Vermont committees review education finance, school construction ballot language, health care notices and housing exemptions in May 6 hearings
Several legislative committees met Wednesday, May 6, and reviewed bills and budget language addressing education finance and appropriations, school construction ballot materials, hospital service notice requirements, interim housing exemptions, and corrections policy. Committees discussing those topics included Senate Appropriations, two Senate Education hearings, Senate Finance, the House Health Care committee, the House Environment committee, and the Senate Institutions committee.
Appropriations
The Senate Appropriations committee reviewed budget materials and committee binder updates and discussed two bills, H.95 and S.3. Members noted a change in H.95 affecting education transformation funding: the Senate carried a $1,500,000 set‑aside while the House had included a $75,000 appropriation for a pre‑case study, producing a reported total increase from the House to the Senate of $1,425,000 for H.95. The committee also discussed table of contents revisions, removal of a provider rate increase item, and administration letters related to the budget.
Education (Senate, 16:05)
Senate Education reviewed amendments connected to Act 73 and Act 160, with extensive discussion of mandates, reporting deadlines, and appropriations tied to education transformation.
Committee members described data and reporting requirements in Act 73, including provisions directing the Agency of Education, DCF, and Building Bright Futures to establish a joint system to monitor and evaluate pre‑K and to collect data to inform future decisions. Building Bright Futures, in consultation with AOE and DCF, was described as required to submit a separate written report by 12/01/2026 on the status of work under the federal preschool development grant, initial or updated findings including Pre‑K student demographics and program hours by district, outstanding data gaps, and recommendations for legislative action.
The committee examined effective‑date and contingency language for a proposed foundation formula. Testimony referenced amendments moving contingencies and effective dates, including an item changing the contingency effective date from 07/01/2028 to 07/01/2030. The Department of Taxes was described as required, on or before 10/01/2027, to publish an interactive education funding calculator on its website to estimate both current education funding a district received in fiscal year 2027 and estimated funding under the proposed new financing formula; Tax was required to consult with JFO, AOE, and the Department of Finance and Management and to submit a preliminary plan and a preliminary version of the calculator to the Joint Fiscal Committee on September 27.
Members reviewed several appropriations tied to Act 73 education transformation funds described as already appropriated last year. The bill language discussed study committee reimbursements of up to $10,000 per study committee on a reimbursement basis, with a line item reflecting a $210,000 total appropriation based on 21 study committee groupings. The Vermont Learning Collaborative facilitator appropriation was described as $442,000, allocated for facilitator and lead facilitator costs and administrative expenses, and identified as an allowable use of the Act 73 education transformation appropriation.
The committee also discussed findings related to Pre‑K access and program hours, citing percentages of four‑year‑old children receiving Pre‑K in various counties and noting disparities in access and the low share of providers offering four or more hours per day.
Finance (Senate)
Senate Finance reviewed a range of tax, spending and authority items in drafts tied to education finance and other measures, including S.2 and S.4.
Committee discussion addressed ballot language and informational materials for school district authorization of indebtedness. Members described statutory language that would authorize a total project amount on a ballot and require informational materials indicating estimated supplemental district spending tax rates under multiple aid scenarios, including no aid, base aid and maximum aid. The committee discussed sequencing: authorizing a project, receiving an aid package, and then conducting a supplemental district spending vote based on perceived aid and estimated tax rates. The committee also discussed that annual debt service on bonds for school construction shall be raised with the district supplemental spending tax and that bonded indebtedness for school construction constitutes an ongoing obligation of the district not subject to annual authorization.
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Finance members addressed healthcare payment policy and provider rate issues, including a site‑neutrality provision to create uniform outpatient physical therapy payment rates across hospital and non‑hospital settings, noting the board’s current rate‑setting authority and reference‑based pricing work underway. The committee also considered PCB testing and remediation in schools, discussing proposals that would modify or preserve a PCB testing program and noting funding and programmatic concerns.
On ancillary revenue and collections issues, testimony described a proposal to raise an abandoned or unclaimed property threshold to $150, with a portion of the increased collections directed to the Vermont Saves program to help capitalize the state‑run retirement plan. Finance also reviewed provisions removing supervisory fees authority and related rulemaking and contract authority tied to collections.
Health Care (House) — S.189
The House Health Care committee considered draft 2.1 of S.189. Committee summary language indicated the bill would require a hospital considering elimination of certain services to provide a preliminary notice of intent to the Agency of Human Services, the Green Mountain Care Board, and the Office of the Health Care Advocate. The list of services specified in testimony included Emergency Department services, Primary Care services (including closing a primary care site), and treatment for substance use disorder, including medication for opioid use disorder. The committee moved to pass S.189 draft 2.1 as amended.
Environment (House) — Act 181 amendments
The House Environment committee reviewed amendment language related to Act 181 and interim housing exemptions. Testimony presented an amendment to make interim exemptions for 50‑unit or fewer housing developments with at least 20% affordable units available to communities with designated village centers that lack permanent zoning or subdivision bylaws, updating the date to 01/01/2031. The amendment also would allow a municipality’s legislative body to vote to opt out and not grant the exemption for individual projects. Committee discussion noted concerns about certainty for developers and permitting timeframes, and emphasized the amendment’s intent to extend interim exemptions to towns that currently lack zoning while preserving municipal choice.
Institutions (Senate) — H.550
Senate Institutions heard testimony on H.550 related to gender equity and corrections policy. Witnesses discussed the bill in the context of PREA protections and federal actions affecting housing of transgender incarcerated people. Committee discussion emphasized codifying existing PREA protections and Department of Corrections policy, documenting reasons for housing decisions, and using individualized assessments that consider health, safety, security and management factors. Committee members reviewed operational practices including multidisciplinary housing committees and documentation requirements described in testimony.
Human Services and Government Operations
The House Human Services committee discussed using fee increases to fund enforcement capacity, including the possibility of an enforcement position at the relevant department and gathering further information before adding permanent positions. Government Operations committees took testimony on multiple bills including S.64 on optometry scope changes, S.40 and S.35 on animal and electoral matters, and debated reporting and oversight language, candidate disclosure forms, and regulatory authority and timelines for cybersecurity advisory reporting.
Conclusion
This article summarizes May 6 committee proceedings across Senate Appropriations, two Senate Education sessions, Senate Finance, House Health Care, House Environment, Senate Institutions, House Human Services, and Government Operations panels. Committees reviewed budget and appropriations items, education finance and reporting mandates tied to Act 73 and Act 160, school construction ballot and informational requirements, hospital service elimination notice requirements in S.189, interim housing exemption amendments to Act 181, and corrections‑related provisions in H.550, among other matters discussed in the hearings.
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