Lawmakers Review Budget, Transportation Fees, Housing and Education Measures in Multiple Committee Hearings
Legislative committees across the House and Senate met April 24 to review capital and budget provisions, transportation revenue options tied to electrification, housing and eviction-related proposals, and education funding and rulemaking. The day’s hearings detailed bond and cash appropriations, loan-eligibility expansions for certain water systems, the mechanics of a prospective mileage-based transportation charge, library and afterschool grant language, and multiple education grants and study committee funding provisions.
Finance committee: capital bill adjustments, electric vehicle revenue and property transfers
Senate Finance lawmakers reviewed the House-passed capital adjustment act and related materials identified as S.64. Committee staff described the bill as an adjustment to the prior capital bill, noting the two-year bonding authorization total of $122,000,000 for the full biennium. Discussion covered reallocations of prior appropriations and the mechanics for reclaiming and reusing funds, including statutory clawback and reversion mechanisms for bonded and cash funds.
Committee testimony identified cash-fund mechanics tied to the capital development cash fund, explaining that up to 4% of the previous year’s general appropriations (cited as $17,000,000 in one explanation) can be placed into the capital cash fund and that this affects overall cash available in the capital bill. A $10,000,000 placeholder figure from the prior capital bill was described as having been divided into specific items in the current reallocation process.
Finance members examined transportation revenue shortfalls from electrification and greater fuel efficiency. Witnesses described three principal issues affecting fuel tax revenue: electric vehicles that do not consume fuel, increased fuel economy reducing gas consumption per vehicle, and fuel taxes that lack an inflation adjustment. The committee discussed a current flat infrastructure fee of $89 and outlined a proposed transition to a mileage-based user fee. Under the phase-in described, vehicle owners would continue to pay $89 until a second mileage inspection after 2027, at which point mileage reporting would inform future charges. Testimony indicated federal grant funding has supported immediate electrification-related implementation work tied to a January 2027 schedule and referenced federal Highway Administration grant applications.
Members also reviewed capital bill policy provisions that expand Department of Environmental Conservation loan eligibility to certain nonprofit or resident-owned mobile home parks with qualifying water systems. Eligibility conditions discussed included income-level and annual household user cost requirements matching disadvantaged municipality criteria, continuous occupancy of at least 80% of residential units, and at least 80% of water produced being for residential use. The Secretary would certify long-term interest rates for qualifying loans under the program.
Finance staff described authority in the bill to transfer portions of state property. One provision would authorize the Commissioner of Buildings and General Services to transfer acreage of the Southern State Correctional Facility property to the town of Springfield for municipal or economic development uses only if zoning or subdivision approvals are obtained, maintenance and utility responsibilities are negotiated, impacts are mitigated, and brownfields are excluded from the transfer.
Finally, the committee heard that one cash appropriation in the House bill would provide $3,000,000 for Wi‑Fi installation in correctional facilities and require monthly reporting during the off-session to a joint legislative justice oversight group.
Ways & Means: municipal charter amendment, afterschool and library fund language
House Ways & Means took up municipal and education-related measures. Legislative Council described H.902, a City of Barre charter amendment package that would add signatory agents for sale or lease of city property and increase the cap on unassigned fund balances from 5% to 10% of the city general fund budget or expenses for the most recent voter-approved fiscal year.
Committee discussion of S.232 and related language focused on the Universal Afterschool and Summer Special Fund. A Joint Fiscal Office witness provided revenue context, noting approximately $10,000,000 currently in the fund with an estimated increase to about $11,000,000 by 2031 per the January revenue forecast. Members reviewed language permitting the Agency of Education to allocate a portion of those revenues to the Department of Libraries for subgranting. The committee noted a Senate-passed version that had required 5% of the fund be allocated to libraries, which was later amended in Senate Appropriations to make allocation discretionary and to use the phrase “a portion,” leaving no mandated minimum.
Ways & Means also considered eligibility clarifications for library digital collections and discretionary grants, and discussed application procedures and statutory requirements that remain applicable to grant recipients.
General & Housing (House): Act 69 reporting, assessment bonds, municipal housing provisions
The House General & Housing committee reviewed amendments tied to Act 69 and a multi-section housing draft. Members discussed special assessment bonds and the distinction between revenue bonds and general obligation bonds, noting that special assessment bonds typically do not require a town vote and are assessed against a specific development.
Committee staff described an amendment removing a prior section that would have required the Service Supported Housing Advisory Council to study a per-parcel fee on secondary homes in the current use program. The panel also discussed a VHIP-related reporting provision tied to Act 69 where an omitted report submission date in earlier language was corrected.
A draft provision would require the Secretary of State to provide public information about common interest communities via the agency website or other distribution. The House committee discussed timelines for an annual report to be submitted by November 15 to multiple committees and clarified that some annual reporting requirements will go to both House and Senate committees.
