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H.493 1
Introduced by Committee on Appropriations 2
Date: 3
Subject: Appropriations; Big Bill; fiscal year 2026 budget 4
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to make 5
appropriations in support of government for fiscal year 2026. 6
An act relating to making appropriations for the support of the government 7
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 8
* * * Purpose, Definitions, Legend * * * 9
Sec. A.100 SHORT TITLE 10
(a) This bill may be referred to as the “BIG BILL – Fiscal Year 2026 11
Appropriations Act”. 12
Sec. A.101 PURPOSE; LEGISLATIVE INTENT 13
(a) The purpose of this act is to provide appropriations for the operations of 14
State government during fiscal year 2026. It is the express intent of the 15
General Assembly that activities of the various agencies, departments, 16
divisions, boards, offices, and commissions be limited to those that can be 17
supported by funds appropriated in this act or other acts passed prior to June 18
30, 2025. Agency and department heads are directed to implement staffing 19
and service levels at the beginning of fiscal year 2026 so as to meet this 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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condition unless otherwise directed by specific language in this act or other 1
acts of the General Assembly. 2
(b) It is the intent of the General Assembly that any interim budget and 3
appropriation adjustments made in accordance with 32 V.S.A. §§ 133 and 704 4
prioritize supporting the health, safety, and well-being of Vermonters; a robust 5
education system; and a strong economy. 6
Sec. A.102 APPROPRIATIONS 7
(a) It is the intent of the General Assembly that this act serves as the 8
primary source and reference for appropriations for fiscal year 2026. 9
(b) The sums herein stated are appropriated for the purposes specified in 10
the following sections of this act. When no time is expressly stated during 11
which any of the appropriations are to continue, the appropriations are single-12
year appropriations and only for the purpose indicated and shall be paid from 13
funds shown as the source of funds. If in this act there is an error in either 14
addition or subtraction, the totals shall be adjusted accordingly. Apparent 15
errors in referring to section numbers of statutory titles within this act may be 16
disregarded by the Commissioner of Finance and Management. 17
(c) Unless codified or otherwise specified, all narrative portions of this act 18
apply only to the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2026. 19
Sec. A.103 DEFINITIONS 20
(a) As used in this act: 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(1) “Encumbrances” means a portion of an appropriation reserved for 1
the subsequent payment of existing purchase orders or contracts. The 2
Commissioner of Finance and Management shall make final decisions on the 3
appropriateness of encumbrances. 4
(2) “Grants” means subsidies, aid, or payments to local governments, to 5
community and quasi-public agencies for providing local services, and to 6
persons who are not wards of the State for services or supplies and means cash 7
or other direct assistance, including pension contributions. 8
(3) “Operating expenses” means property management; repair and 9
maintenance; rental expenses; insurance; postage; travel; energy and utilities; 10
office and other supplies; equipment, including motor vehicles, highway 11
materials, and construction; expenditures for the purchase of land and 12
construction of new buildings and permanent improvements; and similar items. 13
(4) “Personal services” means wages and salaries, fringe benefits, per 14
diems, contracted third-party services, and similar items. 15
Sec. A.104 RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING LAWS 16
(a) Except as specifically provided, this act shall not be construed in any 17
way to negate or impair the full force and effect of existing laws. 18 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. A.105 OFFSETTING APPROPRIATIONS 1
(a) In the absence of specific provisions to the contrary in this act, when 2
total appropriations are offset by estimated receipts, the State appropriations 3
shall control, notwithstanding receipts being greater or less than anticipated. 4
Sec. A.106 FEDERAL FUNDS 5
(a) In fiscal year 2026, the Governor, with the approval of the General 6
Assembly or the Joint Fiscal Committee if the General Assembly is not in 7
session, may accept federal funds available to the State of Vermont, including 8
block grants in lieu of, or in addition to, funds herein designated as federal. 9
The Governor, with the approval of the General Assembly or the Joint Fiscal 10
Committee if the General Assembly is not in session, may allocate all or any 11
portion of such federal funds for any purpose consistent with the purposes for 12
which the basic appropriations in this act have been made. 13
(b) If, during fiscal year 2026, federal funds available to the State of 14
Vermont and designated as federal in this and other acts of the 2025 session of 15
the Vermont General Assembly are converted into block grants or are 16
abolished under their current title in federal law and reestablished under a new 17
title in federal law, the Governor may continue to accept such federal funds for 18
any purpose consistent with the purposes for which the federal funds were 19
appropriated. The Governor may spend such funds for such purposes for not 20
more than 45 days prior to General Assembly or Joint Fiscal Committee 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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approval. Notice shall be given to the Joint Fiscal Committee without delay if 1
the Governor intends to use the authority granted by this section, and the Joint 2
Fiscal Committee shall meet in an expedited manner to review the Governor’s 3
request for approval. 4
Sec. A.107 NEW POSITIONS 5
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the total number of 6
authorized State positions, both classified and exempt, excluding temporary 7
positions as defined in 3 V.S.A. § 311(a)(11), shall not be increased during 8
fiscal year 2026 except for new positions authorized by the General Assembly 9
during the 2025 session. Limited service positions approved pursuant to 32 10
V.S.A. § 5 shall not be subject to this restriction. 11
Sec. A.108 LEGEND 12
(a) The act is organized by functions of government. The sections between 13
B.100 and B.9999 contain appropriations of funds for the upcoming budget 14
year. The sections between E.100 and E.9999 contain language that relates to 15
specific appropriations or government functions, or both. The function areas 16
by section numbers are as follows: 17
B.100–B.199 and E.100–E.199 General Government 18
B.200–B.299 and E.200–E.299 Protection to Persons 19
and Property 20
B.300–B.399 and E.300–E.399 Human Services 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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B.400–B.499 and E.400–E.499 Labor 1
B.500–B.599 and E.500–E.599 General Education 2
B.600–B.699 and E.600–E.699 Higher Education 3
B.700–B.799 and E.700–E.799 Natural Resources 4
B.800–B.899 and E.800–E.899 Commerce and 5
Community Development 6
B.900–B.999 and E.900–E.999 Transportation 7
B.1000–B.1099 and E.1000–E.1099 Debt Service 8
B.1100–B.1199 and E.1100–E.1199 One-time and other 9
appropriation actions 10
(b) The C sections contain any amendments to the current fiscal year; the D 11
sections contain fund allocations, transfers, reversions, and reservations for the 12
upcoming fiscal year; and the F section contains effective dates. 13
* * * Fiscal Year 2026 Base Appropriations * * * 14
Sec. B.100 Secretary of administration - secretary’s office 15
Personal services 2,532,30516
Operating expenses 255,89117
Grants 755,00018
Total 3,543,19619
Source of funds 20
General fund 1,762,50921 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Special funds 755,0001
Interdepartmental transfers 1,025,6872
Total 3,543,196 3
Sec. B.100.1 Secretary of administration - office of racial equity 4
Personal services 1,687,0905
Operating expenses 118,3236
Total 1,805,4137
Source of funds 8
General fund 1,144,8319
Internal service funds 534,46210
Interdepartmental transfers 126,12011
Total 1,805,413 12
Sec. B.101 Secretary of administration - finance 13
Personal services 1,523,06614
Operating expenses 168,42415
Total 1,691,49016
Source of funds 17
Interdepartmental transfers 1,691,49018
Total 1,691,490 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.102 Secretary of administration - workers’ compensation insurance 1
Personal services 871,4532
Operating expenses 100,3873
Total 971,8404
Source of funds 5
Internal service funds 971,8406
Total 971,840 7
Sec. B.103 Secretary of administration - general liability insurance 8
Personal services 406,3469
Operating expenses 65,07210
Total 471,41811
Source of funds 12
Internal service funds 471,41813
Total 471,418 14
Sec. B.104 Secretary of administration - all other insurance 15
Personal services 278,47816
Operating expenses 54,92517
Total 333,40318
Source of funds 19
Internal service funds 333,40320
Total 333,403 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.104.1 Retired state employees pension plus funding 1
Grants 15,000,0002
Total 15,000,0003
Source of funds 4
General fund 15,000,0005
Total 15,000,000 6
Sec. B.105 Agency of digital services - communications and information 7
technology 8
Personal services 87,034,3449
Operating expenses 50,695,23110
Total 137,729,57511
Source of funds 12
General fund 233,20713
Special funds 1,014,19914
Internal service funds 136,482,16915
Total 137,729,575 16
Sec. B.106 Finance and management - budget and management 17
Personal services 1,843,26418
Operating expenses 342,67619
Total 2,185,94020
Source of funds 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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General fund 1,254,5591
Internal service funds 688,3592
Interdepartmental transfers 243,0223
Total 2,185,940 4
Sec. B.107 Finance and management - financial operations 5
Personal services 3,416,4786
Operating expenses 894,6207
Total 4,311,0988
Source of funds 9
Internal service funds 3,767,17110
Interdepartmental transfers 543,92711
Total 4,311,098 12
Sec. B.108 Human resources - operations 13
Personal services 12,091,72914
Operating expenses 1,609,09215
Total 13,700,82116
Source of funds 17
General fund 1,931,76618
Special funds 171,23519
Internal service funds 10,811,92220 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Interdepartmental transfers 785,8981
Total 13,700,821 2
Sec. B.108.1 Human resources - VTHR operations 3
Personal services 2,259,6394
Operating expenses 922,3395
Total 3,181,9786
Source of funds 7
Internal service funds 3,181,9788
Total 3,181,978 9
Sec. B.109 Human resources - employee benefits & wellness 10
Personal services 1,443,57411
Operating expenses 727,23112
Total 2,170,80513
Source of funds 14
Internal service funds 2,170,80515
Total 2,170,805 16
Sec. B.110 Libraries 17
Personal services 3,071,13918
Operating expenses 523,30019
Grants 267,99320
Total 3,862,43221 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Source of funds 1
General fund 2,371,9692
Special funds 96,9943
Federal funds 1,273,0204
Interdepartmental transfers 120,4495
Total 3,862,432 6
Sec. B.111 Tax - administration/collection 7
Personal services 30,188,8068
Operating expenses 7,007,7359
Total 37,196,54110
Source of funds 11
General fund 24,668,15512
Special funds 12,413,38613
Interdepartmental transfers 115,00014
Total 37,196,541 15
Sec. B.112 Buildings and general services - administration 16
Personal services 1,132,28617
Operating expenses 206,65318
