, also in terms of the process of planning that I just explained. And then I think the biggest shift in here would be allowing community action agencies to set their own board term limits. And so that is something that we're seeking to be able to do that. Currently, as it is written, it's awkward. The, you know, maximum of ten years with only five years consecutively has been something that's been a little challenging to navigate. And we do have a we'd like to have the autonomy to be able to set our term limits through our bylaws.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: Okay, got it. Any questions, committee? So, and I introduced Senator Morley earlier, but now he's here and you can see who he is. There you go.
[Joshua Davis, Executive Director, SEVCA]: Good to see you.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: Okay. All right. So why don't we, Representative Noyes, were you the reporter of this bill?
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: I was.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: So it would be great to have you here. Sure. We always like having our reporters in. Fantastic. They tell us what we need to know.
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: All right. For the record, Dan Noyes, represent Wilkie, High Park, Johnson, and Belvedere, serve on the Human Services Committee. Thanks. I was just, happened to hear that you were picking up this bill and thought I would pop in and see if I could answer any questions.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: Just to let you know, ordinarily we invite people in to do this and our Calista is really very efficient about getting that lives get busy. Nope.
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: We just were working on the pre pay bill, took a little break and we'll be going back. So it worked out perfectly that I just happened to be grabbing a cup of coffee down here, so thank you so much for making, allowing me to just stop in and answer any questions. I think a lot of what you heard is kind of what we talk about, just kind of bringing the Vermont statue up to what's current practice, using better language, and just trying to address the needs that the community action agencies have with the existing statutes is pretty much what this, what we were trying to get at with this bill when we spoke about it in committee. I'm not sure if I could answer any questions. It's always good to have that information, their report, whether it's their annual report or their community survey for when we're looking at the needs of different things in the community, whether it's specific to their service areas or statewide.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: Agreed. So I do have a question, and that is, what was the vote in committee?
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: I believe, I'm just gonna verify, but I believe it was eleven zero zero, or there may have been someone not there, it might have been ten zero one. I'm gonna just double check, and I will get back to you on that.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: And then was a voice vote on
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: the floor? Oh, yes. Yes, it was. Senator Gulick.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: Nice to
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: see you, Dan. Nice to see you.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: Is there any appropriations bill? No. So all the work that gets done is done for the planning and so on is done within the community action agencies themselves.
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: Kind of clarifying language. Yeah, right.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: Then the membership on the boards is separate from any state. Any other questions for Representative Weisen? Amy, did you wanna add anything? I just looked up the load if you wanted. Oh, good. It was 1001. 1001. We
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: knew it was gonna
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: That was somebody missing. Right? Yes. I won't tell the joke again.
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: That's young. It's not just young. I couldn't remember exactly.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: Good. Thank you for that. Thank you.
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: And thank you for taking the time.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: We will. We'll take it up. We'll we'll see if there's anyone else who would like to testify. I have a list of testimony from your committee. Not sure we're gonna have to be so quite as thorough as what you were. I will go through the bill with Katie for markup, but it shouldn't take us long to pop this thing out.
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: And I'm happy to forward my floor speech somewhere I
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: don't if that. Well, somebody in somebody in here would really
[Representative Dan Noyes (VT House, Human Services Committee)]: like that. I'm sure. Thank you so much.
[Senator Virginia "Ginny" Lyons (Chair)]: Thanks It's your great. Okay. So we have someone coming in at 11:30 who's requested to testify on you know, on the Rural Health Transformation Program that's going on, the UVM Cancer Center. I don't know why they have asked to do that, but we're gonna have them in. Well, we have time now for a short break, so we're gonna go off live.