Education (Senate and House): grants, rulemaking, study committee funding and thresholds
Senate Education reviewed a multi-section education bill that amends Act 73, Act 1, and Act 70 provisions. Section summaries included multiple grant and funding changes.
Committee staff explained a provision creating CISA executive director grants of $50,000 each for six CESAs, totaling $300,000, to be funded using amounts previously appropriated through Act 73 to the Agency of Education. That section was described as a net-neutral shift of $952,000 in general fund appropriations for fiscal year 2026 by directing existing funds for these purposes.
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A startup grant program amendment to Act 1 would make CESAs eligible for grants of $15,000 each. The committee noted $60,000 initially appropriated for startup grants and an additional $30,000 proposed from the general fund to support the program.
Senate Education discussed rulemaking to define “small by necessity” and “sparse by necessity” for school funding purposes and noted the fiscal impact is unknown until the rulemaking defines those categories. The committee also addressed reports mandated on pre-K education and a $75,000 appropriation from the general fund to the Joint Fiscal Office in fiscal year 2027 for a cost-of-care analysis for pre-K.
A number of sections would affect study committee financing and voter approval thresholds for union district study committees. Testimony described reimbursement grants of up to $10,000 for study committees, with funding described as $210,000 total across 21 committees, and provisions raising a budget threshold for voter approval from $50,000 to $500,000 for union district study committees. The bill would also direct a grant of $442,000 to the Vermont Learning Collaborative to hire eight facilitators, with $32,000 allowed for administrative costs, to support the union district study committee process.
Education committees reviewed data collection requirements, including student form collection to document weighting categories, and a prohibition effective in 2030 on charging tuition students additional fees, with fiscal impacts noted as unclear.
Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs: eviction testimony and housing tools
The Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs committee heard extensive testimony on landlord‑tenant issues and proposed eviction-related legislation, including S.24 and S.10 references. Testimony described existing eviction processes, the role of HOT funds and other rental arrears assistance programs, and concerns about eviction filings and their consequences for housing stability. Witnesses described case examples showing timelines for obtaining rental assistance and completing evictions, noted increased eviction support needs and disparities in legal representation between landlords and tenants, and discussed tools for landlords and neighbors when evicting occupants.
Committee members and witnesses discussed proposed changes that could alter grounds for eviction, timelines, and tools for addressing criminal activity and violent conduct in rental housing. Testimony included descriptions of special protections, proposed statutory provisions affecting trespass and reentry after eviction, and concerns about the impact of statutory changes on eviction volume and homelessness.
Additional hearings: appropriations, commerce, judiciary, corrections and institutions, government operations
Senate Appropriations reviewed a miscellaneous financial regulation bill and discussed three related special funds that would be affected by technical statutory updates. Committee staff described technical changes in fund names and clarifying language for settlement award uses, with one de minimis effect on funds described in testimony and a figure of $1,700,000 referenced in discussion of an effect.
House Commerce & Economic Development and a subsequent House panel reviewed comprehensive data privacy and consumer rights proposals, including H.2 and S.93 references and provisions concerning controller and processor duties, consent definitions, opt‑out and authentication processes, deidentified data requirements, consumer rights and exemptions, and cross-references to existing Acts. Act 166 and Act 1996 were referenced in committee discussion of definitions and contextual advertising provisions.
Senate Judiciary considered matters related to firearms storage tied to protective orders, domestic violence-related procedures, and evidentiary practices. Committee discussion included the role of law enforcement and federally licensed firearms dealers for firearms storage when temporary orders are issued.
House Human Services reviewed tobacco and vaping policy proposals including S.198 and discussed program funding sources, prevention efforts, and youth-targeted cessation programs and services.
Senate Government Operations heard presentations on legislative oversight mechanisms and performance management. Witnesses described sunset reviews, administrative rule review, evaluations, and program performance measures, and referenced prior Acts and the intent to strengthen legislative oversight and evidence use in policymaking.
Corrections & Institutions and Senate Institutions panels addressed capital fund line items, correctional facility infrastructure projects and funding changes in bonded and cash sections of the capital bill, facility conditions and maintenance issues, and codifying federal Prison Rape Elimination Act standards into state law. H.550 was discussed in the context of codifying PREA standards and requiring the Department of Corrections to report on any PREA-related changes and reporting requirements by December 15, 2027.
Conclusion
This report covers multiple committee hearings on April 24, 2026, including Senate Finance; House Ways & Means; House and Senate General & Housing; Senate and House Education; Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs; Appropriations; Commerce & Economic Development; Judiciary; Human Services; Government Operations; Corrections & Institutions; and Senate Institutions. Committees reviewed capital and budget adjustments, transportation revenue options tied to electrification, housing and eviction issues, education grants and rulemaking, consumer data privacy and oversight mechanisms, and correctional facility standards and reporting obligations.
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