Total 1,338,93919
Source of funds 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Interdepartmental transfers 1,338,9391
Total 1,338,939 2
Sec. B.113 Buildings and general services - engineering 3
Personal services 47,1654
Operating expenses 1,116,2805
Total 1,163,4456
Source of funds 7
General fund 1,163,4458
Total 1,163,445 9
Sec. B.113.1 Buildings and general services engineering - capital projects 10
Personal services 3,225,94411
Operating expenses 500,00012
Total 3,725,94413
Source of funds 14
General fund 3,225,94415
Interdepartmental transfers 500,00016
Total 3,725,944 17
Sec. B.114 Buildings and general services - information centers 18
Personal services 3,721,86119
Operating expenses 1,973,45720
Total 5,695,31821 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Source of funds 1
General fund 702,1462
Transportation fund 4,542,9593
Special funds 450,2134
Total 5,695,318 5
Sec. B.115 Buildings and general services - purchasing 6
Personal services 2,860,8247
Operating expenses 272,0268
Total 3,132,8509
Source of funds 10
General fund 1,697,21011
Interdepartmental transfers 1,435,64012
Total 3,132,850 13
Sec. B.116 Buildings and general services - postal services 14
Personal services 846,11115
Operating expenses 188,30316
Total 1,034,41417
Source of funds 18
General fund 93,66919
Internal service funds 940,74520
Total 1,034,414 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.117 Buildings and general services - copy center 1
Personal services 951,0632
Operating expenses 223,4053
Total 1,174,4684
Source of funds 5
Internal service funds 1,174,4686
Total 1,174,468 7
Sec. B.118 Buildings and general services - fleet management services 8
Personal services 1,020,9859
Operating expenses 247,89510
Total 1,268,88011
Source of funds 12
Internal service funds 1,201,99713
Interdepartmental transfers 66,88314
Total 1,268,880 15
Sec. B.119 Buildings and general services - federal surplus property 16
Operating expenses 4,42717
Total 4,42718
Source of funds 19
Enterprise funds 4,42720
Total 4,427 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.120 Buildings and general services - state surplus property 1
Personal services 365,0562
Operating expenses 175,7863
Total 540,8424
Source of funds 5
Internal service funds 540,8426
Total 540,842 7
Sec. B.121 Buildings and general services - property management 8
Personal services 1,199,9339
Operating expenses 605,34910
Total 1,805,28211
Source of funds 12
Internal service funds 1,805,28213
Total 1,805,282 14
Sec. B.122 Buildings and general services - fee for space 15
Personal services 21,826,54116
Operating expenses 17,638,20117
Total 39,464,74218
Source of funds 19
Internal service funds 39,360,45920 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Interdepartmental transfers 104,2831
Total 39,464,742 2
Sec. B.124 Executive office - governor’s office 3
Personal services 1,957,0784
Operating expenses 567,6075
Total 2,524,6856
Source of funds 7
General fund 1,997,8508
Interdepartmental transfers 526,8359
Total 2,524,685 10
Sec. B.125 Legislative counsel 11
Personal services 4,419,48012
Operating expenses 286,93613
Total 4,706,41614
Source of funds 15
General fund 4,706,41616
Total 4,706,416 17
Sec. B.126 Legislature 18
Personal services 7,127,65319
Operating expenses 5,329,44820
Total 12,457,10121 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Source of funds 1
General fund 12,457,1012
Total 12,457,101 3
Sec. B.126.1 Legislative information technology 4
Personal services 1,504,5605
Operating expenses 912,6616
Total 2,417,2217
Source of funds 8
General fund 2,417,2219
Total 2,417,221 10
Sec. B.127 Joint fiscal committee 11
Personal services 2,959,86212
Operating expenses 197,90713
Total 3,157,76914
Source of funds 15
General fund 3,157,76916
Total 3,157,769 17
Sec. B.128 Sergeant at arms 18
Personal services 1,639,78019
Operating expenses 166,41620
Total 1,806,19621 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Source of funds 1
General fund 1,806,1962
Total 1,806,196 3
Sec. B.129 Lieutenant governor 4
Personal services 296,1585
Operating expenses 51,9936
Total 348,1517
Source of funds 8
General fund 348,1519
Total 348,151 10
Sec. B.130 Auditor of accounts 11
Personal services 4,775,02612
Operating expenses 143,50513
Total 4,918,53114
Source of funds 15
General fund 408,39816
Special funds 53,14517
Internal service funds 4,456,98818
Total 4,918,531 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.131 State treasurer 1
Personal services 7,137,1542
Operating expenses 312,9563
Total 7,450,1104
Source of funds 5
General fund 2,729,0846
Special funds 4,179,2517
Interdepartmental transfers 541,7758
Total 7,450,110 9
Sec. B.132 State treasurer - unclaimed property 10
Personal services 801,26811
Operating expenses 581,64812
Total 1,382,91613
Source of funds 14
Private purpose trust funds 1,382,91615
Total 1,382,916 16
Sec. B.133 Vermont state retirement system 17
Personal services 221,25118
Operating expenses 3,169,34219
Total 3,390,59320
Source of funds 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Pension trust funds 3,390,5931
Total 3,390,593 2
Sec. B.134 Municipal employees’ retirement system 3
Personal services 228,9614
Operating expenses 1,712,0595
Total 1,941,0206
Source of funds 7
Pension trust funds 1,941,0208
Total 1,941,020 9
Sec. B.134.1 Vermont pension investment commission 10
Personal services 2,484,19811
Operating expenses 303,90412
Total 2,788,10213
Source of funds 14
Special funds 2,788,10215
Pension trust funds 016
Total 2,788,102 17
Sec. B.135 State labor relations board 18
Personal services 295,15719
Operating expenses 66,13620
Total 361,29321 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Source of funds 1
General fund 351,7172
Special funds 6,7883
Interdepartmental transfers 2,7884
Total 361,293 5
Sec. B.136 VOSHA review board 6
Personal services 109,5217
Operating expenses 25,7348
Total 135,2559
Source of funds 10
General fund 84,25111
Interdepartmental transfers 51,00412
Total 135,255 13
Sec. B.136.1 Ethics commission 14
Personal services 183,78715
Operating expenses 39,77516
Total 223,56217
Source of funds 18
Internal service funds 223,56219
Total 223,562 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.137 Homeowner rebate 1
Grants 19,000,0002
Total 19,000,0003
Source of funds 4
General fund 19,000,0005
Total 19,000,000 6
Sec. B.138 Renter rebate 7
Grants 9,500,0008
Total 9,500,0009
Source of funds 10
General fund 9,500,00011
Total 9,500,000 12
Sec. B.139 Tax department - reappraisal and listing payments 13
Grants 3,410,00014
Total 3,410,00015
Source of funds 16
General fund 3,410,00017
Total 3,410,000 18
Sec. B.140 Municipal current use 19
Grants 21,350,00020
Total 21,350,00021 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Source of funds 1
General fund 21,350,0002
Total 21,350,000 3
Sec. B.142 Payments in lieu of taxes 4
Grants 12,200,0005
Total 12,200,0006
Source of funds 7
Special funds 12,200,0008
Total 12,200,000 9
Sec. B.144 Payments in lieu of taxes - correctional facilities 10
Grants 40,00011
Total 40,00012
Source of funds 13
Special funds 40,00014
Total 40,000 15
Sec. B.145 Total general government 16
Source of funds 17
General fund 138,973,56418
Transportation fund 4,542,95919
Special funds 34,168,31320
Federal funds 1,273,02021 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Internal service funds 209,117,8701
Interdepartmental transfers 9,219,7402
Enterprise funds 4,4273
Pension trust funds 5,331,6134
Private purpose trust funds 1,382,9165
Total 404,014,422 6
Sec. B.200 Attorney general 7
Personal services 15,378,0608
Operating expenses 1,810,4459
Grants 20,00010
Total 17,208,50511
Source of funds 12
General fund 7,965,24013
Special funds 2,468,88914
Tobacco fund 434,66015
Federal funds 1,809,67616
Interdepartmental transfers 4,530,04017
Total 17,208,505 18
Sec. B.201 Vermont court diversion 19
Personal services 1,25020
Grants 4,724,34321 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Total 4,725,5931
Source of funds 2
General fund 4,467,5963
Special funds 257,9974
Total 4,725,593 5
Sec. B.202 Defender general - public defense 6
Personal services 18,955,1317
Operating expenses 1,650,9268
Total 20,606,0579
Source of funds 10
General fund 20,016,40411
Special funds 589,65312
Total 20,606,057 13
Sec. B.203 Defender general - assigned counsel 14
Personal services 7,769,97515
Operating expenses 64,50016
Total 7,834,47517
Source of funds 18
General fund 7,834,47519
Total 7,834,475 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.204 Judiciary 1
Personal services 62,352,7542
Operating expenses 13,865,6723
Grants 121,0304
Total 76,339,4565
Source of funds 6
General fund 70,441,7287
Special funds 1,997,0948
Federal funds 1,560,4129
Interdepartmental transfers 2,340,22210
Total 76,339,456 11
Sec. B.205 State’s attorneys 12
Personal services 19,010,28413
Operating expenses 2,115,05214
Total 21,125,33615
Source of funds 16
General fund 20,541,30917
Federal funds 31,00018
Interdepartmental transfers 553,02719
Total 21,125,336 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.206 Special investigative unit 1
Personal services 126,8772
Operating expenses 27,8353
Grants 2,136,5074
Total 2,291,2195
Source of funds 6
General fund 2,291,2197
Total 2,291,219 8
Sec. B.206.1 Crime victims advocates 9
Personal services 3,221,46110
Operating expenses 117,87011
Total 3,339,33112
Source of funds 13
General fund 3,339,33114
Total 3,339,331 15
Sec. B.207 Sheriffs 16
Personal services 6,092,39217
Operating expenses 446,23718
Total 6,538,62919
Source of funds 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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General fund 6,538,6291
Total 6,538,629 2
Sec. B.208 Public safety - administration 3
Personal services 6,289,6514
Operating expenses 6,380,4155
Grants 278,2856
Total 12,948,3517
Source of funds 8
General fund 7,630,8639
Special funds 4,10510
Federal funds 1,089,15511
Interdepartmental transfers 4,224,22812
Total 12,948,351 13
Sec. B.209 Public safety - state police 14
Personal services 83,279,41715
Operating expenses 16,733,45216
Grants 1,813,52317
Total 101,826,39218
Source of funds 19
General fund 87,421,53220
Special funds 3,223,79321 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Federal funds 9,734,7901
Interdepartmental transfers 1,446,2772
Total 101,826,392 3
Sec. B.210 Public safety - criminal justice services 4
Personal services 5,116,7295
Operating expenses 2,098,9446
Total 7,215,6737
Source of funds 8
General fund 1,929,6769
Special funds 4,483,74010
Federal funds 802,25711
Total 7,215,673 12
Sec. B.211 Public safety - emergency management 13
Personal services 6,811,02014
Operating expenses 1,018,04315
Grants 63,029,84316
Total 70,858,90617
Source of funds 18
General fund 2,145,62219
Special funds 710,00020
Federal funds 67,941,30421 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Interdepartmental transfers 61,9801
Total 70,858,906 2
Sec. B.212 Public safety - fire safety 3
Personal services 9,963,3654
Operating expenses 3,674,9545
Grants 127,3506
Total 13,765,6697
Source of funds 8
General fund 1,795,5309
Special funds 10,769,48610
Federal funds 1,155,65311
Interdepartmental transfers 45,00012
Total 13,765,669 13
Sec. B.213 Public safety - forensic laboratory 14
Personal services 4,388,17615
Operating expenses 1,356,04216
Total 5,744,21817
Source of funds 18
General fund 4,162,19619
Special funds 81,77420
Federal funds 951,79421 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Interdepartmental transfers 548,4541
Total 5,744,218 2
Sec. B.215 Military - administration 3
Personal services 1,142,6004
Operating expenses 810,6615
Grants 1,219,8346
Total 3,173,0957
Source of funds 8
General fund 3,173,0959
Total 3,173,095 10
Sec. B.216 Military - air service contract 11
Personal services 11,831,18112
Operating expenses 1,427,09313
Total 13,258,27414
Source of funds 15
General fund 818,48616
Federal funds 12,439,78817
Total 13,258,274 18
Sec. B.217 Military - army service contract 19
Personal services 51,243,59120
Operating expenses 8,227,72521 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Total 59,471,3161
Source of funds 2
Federal funds 59,471,3163
Total 59,471,316 4
Sec. B.218 Military - building maintenance 5
Personal services 906,2506
Operating expenses 908,5387
Total 1,814,7888
Source of funds 9
General fund 1,752,28810
Special funds 62,50011
Total 1,814,788 12
Sec. B.219 Military - veterans’ affairs 13
Personal services 1,382,55514
Operating expenses 193,17015
Grants 27,50016
Total 1,603,22517
Source of funds 18
General fund 1,259,65319
Special funds 222,71720 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Federal funds 120,8551
Total 1,603,225 2
Sec. B.220 Center for crime victim services 3
Personal services 2,371,7334
Operating expenses 321,9285
Grants 8,573,3706
Total 11,267,0317
Source of funds 8
General fund 1,650,0919
Special funds 4,465,48910
Federal funds 5,151,45111
Total 11,267,031 12
Sec. B.221 Criminal justice council 13
Personal services 2,508,51414
Operating expenses 2,142,60315
Total 4,651,11716
Source of funds 17
General fund 4,260,26518
Interdepartmental transfers 390,85219
Total 4,651,117 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Sec. B.222 Agriculture, food and markets - administration 1
Personal services 3,384,2732
Operating expenses 353,5803
Total 3,737,8534
Source of funds 5
General fund 1,519,6016
Special funds 1,695,6137
Federal funds 522,6398
Total 3,737,853 9
Sec. B.223 Agriculture, food and markets - food safety and consumer 10
protection 11
Personal services 5,680,28612
Operating expenses 1,109,65013
Grants 2,810,00014
Total 9,599,93615
Source of funds 16
General fund 3,663,44117
Special funds 4,048,84418
Federal funds 1,875,65119
Interdepartmental transfers 12,00020
Total 9,599,936 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Sec. B.224 Agriculture, food and markets - agricultural development 1
Personal services 6,358,7502
Operating expenses 746,9263
Grants 15,633,2004
Total 22,738,8765
Source of funds 6
General fund 3,157,4997
Special funds 646,9958
Federal funds 18,934,3829
Total 22,738,876 10
Sec. B.225 Agriculture, food and markets - agricultural resource management 11
and environmental stewardship 12
Personal services 3,053,69313
Operating expenses 845,69614
Grants 359,00015
Total 4,258,38916
Source of funds 17
General fund 934,91418
Special funds 2,473,04519
Federal funds 482,57720 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Interdepartmental transfers 367,8531
Total 4,258,389 2
Sec. B.225.1 Agriculture, food and markets - Vermont agriculture and 3
environmental lab 4
Personal services 2,058,5245
Operating expenses 1,359,5566
Total 3,418,0807
Source of funds 8
General fund 1,698,8269
Special funds 1,647,44110
Interdepartmental transfers 71,81311
Total 3,418,080 12
Sec. B.225.2 Agriculture, food and markets - clean water 13
Personal services 4,120,36514
Operating expenses 857,88815
Grants 11,375,00016
Total 16,353,25317
Source of funds 18
General fund 1,863,83219
Special funds 10,511,24120
Federal funds 2,171,58821 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Interdepartmental transfers 1,806,5921
Total 16,353,253 2
Sec. B.226 Financial regulation - administration 3
Personal services 3,011,7024
Operating expenses 103,5655
Grants 100,0006
Total 3,215,2677
Source of funds 8
Special funds 3,215,2679
Total 3,215,267 10
Sec. B.227 Financial regulation - banking 11
Personal services 2,483,66612
Operating expenses 482,33713
Total 2,966,00314
Source of funds 15
Special funds 2,966,00316
Total 2,966,003 17
Sec. B.228 Financial regulation - insurance 18
Personal services 5,825,68219
Operating expenses 578,52420
Total 6,404,20621 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Source of funds 1
Special funds 6,404,2062
Total 6,404,206 3
Sec. B.229 Financial regulation - captive insurance 4
Personal services 5,998,2785
Operating expenses 591,0926
Total 6,589,3707
Source of funds 8
Special funds 6,589,3709
Total 6,589,370 10
Sec. B.230 Financial regulation - securities 11
Personal services 1,375,41412
Operating expenses 242,54113
Total 1,617,95514
Source of funds 15
Special funds 1,617,95516
Total 1,617,955 17
Sec. B.232 Secretary of state 18
Personal services 21,619,18619
Operating expenses 4,242,95220
Grants 1,350,00021 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Total 27,212,1381
Source of funds 2
General fund 1,350,0003
Special funds 19,155,7344
Federal funds 6,706,4045
Total 27,212,138 6
Sec. B.233 Public service - regulation and energy 7
Personal services 12,790,4018
Operating expenses 2,615,0479
Grants 25,00010
Total 15,430,44811
Source of funds 12
Special funds 12,152,22513
Federal funds 2,439,25714
ARRA funds 6,62715
Interdepartmental transfers 821,49116
Enterprise funds 10,84817
Total 15,430,448 18
Sec. B.233.1 VT Community broadband board 19
Personal services 1,978,96020
Operating expenses 571,36821 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Grants 43,000,0001
Total 45,550,3282
Source of funds 3
Special funds 1,589,9904
Federal funds 43,960,3385
Total 45,550,328 6
Sec. B.234 Public utility commission 7
Personal services 4,565,6938
Operating expenses 578,7469
Total 5,144,43910
Source of funds 11
Special funds 5,144,43912
Total 5,144,439 13
Sec. B.235 Enhanced 9-1-1 board 14
Personal services 4,700,01615
Operating expenses 697,37916
Total 5,397,39517
Source of funds 18
Special funds 5,397,39519
Total 5,397,395 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Sec. B.236 Human rights commission 1
Personal services 1,243,4202
Operating expenses 142,1643
Total 1,385,5844
Source of funds 5
General fund 1,292,8116
Federal funds 92,7737
Total 1,385,584 8
Sec. B.236.1 Liquor and lottery commission 9
Personal services 10,866,78810
Operating expenses 7,415,51211
Total 18,282,30012
Source of funds 13
Special funds 125,00014
Tobacco fund 250,57915
Interdepartmental transfers 70,00016
Enterprise funds 17,836,72117
Total 18,282,300 18
Sec. B.240 Cannabis control board 19
Personal services 4,466,28820
Operating expenses 2,053,38221 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Grants 10,0001
Total 6,529,6702
Source of funds 3
Special funds 6,529,6704
Total 6,529,670 5
Sec. B.241 Total protection to persons and property 6
Source of funds 7
General fund 276,916,1528
Special funds 121,247,6709
Tobacco fund 685,23910
Federal funds 239,445,06011
ARRA funds 6,62712
Interdepartmental transfers 17,289,82913
Enterprise funds 17,847,56914
Total 673,438,146 15
Sec. B.300 Human services - agency of human services - secretary’s office 16
Personal services 17,333,39817
Operating expenses 11,231,12018
Grants 3,795,20219
Total 32,359,72020
Source of funds 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
General fund 15,569,5981
Special funds 135,5172
Federal funds 14,023,9643
Global Commitment fund 2,510,8574
Interdepartmental transfers 119,7845
Total 32,359,720 6
Sec. B.301 Secretary’s office - global commitment 7
Grants 2,206,365,4178
Total 2,206,365,4179
Source of funds 10
General fund 712,439,04211
Special funds 31,339,85212
Tobacco fund 21,049,37313
State health care resources fund 31,074,77214
Federal funds 1,405,465,16815
Interdepartmental transfers 4,997,21016
Total 2,206,365,417 17
Sec. B.303 Developmental disabilities council 18
Personal services 513,35919
Operating expenses 96,18520
Grants 191,59521 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Total 801,1391
Source of funds 2
Special funds 12,0003
Federal funds 789,1394
Total 801,139 5
Sec. B.304 Human services board 6
Personal services 823,3717
Operating expenses 90,8928
Total 914,2639
Source of funds 10
General fund 538,32411
Federal funds 375,93912
Total 914,263 13
Sec. B.305 AHS - administrative fund 14
Personal services 330,00015
Operating expenses 13,170,00016
Total 13,500,00017
Source of funds 18
Interdepartmental transfers 13,500,00019
Total 13,500,000 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Sec. B.306 Department of Vermont health access - administration 1
Personal services 142,860,0182
Operating expenses 36,310,8763
Grants 3,112,3014
Total 182,283,1955
Source of funds 6
General fund 43,820,3597
Special funds 4,760,2378
Federal funds 126,141,1549
Global Commitment fund 4,382,60110
Interdepartmental transfers 3,178,84411
Total 182,283,195 12
Sec. B.307 Department of Vermont health access - Medicaid program - global 13
commitment 14
Grants 978,639,18115
Total 978,639,18116
Source of funds 17
Global Commitment fund 978,639,18118
Total 978,639,181 19
Sec. B.309 Department of Vermont health access - Medicaid program - state 20
only 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Grants 67,827,0301
Total 67,827,0302
Source of funds 3
General fund 62,355,1924
Global Commitment fund 5,471,8385
Total 67,827,030 6
Sec. B.310 Department of Vermont health access - Medicaid non-waiver 7
matched 8
Grants 43,168,5969
Total 43,168,59610
Source of funds 11
General fund 13,467,77012
Federal funds 29,700,82613
Total 43,168,596 14
Sec. B.311 Health - administration and support 15
Personal services 9,163,99616
Operating expenses 8,043,46317
Grants 7,985,72718
Total 25,193,18619
Source of funds 20
General fund 4,298,71021 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Special funds 2,423,5871
Federal funds 10,954,0852
Global Commitment fund 7,361,5233
Interdepartmental transfers 155,2814
Total 25,193,186 5
Sec. B.312 Health - public health 6
Personal services 71,272,4537
Operating expenses 10,371,6548
Grants 48,496,8329
Total 130,140,93910
Source of funds 11
General fund 15,160,81712
Special funds 25,398,12413
Tobacco fund 1,088,91814
Federal funds 64,355,69915
Global Commitment fund 18,457,50716
Interdepartmental transfers 5,654,87417
Permanent trust funds 25,00018
Total 130,140,939 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Sec. B.313 Health - substance use programs 1
Personal services 7,036,5562
Operating expenses 381,5003
Grants 61,624,3604
Total 69,042,4165
Source of funds 6
General fund 4,795,7447
Special funds 7,972,3998
Tobacco fund 949,9179
Federal funds 15,928,43910
Global Commitment fund 39,395,91711
Total 69,042,416 12
Sec. B.314 Mental health - mental health 13
Personal services 12,456,52614
Operating expenses 2,420,02915
Grants 279,691,67816
Total 294,568,23317
Source of funds 18
General fund 13,127,71619
Special funds 6,83620
Federal funds 13,158,03221 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Global Commitment fund 266,967,8401
Interdepartmental transfers 1,307,8092
Total 294,568,233 3
Sec. B.315 Department of mental health - mental health facilities 4
Personal services 40,937,1175
Operating expenses 3,393,9466
Total 44,331,0637
Source of funds 8
General fund 18,868,1249
Special funds 1,711,25610
Global Commitment fund 23,751,68311
Total 44,331,063 12
Sec. B.316 Department for children and families - administration & support 13
services 14
Personal services 50,609,97215
Operating expenses 17,876,45316
Grants 5,914,17517
Total 74,400,60018
Source of funds 19
General fund 43,680,87120
Special funds 2,954,50021 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Federal funds 24,518,2881
Global Commitment fund 2,780,6362
Interdepartmental transfers 466,3053
Total 74,400,600 4
Sec. B.317 Department for children and families - family services 5
Personal services 49,175,1536
Operating expenses 5,497,0387
Grants 100,541,7608
Total 155,213,9519
Source of funds 10
General fund 63,680,99311
Special funds 729,15012
Federal funds 37,407,54213
Global Commitment fund 53,381,26614
Interdepartmental transfers 15,00015
Total 155,213,951 16
Sec. B.318 Department for children and families - child development 17
Personal services 6,563,80718
Operating expenses 783,60419
Grants 227,140,03320
Total 234,487,44421 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Source of funds 1
General fund 60,627,1762
Special funds 115,409,6713
Federal funds 42,924,1334
Global Commitment fund 15,526,4645
Total 234,487,444 6
Sec. B.319 Department for children and families - office of child support 7
Personal services 14,186,2728
Operating expenses 3,738,8449
Total 17,925,11610
Source of funds 11
General fund 5,598,66912
Special funds 454,21913
Federal funds 11,484,62814
Interdepartmental transfers 387,60015
Total 17,925,116 16
Sec. B.320 Department for children and families - aid to aged, blind and 17
disabled 18
Personal services 2,558,46019
Grants 10,418,56720
Total 12,977,02721 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Source of funds 1
General fund 7,470,3722
Global Commitment fund 5,506,6553
Total 12,977,027 4
Sec. B.321 Department for children and families - general assistance 5
Personal services 15,0006
Grants 10,415,7797
Total 10,430,7798
Source of funds 9
General fund 10,189,15710
Federal funds 11,09811
Global Commitment fund 230,52412
Total 10,430,779 13
Sec. B.322 Department for children and families - 3SquaresVT 14
Grants 51,077,81215
Total 51,077,81216
Source of funds 17
Federal funds 51,077,81218
Total 51,077,812 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Sec. B.323 Department for children and families - reach up 1
Operating expenses 23,8212
Grants 36,532,8633
Total 36,556,6844
Source of funds 5
General fund 24,035,4176
Special funds 5,970,2297
Federal funds 2,806,3308
Global Commitment fund 3,744,7089
Total 36,556,684 10
Sec. B.324 Department for children and families - home heating fuel 11
assistance/LIHEAP 12
Grants 16,019,95313
Total 16,019,95314
Source of funds 15
Special funds 1,480,39516
Federal funds 14,539,55817
Total 16,019,953 18
Sec. B.325 Department for children and families - office of economic 19
opportunity 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Personal services 1,376,4251
Operating expenses 159,4582
Grants 39,165,3563
Total 40,701,2394
Source of funds 5
General fund 32,312,4746
Special funds 83,1357
Federal funds 5,118,3298
Global Commitment fund 3,187,3019
Total 40,701,239 10
Sec. B.326 Department for children and families - OEO - weatherization 11
assistance 12
Personal services 498,83713
Operating expenses 275,32214
Grants 15,147,88515
Total 15,922,04416
Source of funds 17
Special funds 7,757,09118
Federal funds 8,164,95319
Total 15,922,044 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Sec. B.327 Department for children and families - secure residential treatment 1
Personal services 258,1002
Operating expenses 38,7753
Grants 3,476,8624
Total 3,773,7375
Source of funds 6
General fund 3,743,7377
Global Commitment fund 30,0008
Total 3,773,737 9
Sec. B.328 Department for children and families - disability determination 10
services 11
Personal services 8,322,17012
Operating expenses 495,93413
Total 8,818,10414
Source of funds 15
General fund 130,55616
Federal funds 8,687,54817
Total 8,818,104 18
Sec. B.329 Disabilities, aging, and independent living - administration & 19
support 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Personal services 48,973,4541
Operating expenses 6,544,3382
Total 55,517,7923
Source of funds 4
General fund 25,692,4125
Special funds 1,390,4576
Federal funds 27,258,6397
Global Commitment fund 110,0008
Interdepartmental transfers 1,066,2849
Total 55,517,792 10
Sec. B.330 Disabilities, aging, and independent living - advocacy and 11
independent living grants 12
Grants 24,909,49213
Total 24,909,49214
Source of funds 15
General fund 8,585,90916
Federal funds 7,321,11417
Global Commitment fund 9,002,46918
Total 24,909,492 19
Sec. B.331 Disabilities, aging, and independent living - blind and visually 20
impaired 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Grants 3,407,6041
Total 3,407,6042
Source of funds 3
General fund 489,1544
Special funds 223,4505
Federal funds 2,390,0006
Global Commitment fund 305,0007
Total 3,407,604 8
Sec. B.332 Disabilities, aging, and independent living - vocational 9
rehabilitation 10
Grants 10,179,84511
Total 10,179,84512
Source of funds 13
General fund 371,84514
Federal funds 8,558,00015
Interdepartmental transfers 1,250,00016
Total 10,179,845 17
Sec. B.333 Disabilities, aging, and independent living - developmental 18
services 19
Grants 349,987,46720
Total 349,987,46721 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Source of funds 1
General fund 132,7322
Special funds 15,4633
Federal funds 403,5734
Global Commitment fund 349,385,6995
Interdepartmental transfers 50,0006
Total 349,987,467 7
Sec. B.334 Disabilities, aging, and independent living - TBI home and 8
community based waiver 9
Grants 7,540,25610
Total 7,540,25611
Source of funds 12
Global Commitment fund 7,540,25613
Total 7,540,256 14
Sec. B.334.1 Disabilities, aging and independent living - long term care 15
Grants 346,858,09416
Total 346,858,09417
Source of funds 18
General fund 498,57919
Federal funds 2,450,00020 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Global Commitment fund 343,909,5151
Total 346,858,094 2
Sec. B.335 Corrections - administration 3
Personal services 5,601,4614
Operating expenses 269,9505
Total 5,871,4116
Source of funds 7
General fund 5,871,4118
Total 5,871,411 9
Sec. B.336 Corrections - parole board 10
Personal services 551,49711
Operating expenses 60,11212
Total 611,60913
Source of funds 14
General fund 611,60915
Total 611,609 16
Sec. B.337 Corrections - correctional education 17
Personal services 3,900,73218
Operating expenses 255,39919
Total 4,156,13120
Source of funds 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
General fund 4,006,9751
Federal funds 3722
Interdepartmental transfers 148,7843
Total 4,156,131 4
Sec. B.338 Corrections - correctional services 5
Personal services 177,107,9336
Operating expenses 25,571,9667
Grants 801,8238
Total 203,481,7229
Source of funds 10
General fund 198,084,76611
Special funds 935,96312
Federal funds 516,60013
Global Commitment fund 3,548,07814
Interdepartmental transfers 396,31515
Total 203,481,722 16
Sec. B.338.1 Corrections - justice reinvestment II 17
Grants 11,055,84918
Total 11,055,84919
Source of funds 20
General fund 8,478,16121 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Federal funds 13,1471
Global Commitment fund 2,564,5412
Total 11,055,849 3
Sec. B.339 Corrections - correctional services - out of state beds 4
Personal services 4,130,3785
Total 4,130,3786
Source of funds 7
General fund 4,130,3788
Total 4,130,378 9
Sec. B.340 Corrections - correctional facilities - recreation 10
Personal services 708,51011
Operating expenses 457,55512
Total 1,166,06513
Source of funds 14
Special funds 1,166,06515
Total 1,166,065 16
Sec. B.341 Corrections - Vermont offender work program 17
Personal services 243,28318
Operating expenses 160,57019
Total 403,85320
Source of funds 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Internal service funds 403,8531
Total 403,853 2
Sec. B.342 Vermont veterans’ home - care and support services 3
Personal services 24,048,8754
Operating expenses 6,913,8875
Total 30,962,7626
Source of funds 7
General fund 10,033,2148
Special funds 12,799,5309
Federal funds 8,130,01810
Total 30,962,762 11
Sec. B.343 Commission on women 12
Personal services 432,07313
Operating expenses 89,35514
Total 521,42815
Source of funds 16
General fund 516,77317
Special funds 4,65518
Total 521,428 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Sec. B.344 Retired senior volunteer program 1
Grants 164,9602
Total 164,9603
Source of funds 4
General fund 164,9605
Total 164,960 6
Sec. B.345 Green mountain care board 7
Personal services 9,849,9528
Operating expenses 416,8749
Total 10,266,82610
Source of funds 11
General fund 3,970,07412
Special funds 6,296,75213
Total 10,266,826 14
Sec. B.346 Office of the child, youth, and family advocate 15
Personal services 386,03316
Operating expenses 71,33017
Total 457,36318
Source of funds 19
General fund 457,36320
Total 457,363 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Sec. B.347 Total human services 1
Source of funds 2
General fund 1,428,007,1333
Special funds 231,430,5334
Tobacco fund 23,088,2085
State health care resources fund 31,074,7726
Federal funds 1,944,674,1277
Global Commitment fund 2,147,692,0598
Internal service funds 403,8539
Interdepartmental transfers 32,694,09010
Permanent trust funds 25,00011
Total 5,839,089,775 12
Sec. B.400 Labor - programs 13
Personal services 39,454,82414
Operating expenses 5,462,45715
Grants 5,870,49316
Total 50,787,77417
Source of funds 18
General fund 11,313,65719
Special funds 9,710,67320
Federal funds 29,640,60321 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Interdepartmental transfers 122,8411
Total 50,787,774 2
Sec. B.401 Total labor 3
Source of funds 4
General fund 11,313,6575
Special funds 9,710,6736
Federal funds 29,640,6037
Interdepartmental transfers 122,8418
Total 50,787,774 9
Sec. B.500 Education - finance and administration 10
Personal services 16,203,35611
Operating expenses 4,699,78712
Grants 17,772,84013
Total 38,675,98314
Source of funds 15
General fund 7,994,16216
Special funds 19,793,55317
Education fund 3,606,20118
Federal funds 6,217,48219
Global Commitment fund 260,00020 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Interdepartmental transfers 804,5851
Total 38,675,983 2
Sec. B.501 Education - education services 3
Personal services 18,418,9464
Operating expenses 1,185,3885
Grants 192,117,0806
Total 211,721,4147
Source of funds 8
General fund 6,894,4159
Special funds 3,266,00110
Tobacco fund 750,38811
Federal funds 199,239,14912
Interdepartmental transfers 1,571,46113
Total 211,721,414 14
Sec. B.502 Education - special education: formula grants 15
Grants 270,736,20016
Total 270,736,20017
Source of funds 18
Education fund 270,736,20019
Total 270,736,200 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Sec. B.503 Education - state-placed students 1
Grants 17,200,0002
Total 17,200,0003
Source of funds 4
Education fund 17,200,0005
Total 17,200,000 6
Sec. B.504 Education - adult education and literacy 7
Grants 4,899,0098
Total 4,899,0099
Source of funds 10
General fund 3,958,34411
Federal funds 940,66512
Total 4,899,009 13
Sec. B.504.1 Education - Flexible Pathways 14
Grants 11,481,89615
Total 11,481,89616
Source of funds 17
General fund 921,50018
Education fund 10,560,39619
Total 11,481,896 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.505 Education - adjusted education payment 1
Grants 1,990,192,2382
Total 1,990,192,2383
Source of funds 4
Education fund 1,990,192,2385
Total 1,990,192,238 6
Sec. B.506 Education - transportation 7
Grants 26,115,7928
Total 26,115,7929
Source of funds 10
Education fund 26,115,79211
Total 26,115,792 12
Sec. B.507 Education - merger support grants 13
Grants 1,800,00014
Total 1,800,00015
Source of funds 16
Education fund 1,800,00017
Total 1,800,000 18
Sec. B.507.1 Education - EL categorical aid 19
Grants 2,250,00020
Total 2,250,00021 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Source of funds 1
Education fund 2,250,0002
Total 2,250,000 3
Sec. B.508 Education - nutrition 4
Grants 18,500,0005
Total 18,500,0006
Source of funds 7
Education fund 18,500,0008
Total 18,500,000 9
Sec. B.509 Education - afterschool grant program 10
Personal services 500,00011
Grants 9,140,00012
Total 9,640,00013
Source of funds 14
Special funds 9,640,00015
Total 9,640,000 16
Sec. B.510 Education - essential early education grant 17
Grants 8,977,73718
Total 8,977,73719
Source of funds 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Education fund 8,977,7371
Total 8,977,737 2
Sec. B.511 Education - technical education 3
Grants 18,737,8504
Total 18,737,8505
Source of funds 6
Education fund 18,737,8507
Total 18,737,850 8
Sec. B.511.1 State board of education 9
Personal services 54,20810
Operating expenses 16,50011
Total 70,70812
Source of funds 13
General fund 70,70814
Total 70,708 15
Sec. B.513 Retired teachers pension plus funding 16
Grants 15,000,00017
Total 15,000,00018
Source of funds 19
General fund 15,000,00020
Total 15,000,000 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.514 State teachers’ retirement system 1
Grants 199,377,6272
Total 199,377,6273
Source of funds 4
General fund 160,566,5695
Education fund 38,811,0586
Total 199,377,627 7
Sec. B.514.1 State teachers’ retirement system administration 8
Personal services 345,3529
Operating expenses 3,572,80310
Total 3,918,15511
Source of funds 12
Pension trust funds 3,918,15513
Total 3,918,155 14
Sec. B.515 Retired teachers’ health care and medical benefits 15
Grants 71,052,58916
Total 71,052,58917
Source of funds 18
General fund 49,091,09019
Education fund 21,961,49920
Total 71,052,589 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.516 Total general education 1
Source of funds 2
General fund 244,496,7883
Special funds 32,699,5544
Tobacco fund 750,3885
Education fund 2,429,448,9716
Federal funds 206,397,2967
Global Commitment fund 260,0008
Interdepartmental transfers 2,376,0469
Pension trust funds 3,918,15510
Total 2,920,347,198 11
Sec. B.600 University of Vermont 12
Grants 57,378,10413
Total 57,378,10414
Source of funds 15
General fund 57,378,10416
Total 57,378,104 17
Sec. B.602 Vermont state colleges 18
Grants 52,468,69219
Total 52,468,69220
Source of funds 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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General fund 52,468,6921
Total 52,468,692 2
Sec. B.603 Vermont state colleges - allied health 3
Grants 1,797,0874
Total 1,797,0875
Source of funds 6
General fund 297,0877
Global Commitment fund 1,500,0008
Total 1,797,087 9
Sec. B.605 Vermont student assistance corporation 10
Grants 27,084,94611
Total 27,084,94612
Source of funds 13
General fund 27,084,94614
Total 27,084,946 15
Sec. B.605.1 VSAC - flexible pathways stipend 16
Grants 82,45017
Total 82,45018
Source of funds 19
General fund 41,22520 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Education fund 41,2251
Total 82,450 2
Sec. B.606 New England higher education compact 3
Grants 86,5204
Total 86,5205
Source of funds 6
General fund 86,5207
Total 86,520 8
Sec. B.607 University of Vermont - morgan horse farm 9
Grants 110
Total 111
Source of funds 12
General fund 113
Total 1 14
Sec. B.608 Total higher education 15
Source of funds 16
General fund 137,356,57517
Education fund 41,22518
Global Commitment fund 1,500,00019
Total 138,897,800 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.700 Natural resources - agency of natural resources - administration 1
Personal services 6,436,2572
Operating expenses 1,265,1463
Total 7,701,4034
Source of funds 5
General fund 5,344,0946
Special funds 722,8287
Interdepartmental transfers 1,634,4818
Total 7,701,403 9
Sec. B.701 Natural resources - state land local property tax assessment 10
Operating expenses 2,705,83411
Total 2,705,83412
Source of funds 13
General fund 2,284,33414
Interdepartmental transfers 421,50015
Total 2,705,834 16
Sec. B.702 Fish and wildlife - support and field services 17
Personal services 23,726,54318
Operating expenses 6,738,50419
Grants 833,63020
Total 31,298,67721 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Source of funds 1
General fund 9,382,8652
Special funds 364,6963
Fish and wildlife fund 10,097,0604
Federal funds 9,927,7545
Interdepartmental transfers 1,526,3026
Total 31,298,677 7
Sec. B.703 Forests, parks and recreation - administration 8
Personal services 1,564,2539
Operating expenses 1,796,78510
Total 3,361,03811
Source of funds 12
General fund 3,130,30813
Special funds 143,76514
Federal funds 86,96515
Total 3,361,038 16
Sec. B.704 Forests, parks and recreation - forestry 17
Personal services 11,026,47318
Operating expenses 1,122,37119
Grants 1,408,91020
Total 13,557,75421 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Source of funds 1
General fund 6,839,7532
Special funds 1,204,0053
Federal funds 4,326,8774
Interdepartmental transfers 1,187,1195
Total 13,557,754 6
Sec. B.705 Forests, parks and recreation - state parks 7
Personal services 13,707,0588
Operating expenses 4,936,4829
Grants 550,00010
Total 19,193,54011
Source of funds 12
General fund 2,061,99513
Special funds 17,131,54514
Total 19,193,540 15
Sec. B.706 Forests, parks and recreation - lands administration and recreation 16
Personal services 3,818,27017
Operating expenses 8,667,10718
Grants 6,015,01919
Total 18,500,39620
Source of funds 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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General fund 1,324,8801
Special funds 2,794,9482
Federal funds 13,755,8323
Interdepartmental transfers 624,7364
Total 18,500,396 5
Sec. B.708 Forests, parks and recreation - forest and parks access roads 6
Personal services 130,0007
Operating expenses 99,9258
Total 229,9259
Source of funds 10
General fund 229,92511
Total 229,925 12
Sec. B.709 Environmental conservation - management and support services 13
Personal services 9,655,67414
Operating expenses 5,226,87715
Grants 188,30316
Total 15,070,85417
Source of funds 18
General fund 2,462,77019
Special funds 1,452,35820
Federal funds 2,563,63621 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Interdepartmental transfers 8,592,0901
Total 15,070,854 2
Sec. B.710 Environmental conservation - air and waste management 3
Personal services 26,481,6474
Operating expenses 9,958,6845
Grants 4,343,0006
Total 40,783,3317
Source of funds 8
General fund 305,3479
Special funds 27,825,97810
Federal funds 12,531,02311
Interdepartmental transfers 120,98312
Total 40,783,331 13
Sec. B.711 Environmental conservation - office of water programs 14
Personal services 44,324,02815
Operating expenses 8,531,64816
Grants 136,489,04417
Total 189,344,72018
Source of funds 19
General fund 12,980,44320
Special funds 33,801,17621 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Federal funds 141,693,6231
Interdepartmental transfers 869,4782
Total 189,344,720 3
Sec. B.713 Natural resources board 4
Personal services 4,851,0415
Operating expenses 537,9056
Total 5,388,9467
Source of funds 8
General fund 4,019,0209
Special funds 1,369,92610
Total 5,388,946 11
Sec. B.714 Total natural resources 12
Source of funds 13
General fund 50,365,73414
Special funds 86,811,22515
Fish and wildlife fund 10,097,06016
Federal funds 184,885,71017
Interdepartmental transfers 14,976,68918
Total 347,136,418 19
Sec. B.800 Commerce and community development - agency of commerce 20
and community development - administration 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Personal services 2,515,5771
Operating expenses 872,8662
Grants 414,3203
Total 3,802,7634
Source of funds 5
General fund 3,802,7636
Total 3,802,763 7
Sec. B.801 Economic development 8
Personal services 4,266,2549
Operating expenses 1,179,68210
Grants 9,106,54411
Total 14,552,48012
Source of funds 13
General fund 5,937,19014
Special funds 3,150,35015
Federal funds 5,264,94016
Interdepartmental transfers 200,00017
Total 14,552,480 18
Sec. B.802 Housing and community development 19
Personal services 2,519,88320
Operating expenses 1,528,07021 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Grants 27,139,4311
Total 31,187,3842
Source of funds 3
General fund 7,656,5054
Special funds 10,144,3395
Federal funds 10,957,9736
Interdepartmental transfers 2,428,5677
Total 31,187,384 8
Sec. B.806 Tourism and marketing 9
Personal services 3,453,70710
Operating expenses 4,569,29011
Grants 700,00012
Total 8,722,99713
Source of funds 14
General fund 4,640,12515
Federal funds 4,007,87216
Interdepartmental transfers 75,00017
Total 8,722,997 18
Sec. B.808 Vermont council on the arts 19
Grants 1,003,06320
Total 1,003,06321 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Source of funds 1
General fund 1,003,0632
Total 1,003,063 3
Sec. B.809 Vermont symphony orchestra 4
Grants 154,1705
Total 154,1706
Source of funds 7
General fund 154,1708
Total 154,170 9
Sec. B.810 Vermont historical society 10
Grants 1,202,56411
Total 1,202,56412
Source of funds 13
General fund 1,202,56414
Total 1,202,564 15
Sec. B.811 Vermont housing and conservation board 16
Grants 109,284,30417
Total 109,284,30418
Source of funds 19
General fund 1,631,58220
Special funds 40,490,08221 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Federal funds 67,162,6401
Total 109,284,304 2
Sec. B.812 Vermont humanities council 3
Grants 318,2704
Total 318,2705
Source of funds 6
General fund 318,2707
Total 318,270 8
Sec. B.813 Total commerce and community development 9
Source of funds 10
General fund 26,346,23211
Special funds 53,784,77112
Federal funds 87,393,42513
Interdepartmental transfers 2,703,56714
Total 170,227,995 15
Sec. B.900 Transportation - finance and administration 16
Personal services 19,914,35917
Operating expenses 6,581,10418
Grants 50,00019
Total 26,545,46320
Source of funds 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Transportation fund 25,152,4731
Federal funds 1,392,9902
Total 26,545,463 3
Sec. B.901 Transportation - aviation 4
Personal services 4,770,5615
Operating expenses 8,456,9046
Grants 190,0007
Total 13,417,4658
Source of funds 9
Transportation fund 7,474,43310
Federal funds 5,943,03211
Total 13,417,465 12
Sec. B.902 Transportation - buildings 13
Personal services 1,000,00014
Operating expenses 1,500,00015
Total 2,500,00016
Source of funds 17
Transportation fund 2,200,00018
TIB fund 300,00019
Total 2,500,000 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.903 Transportation - program development 1
Personal services 83,759,8602
Operating expenses 281,446,2743
Grants 46,104,4664
Total 411,310,6005
Source of funds 6
Transportation fund 62,005,4347
TIB fund 15,103,0178
Special funds 280,0009
Federal funds 308,679,50010
Interdepartmental transfers 15,722,02711
Local match 9,520,62212
Total 411,310,600 13
Sec. B.904 Transportation - rest areas construction 14
Personal services 398,50015
Operating expenses 791,74616
Total 1,190,24617
Source of funds 18
Transportation fund 119,02519
Federal funds 1,071,22120
Total 1,190,246 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.905 Transportation - maintenance state system 1
Personal services 48,113,2082
Operating expenses 69,113,8353
Total 117,227,0434
Source of funds 5
Transportation fund 110,349,5076
Federal funds 932,0147
Interdepartmental transfers 5,945,5228
Total 117,227,043 9
Sec. B.906 Transportation - policy and planning 10
Personal services 3,411,13811
Operating expenses 1,290,44212
Grants 10,346,03513
Total 15,047,61514
Source of funds 15
Transportation fund 3,742,31416
Federal funds 11,223,30117
Interdepartmental transfers 82,00018
Total 15,047,615 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.906.1 Transportation - environmental policy and sustainability 1
Personal services 8,114,2912
Operating expenses 67,6863
Grants 1,332,0304
Total 9,514,0075
Source of funds 6
Transportation fund 389,3777
Federal funds 8,150,2268
Interdepartmental transfers 21,8609
Local match 952,54410
Total 9,514,007 11
Sec. B.907 Transportation - rail 12
Personal services 18,493,10113
Operating expenses 43,394,24714
Total 61,887,34815
Source of funds 16
Transportation fund 15,067,66917
Federal funds 31,894,43518
Interdepartmental transfers 8,228,36319
Local match 6,696,88120
Total 61,887,348 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.908 Transportation - public transit 1
Personal services 1,026,3012
Operating expenses 81,2243
Grants 51,587,7094
Total 52,695,2345
Source of funds 6
Transportation fund 10,007,5347
Federal funds 42,547,7008
Interdepartmental transfers 140,0009
Total 52,695,234 10
Sec. B.909 Transportation - central garage 11
Personal services 5,957,58712
Operating expenses 19,696,96613
Total 25,654,55314
Source of funds 15
Internal service funds 25,654,55316
Total 25,654,553 17
Sec. B.910 Department of motor vehicles 18
Personal services 36,447,93419
Operating expenses 13,070,36720
Total 49,518,30121 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Source of funds 1
Transportation fund 46,709,5242
Federal funds 2,687,0813
Interdepartmental transfers 121,6964
Total 49,518,301 5
Sec. B.911 Transportation - town highway structures 6
Grants 7,200,0007
Total 7,200,0008
Source of funds 9
Transportation fund 7,200,00010
Total 7,200,000 11
Sec. B.912 Transportation - town highway local technical assistance program 12
Personal services 449,76313
Operating expenses 31,68914
Total 481,45215
Source of funds 16
Transportation fund 121,45217
Federal funds 360,00018
Total 481,452 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.913 Transportation - town highway class 2 roadway 1
Grants 8,600,0002
Total 8,600,0003
Source of funds 4
Transportation fund 8,600,0005
Total 8,600,000 6
Sec. B.914 Transportation - town highway bridges 7
Personal services 10,034,0008
Operating expenses 27,759,4069
Total 37,793,40610
Source of funds 11
TIB fund 3,596,98312
Federal funds 31,716,31113
Local match 2,480,11214
Total 37,793,406 15
Sec. B.915 Transportation - town highway aid program 16
Grants 30,418,73617
Total 30,418,73618
Source of funds 19
Transportation fund 30,418,73620
Total 30,418,736 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. B.916 Transportation - town highway class 1 supplemental grants 1
Grants 128,7502
Total 128,7503
Source of funds 4
Transportation fund 128,7505
Total 128,750 6
Sec. B.917 Transportation - town highway: state aid for nonfederal disasters 7
Grants 1,150,0008
Total 1,150,0009
Source of funds 10
Transportation fund 1,150,00011
Total 1,150,000 12
Sec. B.918 Transportation - town highway: state aid for federal disasters 13
Grants 4,000,00014
Total 4,000,00015
Source of funds 16
Federal funds 4,000,00017
Total 4,000,000 18
Sec. B.919 Transportation - municipal mitigation assistance program 19
Personal services 100,00020
Operating expenses 325,50021 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Grants 6,467,5001
Total 6,893,0002
Source of funds 3
Transportation fund 715,0004
Special funds 4,750,0005
Federal funds 1,428,0006
Total 6,893,000 7
Sec. B.921 Transportation board 8
Personal services 181,2339
Operating expenses 22,93810
Total 204,17111
Source of funds 12
Transportation fund 204,17113
Total 204,171 14
Sec. B.922 Total transportation 15
Source of funds 16
Transportation fund 331,755,39917
TIB fund 19,000,00018
Special funds 5,030,00019
Federal funds 452,025,81120
Internal service funds 25,654,55321 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Interdepartmental transfers 30,261,4681
Local match 19,650,1592
Total 883,377,390 3
Sec. B.1000 Debt service 4
Operating expenses 675,0005
Total 675,0006
Source of funds 7
General fund 675,0008
Total 675,000 9
Sec. B.1001 Total debt service 10
Source of funds 11
General fund 675,00012
Total 675,000 13
* * * Fiscal Year 2026 One-Time Appropriations * * * 14
Sec. B.1100 MISCELLANEOUS FISCAL YEAR 2026 ONE-TIME 15
APPROPRIATIONS 16
(a) Agency of Administration Secretary’s Office. In fiscal year 2026, 17
funds are appropriated for the following: 18
(1) $1,100,000 General Fund for the Truth and Reconciliation 19
Commission. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(b) Department of Human Resources. In fiscal year 2026, funds are 1
appropriated for the following: 2
(1) $1,575,000 General Fund for the Classification Modernization 3
project. 4
(c) Department of Taxes. In fiscal year 2026, funds are appropriated for 5
the following: 6
(1) $1,000,000 PILOT Special Fund for the Municipal Grand List 7
Stabilization Program as established per Sec. E.142.2 of this act. These funds 8
shall carry forward each fiscal year until fully expended or reverted. 9
(d) Department of Public Safety. In fiscal year 2026, funds are 10
appropriated for the following: 11
(1) $600,000 General Fund for State match for federal cybersecurity 12
grant funds; 13
(2) $800,000 General Fund for the purchase of mobile and portable 14
radio equipment; and 15
(3) $475,000 General Fund for the Urban Search and Rescue Team. 16
(e) Agency of Human Services Secretary’s Office. In fiscal year 2026, 17
funds are appropriated for the following: 18
(1) $4,448,520 General Fund and $6,351,480 federal funds for the 19
Department of Vermont Health Access’s Global Commitment appropriation 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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for the Support and Services at Home program and the Primary Care Medical 1
Home, and Community Health Team services under the Blueprint for Health. 2
(f) Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. In fiscal year 2026, funds 3
are appropriated for the following: 4
(1) $275,000 General Fund for the purchase of a fire apparatus. 5
(g) Department of Health. In fiscal year 2026, funds are appropriated for 6
the following: 7
(1) $240,000 General Fund for Polychlorinated Biphenyl testing; 8
(2) $40,000 General Fund for a grant to Empty Arms Vermont; and 9
(3) $300,000 General Fund for recovery residencies certified by the 10
Vermont Alliance for Recovery Residences. 11
(h) Department for Children and Families. In fiscal year 2026, funds are 12
appropriated for the following: 13
(1) $2,000,000 General Fund for shelter capacity expansion; and 14
(2) $30,500,000 General Fund for the General Assistance Emergency 15
Housing Program. 16
(i) Department of Corrections. In fiscal year 2026, funds are appropriated 17
for the following: 18
(1) $200,000 General Fund to retain a consultant and develop an 19
implementation plan to transition the Northeast Correctional Complex or the 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Caledonia County Work Camp or parts of either or of both to a treatment-1
focused facility for incarcerated Vermonters. 2
(j) Agency of Education. In fiscal year 2026, funds are appropriated for the 3
following: 4
(1) $4,000,000 General Fund to provide additional resources during the 5
State’s education transformation upon approval of the Joint Fiscal Committee 6
subsequent to submission by the Agency of a detailed, unambiguous plan of 7
expenditures related to the transformation of the public education system. The 8
Joint Fiscal Committee shall consult with the chairs of the House and Senate 9
Committees on Education when reviewing the Agency’s plan. 10
(k) Vermont State Colleges. In fiscal year 2026, funds are appropriated for 11
the following: 12
(1) $500,000 General Fund for the Community College of Vermont 13
Tuition Advantage Program; and 14
(2) $5,000,000 General Fund for the final transformation bridge 15
financing payment. 16
(l) Department of Fish and Wildlife. In fiscal year 2026, funds are 17
appropriated for the following: 18
(1) $185,000 Fish and Wildlife Nondedicated Special Fund to sustain 19
current operations as the Department undergoes a financial restructuring. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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These funds shall carry forward each fiscal year until fully expended or 1
reverted; and 2
(2) $80,000 General Fund for the purchase of mobile and portable radio 3
equipment. 4
(m) Department of Environmental Conservation. In fiscal year 2026, funds 5
are appropriated for the following: 6
(1) $50,000 General Fund for Municipal Wastewater Connections 7
database; 8
(2) $850,000 General Fund for the Confined Animals Feeding Operation 9
database project and contractor support; 10
(3) $5,520,000 Environmental Contingency Fund For Polychlorinated 11
Biphenyl testing and remediation in schools. These funds shall carry forward 12
each fiscal year until fully expended or reverted; and 13
(4) $14,500,000 Other Infrastructure, Essential Investments, and 14
Reserves Fund for the State match to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs 15
Act Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and Clean Water State Revolving 16
Fund, in accordance with the provisions of 2023 Acts and Resolves No. 78, 17
Sec. C.108(b). 18
(n) Department of Housing and Community Development. In fiscal year 19
2026, funds are appropriated for the following: 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(1) $150,000 General Fund for one limited service position to continue 1
for an additional year; 2
(2) $7,500,000 General Fund for the Vermont Bond Bank Vermont 3
Infrastructure Sustainability Fund; 4
(3) $7,500,000 General Fund for the Vermont Housing Finance Agency 5
Rental Revolving Loan Fund; 6
(4) $10,000,000 General Fund for the Vermont Housing Finance 7
Agency Middle Income Homeownership Development Program; 8
(5) $4,150,000 General Fund for the Vermont Housing Improvement 9
Program and for one position to support the Program; 10
(6) $2,000,000 General Fund for the development of housing and related 11
infrastructure; and 12
(7) $15,000 General Fund for a Universal Design study. 13
(o) Department of Economic Development. In fiscal year 2026, funds are 14
appropriated for the following: 15
(1) $200,000 General Fund for the Vermont Professionals of Color 16
Network. 17
(p) Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. In fiscal year 2026, funds 18
are appropriated for the following: 19
(1) $5,000,000 General Fund to provide support and enhance capacity 20
for the production and preservation of affordable mixed-income rental housing 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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and homeownership units, including improvements to manufactured homes 1
and communities; permanent homes and emergency shelter for those 2
experiencing homelessness; recovery residences; and housing available to farm 3
workers, refugees, and individuals who are eligible to receive Medicaid-funded 4
home and community-based services. 5
(q) Office of the State Treasurer. In fiscal year 2026, funds are 6
appropriated for the following: 7
(1) $148,000 General Fund for the Vermont Income Tax Assistance 8
Program. 9
(r) Department of Vermont Health Access. In fiscal year 2026, funds are 10
appropriated for the following: 11
(1) $835,420 General Fund for the Payment Reform Unit; 12
(2) $3,119,310 General Fund for the OneCare primary care model 13
transition; and 14
(3) $10,800,000 Global Commitment for the Support and Services at 15
Home program and the Primary Care Medical Home, and Community Health 16
Team services under the Blueprint for Health. 17
(s) University of Vermont. In fiscal year 2026, funds are appropriated for 18
the following: 19
(1) $750,000 General Fund for the Vermont Gallium Nitride Tech Hub. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(t) Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. In fiscal year 2026, funds 1
are appropriated for the following: 2
(1) $300,000 General Fund for a grant to the Northeast Organic Farming 3
Association of Vermont for the Crop Cash Program; and 4
(2) $500,000 General Fund for a grant to Vermont Foodbank for the 5
Vermonters Feeding Vermonters Program. 6
(u) Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living. In fiscal 7
year 2026, funds are appropriated for the following: 8
(1) $235,000 General Fund for a grant to HomeShare Vermont. 9
(v) Vermont Student Assistance Corporation. In fiscal year 2026, funds are 10
appropriated for the following: 11
(1) $1,500,000 General Fund for Freedom and Unity grants. 12
(w) Military Department. In fiscal year 2026, funds are appropriated for 13
the following: 14
(1) $10,000 General Fund for the USS Vermont Support Group. 15
(x) Vermont Council on the Arts. In fiscal year 2026, funds are 16
appropriated for the following: 17
(1) $68,737 General Fund for State match for federal funds. 18
(y) Agency of Transportation. In fiscal year 2026, funds are appropriated 19
for the following: 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(1) $1,000,000 General Fund for the Mileage-Based User Fee Program; 1
and 2
(2) $1,400,000 Transportation Fund for distribution to the Agency of 3
Commerce and Community Development for programs to increase access to 4
level 1 and 2 Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment charging ports at workplaces 5
or multiunit dwellings, or both. 6
(z) Department of Labor. In fiscal year 2026, funds are appropriated for 7
the following: 8
(1) $200,000 General Fund for a grant to Advance Vermont. 9
Sec. B.1101 FISCAL YEAR 2025 CLOSEOUT 10
(a) As part of the fiscal year 2025 closeout, the Department of Finance and 11
Management shall execute the requirements of 32 V.S.A. § 308 and any 12
reserve requirements pursuant to 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 113, Sec. D.103. 13
If any balance remains after meeting these requirements, then, notwithstanding 14
32 V.S.A. § 308c, the Department of Finance and Management shall reserve 15
the remaining funds for future appropriations to address potential federal 16
funding shortfalls. 17
(b) In fiscal year 2026, while the General Assembly is not in session, the 18
Joint Fiscal Committee may make recommendations to the Emergency Board 19
on the transfer of funds reserved following the execution of the requirements 20
of 32 V.S.A. § 308 and 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 113, Sec. D.103 pursuant 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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to subsection (a) of this section. The Emergency Board is authorized to 1
unreserve and transfer funds to achieve the purposes of Joint Fiscal Committee 2
recommendations made pursuant to this subsection. 3
Sec. B.1103 CASH FUND FOR CAPITAL AND ESSENTIAL 4
INVESTMENTS; FISCAL YEAR 2026 ONE-TIME 5
APPROPRIATIONS 6
(a) In fiscal year 2026, $11,331,099 is appropriated from the Capital 7
Infrastructure subaccount in the Cash Fund for Capital and Essential 8
Investments for the following: 9
(1) Department of Buildings and General Services: 10
(A) $861,599 for statewide major maintenance; 11
(B) $250,000 for statewide planning, reuse, and contingency; 12
(C) $250,000 for statewide physical security enhancements; 13
(D) $219,500 for State House repointing; 14
(E) $250,000 for an uninterruptable power supply system for the 15
Middlesex print and postal facility; and 16
(F) $8,000,000 for the Judiciary for renovations at the Windsor 17
County Courthouse in White River Junction. 18
(2) Vermont Veterans’ Home: 19
(A) $1,500,000 for the design and construction of the American Unit. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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* * * Fiscal Year 2025 Adjustments, Appropriations, and Amendments * * * 1
Sec. C.100 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 113, Sec. B.209 is amended to read: 2
Sec. B.209 Public safety - state police 3
Personal services 74,755,468 76,655,468 4
Operating expenses 15,992,094 5
Grants 1,137,841 6
Total 91,885,403 93,785,403 7
Source of funds 8
General fund 57,891,409 59,791,409 9
Transportation fund 20,250,000 10
Special funds 3,170,328 11
Federal funds 8,967,252 12
Interdepartmental transfers 1,606,414 13
Total 91,885,403 93,785,403 14
Sec. C.101 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 113, Sec. B.702 is amended to read: 15
Sec. B.702 Fish and wildlife - support and field services 16
Personal services 22,597,844 22,887,844 17
Operating expenses 6,843,095 18
Grants 853,066 19
Total 30,294,005 30,584,005 20
Source of funds 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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General fund 8,267,967 8,557,967 1
Special funds 365,427 2
Fish and wildlife fund 10,418,331 3
Federal funds 9,751,683 4
Interdepartmental transfers 1,490,597 5
Total 30,294,005 30,584,005 6
Sec. C.102 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 113, Sec. D.101 is amended to read: 7
Sec. D.101 FUND TRANSFERS 8
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the following amounts are 9
transferred from the funds indicated: 10
* * * 11
(2) From the Transportation Fund to the: 12
* * * 13
(E) Transportation Infrastructure Bond Fund (#20191): $900,000 14
* * * 15
Sec. C.103 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 113, Sec. B.1100, as amended by the 16
fiscal year 2025 budget adjustment act, is further amended to read: 17
Sec. B.1100 MISCELLANEOUS FISCAL YEAR 2025 ONE-TIME 18
APPROPRIATIONS 19
* * * 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(v) Agency of Administration. In fiscal year 2025, funds are appropriated 1
for the following: 2
(1) $200,000 General Fund for local economic damage grants to 3
municipalities that were impacted by the August and December 2023 flooding 4
events in counties that are eligible for Federal Emergency Management 5
Agency Public Assistance funds under federal disaster declarations DR-4744-6
VT and DR-4762-VT. It is the intent of the General Assembly that these local 7
economic damage grants be distributed to municipalities throughout the State 8
to address the secondary economic impacts of the August and December 2023 9
flooding events. Monies from these grants shall not be expended on Federal 10
Emergency Management Agency related projects 11
$1,800,000 General Fund for local economic damage grants to 12
municipalities in counties that are eligible for Federal Emergency Management 13
Agency Public Assistance funds under federal disaster declarations DR-4810-14
VT and DR-4744-VT. It is the intent of the General Assembly that these local 15
economic damage grants be distributed to municipalities throughout the State 16
to address the secondary economic impacts of 2023 and 2024 flooding events. 17
Monies from these grants shall not be expended on Federal Emergency 18
Management Agency-related projects. 19
(A) The funds appropriated in this subdivision (v)(1) for local 20
economic damage grants shall be distributed as follows: 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(i) $75,000 to each municipality that as of June 1, 2025 has at least 1
$5,000,000 in estimated reported damages to public infrastructure relating to 2
2023 and 2024 flooding events. 3
(ii) $50,000 to each municipality that as of June 1, 2025 has less 4
than $5,000,000 and at least $2,000,000 in estimated reported damages to 5
public infrastructure relating to 2023 and 2024 flooding events. 6
(iii) $30,000 to each municipality that as of June 1, 2025 has less 7
than $2,000,000 and at least $1,000,000 in estimated reported damages to 8
public infrastructure relating to 2023 and 2024 flooding events. 9
(iv) $20,000 to each municipality that as of June 1, 2025 has less 10
than $1,000,000 and at least $250,000 in estimated reported damages to public 11
infrastructure relating to 2023 and 2024 flooding events. 12
(v) $10,000 to each municipality that as of June 1, 2025 has less 13
than $250,000 and at least $100,000 in estimated reported damages to public 14
infrastructure relating to 2023 and 2024 flooding events. 15
(B) To the extent that the funds appropriated in this subdivision 16
(v)(1) have not been granted on or before June 30, 2025, they shall revert to the 17
General Fund and be transferred to the Emergency Relief and Assistance Fund. 18
(C) To the extent that the funds appropriated in this subdivision 19
(v)(1) are insufficient to distribute grants to all eligible municipalities in their 20
full amount, the Commissioner of Finance and Management shall, pursuant to 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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32 V.S.A. § 511, utilize excess receipt authority to expend funds from the 1
PILOT Special Fund for this purpose. 2
(w) Office of the State Treasurer. In fiscal year 2025, funds are 3
appropriated for the following: 4
(1) $14,000,000 $4,000,000 General Fund for redeeming State of 5
Vermont general obligation bonds prior to maturity. 6
(x) Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. In fiscal year 2025, funds 7
are appropriated for the following: 8
(1) $2,800,000 General Fund to complete pilot projects identified 9
pursuant to 2022 Acts and Resolves No. 186. 10
(y) Judiciary. In fiscal year 2025, funds are appropriated for the following: 11
(1) $850,000 General Fund, of which $800,000 shall be to upgrade the 12
network wiring and security systems in county court houses and $50,000 shall 13
be to upgrade or construct bathrooms in the Essex Meeting House that are 14
compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. 15
Sec. C.104 2023 Acts and Resolves No. 78, Sec. B.1100, as amended by 2024 16
Acts and Resolves No. 87, Sec. 40, is further amended to read: 17
Sec. B.1100 MISCELLANEOUS FISCAL YEAR 2024 ONE-TIME 18
APPROPRIATIONS 19
(a) Agency of Administration. In fiscal year 2024, funds are appropriated 20
for the following: 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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* * * 1
(4) $30,000,000 General Fund to be used as Federal Emergency 2
Management Agency (FEMA) matching funds nonfederal share related to 3
disaster spending for costs incurred due to the July 2023 flooding event 4
federally declared disasters in fiscal years 2024 and 2025. 5
* * * 6
Sec. C.105 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 113, Sec. C.110 is amended to read: 7
Sec. C.110 EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM; 8
REVERSION AND REALLOCATION 9
(a) The Secretary of Administration shall revert may reimburse up to 10
$5,000,000 $14,300,000 of prior fiscal year federal funds appropriated 11
expended through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, as approved by 12
the Joint Fiscal Committee pursuant to Grant Request #3034. An amount of 13
spending authority equal to these reversions shall be provided, pursuant to 32 14
V.S.A. § 511, to existing State programs that meet the eligibility criteria 15
established by the U.S. Treasury with new General Fund appropriations 16
transferred from existing State programs that meet the eligibility criteria 17
established by the U.S. Treasury. These programs shall receive an amount of 18
funds from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program equal to the amount of 19
General Fund appropriation transferred. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. C.106 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 113, Sec. D.103, as amended by the 1
fiscal year 2025 budget adjustment act, is further amended to read: 2
Sec. D.103 RESERVES 3
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, in fiscal year 4
2025, the following reserve transactions shall be implemented for the funds 5
provided: 6
(1) General Fund. 7
* * * 8
(D) Notwithstanding 32 V.S.A. § 308c(a), up to $133,500,000 9
$136,000,000 otherwise subject to the requirements of this provision shall, 10
instead, be reserved for permanent housing, property tax relief, and any other 11
uses determined to be in the best interests of the public in the subsequent fiscal 12
year. The requirements of this subdivision (D) shall extend past July 1 of the 13
subsequent fiscal year and expire upon completion of the current fiscal year’s 14
accounting closure period. 15
* * * 16
Sec. C.107 BUSINESS EMERGENCY GAP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM; 17
VERMONT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 18
GRANT 19
(a) Of the $7,000,000 General Fund authorized by unanimous vote of 20
the Emergency Board on August 12, 2024 for the Business Emergency Gap 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Assistance Program, $2,000,000 shall be used for a grant to the Vermont 1
Economic Development Authority to establish a disaster relief fund for use by 2
businesses following a natural disaster. 3
* * * Fiscal Year 2026 Fund Transfers and Reserve Allocations * * * 4
Sec. D.100 PROPERTY TRANSFER TAX ALLOCATIONS 5
(a) This act contains the following amounts allocated to special funds that 6
receive revenue from the property transfer tax. These allocations shall not 7
exceed available revenues. 8
(1) The sum of $591,137 is allocated from the Current Use 9
Administration Special Fund to the Department of Taxes for administration of 10
the Use Tax Reimbursement Program. Notwithstanding 32 V.S.A. § 9610(c), 11
amounts in excess of $591,137 from the property transfer tax deposited into the 12
Current Use Administration Special Fund shall be transferred to the General 13
Fund. 14
(2) Notwithstanding 10 V.S.A. § 312, amounts in excess of $36,964,250 15
from the property transfer tax and the surcharge established by 32 V.SA. 16
§ 9602a deposited into the Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust Fund 17
shall be transferred to the General Fund. 18
(A) The dedication of $2,500,000 in revenue from the property 19
transfer tax pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 9610(d) for the debt payments on the 20
affordable housing bond pursuant to 10 V.S.A. § 314 shall be offset by the 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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reduction of $1,500,000 in the appropriation to the Vermont Housing and 1
Conservation Board and $1,000,000 from the surcharge established by 32 2
V.S.A. § 9602a. The fiscal year 2026 appropriation of $36,964,250 to the 3
Vermont Housing and Conservation Board reflects the $1,500,000 reduction. 4
The affordable housing bond and related property transfer tax and surcharge 5
provisions are repealed after the life of the bond on July 1, 2039. Once the 6
bond is retired, the $1,500,000 reduction in the appropriation to the Vermont 7
Housing and Conservation Board shall be restored. 8
(3) Notwithstanding 24 V.S.A. § 4306(a)(2), amounts in excess of 9
$10,000,705 from the property transfer tax deposited into the Municipal and 10
Regional Planning and Resilience Fund shall be transferred into the General 11
Fund. Notwithstanding 24 V.S.A. § 4306(a)(3), the $10,000,705 shall be 12
allocated as follows: 13
(A) $7,740,546 for disbursement to regional planning commissions in 14
a manner consistent with 24 V.S.A. § 4306(b); 15
(B) $1,260,089 for disbursement to municipalities in a manner 16
consistent with 24 V.S.A. § 4306(b); 17
(C) $1,000,070 to the Agency of Digital Services for the Vermont 18
Center for Geographic Information. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. D.101 FUND TRANSFERS 1
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the following amounts 2
shall be transferred from the funds indicated: 3
(1) From the General Fund (#10000) to the: 4
(A) General Obligation Bonds Debt Service Fund (#35100): 5
$81,155,462. 6
(B) Capital Infrastructure Fund (#21952): $7,542,469. 7
(C) Tax Computer System Modernization Fund (#21909): 8
$4,300,000. 9
(D) Fish and Wildlife Fund – Nondedicated (#20305): $185,000. 10
(E) Education Fund (#20205): $77,200,000. 11
(F) Communications and Information Technology Fund (#58100): 12
$10,000,000. 13
(G) Environmental Contingency Fund (#21275): $5,520,000. 14
(H) Domestic and Sexual Violence Fund (#21926): $450,000. 15
(2) From the Transportation Fund (#20105) to the: 16
(A) General Obligation Bonds Debt Service Fund (#35100): 17
$305,825. 18
(B) Downtown Transportation and Related Capital Improvements 19
Fund (#21575): $523,966. 20
(3) From the Education Fund (#20205) to the: 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(A) Tax Computer System Modernization Fund (#21909): 1
$1,500,000. 2
(4) From the Clean Water Fund (#21932) to the: 3
(A) Agricultural Water Quality Special Fund (#21933): $11,000,000. 4
(B) Lake in Crisis Response Program Special Fund (#21938): 5
$120,000. 6
(5) From the Other Infrastructure, Essential Investments and Reserves 7
Fund (#21953) to the: 8
(A) Transportation Fund (#20105): $12,500,000. 9
(B) Capital Infrastructure Subaccount in the Cash Fund for Capital 10
and Essential Investments Fund (#21952): $1,000,000. 11
(6) From the Agency of Human Services Central Office Earned Federal 12
Receipts (#22005) to the: 13
(A) General Fund (#10000): $4,641,960. 14
(7) From the Attorney General Fees and Reimbursement Court Order 15
Fund (#21638) to the: 16
(A) General Fund (#10000): $2,000,000. 17
(8) From the Cannabis Regulation Fund (#21998) to the: 18
(A) General Fund (#10000): 70 percent of the unencumbered and 19
unexpended balance of the fund in excess of $4,035,000 following the close of 20
fiscal year 2025. The Commissioner of Finance and Management shall report 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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the amount of this transfer to the Joint Fiscal Committee. For purposes of 1
developing the fiscal year 2026 budget, this amount is estimated to be 2
$5,900,000. 3
(B) Substance Misuse Prevention Special Fund (#21995): 30 percent 4
of the unencumbered and unexpended balance of the fund in excess of 5
$4,035,000 following the close of fiscal year 2025. The Commissioner of 6
Finance and Management shall report the amount of this transfer to the Joint 7
Fiscal Committee. For purposes of developing the fiscal year 2026 budget, 8
this amount is estimated to be $2,500,000. 9
(b) The following transfers shall be in accordance with the citations 10
provided. Transfer estimates are for purposes of developing the fiscal year 11
2026 budget and do not supersede the actual year-end transfer amounts. 12
(1) To the General Fund (#10000) from the: 13
(A) 8 V.S.A. § 80(d). Insurance Regulatory and Supervision Fund 14
(#21075): $46,204,523. 15
(B) 9 V.S.A. § 5613(c). Securities Regulatory and Supervision Fund 16
(#21085): $21,745,635. 17
(C) 27 V.S.A. § 1543. Unclaimed Property Fund (#62100): 18
$6,541,757. 19
(2) To the Captive Insurance Regulatory and Supervision Fund (#21085) 20
from the: 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(A) General Fund (#10000): $1,053,073 1
(c) Transfers from the following enterprise funds to the General Fund 2
(#10000) shall not exceed the actual fiscal year end profits earned by the 3
enterprise net of any amount necessary to absolve the fund of a deficit. The 4
following estimated transfers are for purposes of developing the fiscal year 5
2026 budget only. 6
(1) From the Sports Wagering Enterprise Fund (#50250): $7,600,000. 7
(2) From the Liquor Control Fund (#50300): $14,849,754. 8
Sec. D.102 REVERSIONS 9
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, in fiscal year 10
2025, the following amounts shall revert to the General Fund from the 11
accounts indicated: 12
1100892208 AOA-VHFA $2,000,000.00 13
1210892201 LEG-Pension Benefit Consul $8,821.25 14
1220891803 VT Tax Structure Comm $59,673.09 15
1220891901 Contract Services for Research $25,000.00 16
1220892201 JFO-AAHC Task Force Consult $7,155.00 17
1220892301 JFO-Studies and Reports $21,125.50 18
1230891301 Security $39.10 19
1230892301 SAA-Capitol Police $0.99 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. D.103 RESERVES 1
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, in fiscal year 2
2026, the following reserve transactions shall be implemented for the funds 3
provided: 4
(1) General Fund. 5
(A) The General Fund Budget Stabilization Reserve shall be adjusted 6
in accordance with 32 V.S.A. § 308. For purposes of developing this budget, 7
$1,675,385 is expected to be unreserved in fiscal year 2026. 8
(B) The General Fund Human Services Caseload Reserve shall be 9
adjusted in accordance with 32 V.S.A. § 308b. For purposes of developing 10
this budget, $2,721,375 is expected to be unreserved in fiscal year 2026. 11
(C) The General Fund 27/53 Reserve shall be adjusted in accordance 12
with 32 V.S.A. § 308e. For purposes of developing this budget, $5,700,000 is 13
expected to be reserved in fiscal year 2026. 14
(D) The amount reserved per 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 113, Sec. 15
D.103(a)(1)(D) shall be unreserved in fiscal year 2026. For purposes of 16
developing this budget, $136,000,000 is expected to be unreserved in fiscal 17
year 2026. 18
(2) Other Infrastructure, Essential Investments and Reserves Subaccount 19
in the Cash for Capital and Essential Investments Fund. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(A) $12,500,000 is unreserved for transfer to the Transportation Fund 1
for use by the Agency of Transportation in accordance with the provisions for 2
which the funds were originally reserved in 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 113, 3
Sec. B.1102(b)(17). 4
(B) $14,500,000 is unreserved for use by the Department of 5
Environmental Conservation in accordance with the provisions for which the 6
funds were originally reserved in 2023 Acts and Resolves No. 78, Sec. 7
C.108(b). 8
(3) Transportation Fund. 9
(A) For the purpose of calculating the fiscal year 2026 Transportation 10
Fund Stabilization Reserve’s requirement of five percent of prior year 11
appropriations, fiscal year 2025 Transportation Fund reversions are deducted 12
from the fiscal year 2025 total appropriations amount. 13
* * * General Government * * * 14
Sec. E.100 POSITIONS 15
(a) The establishment of permanent positions is authorized in fiscal year 16
2026 for the following: 17
(1) Permanent classified positions: 18
(A) Office of the Attorney General: 19
(i) one Pre-charge Administrator. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(b) The establishment of permanent positions to be established through 1
existing vacant positions is authorized in fiscal year 2026 for the following: 2
(1) Permanent classified positions: 3
(A) Criminal Justice Council: 4
(i) one Canine Head Trainer. 5
(2) Permanent exempt positions: 6
(A) Human Rights Commission: 7
(i) one Intake Specialist; and 8
(ii) one Staff Attorney Investigator. 9
Sec. E.100.1 COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS; REPORT 10
(a) The Secretary of Administration shall conduct a comprehensive 11
analysis of the current funding structure for Vermont community-based 12
organizations. 13
(1) Community-based organizations as defined in this section may 14
include area agencies on aging, community action agencies, designated 15
agencies, and parent child centers. 16
(b) The Secretary of Administration shall submit a report to the General 17
Assembly on or before January 15, 2026 on the current funding structure of 18
community-based organizations. The report shall include: 19
(1) an evaluation of the current funding structure; and 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(2) an evaluation of the extent to which business or support service 1
consolidation would impact expenditures. 2
Sec. E 100.2 SECRETARY OF ADMINISTRATION; REPORT ON 3
STATUS OF FEDERAL FUNDS 4
(a) The Secretary of Administration shall report to the Joint Fiscal 5
Committee at its July, September, and November 2025 meetings, and at other 6
meetings as requested, on any reductions to federal revenues to the State and 7
the status of any appropriations impacted by such reductions. 8
Sec. E.100.3 AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT ; CORONAVIRUS STATE 9
FISCAL RECOVERY FUND APPROPRIATIONS; 10
REPORTING 11
(a) In fiscal year 2026, the Secretary of Administration shall report to the 12
Joint Fiscal Committee on a quarterly basis, and upon the request of the 13
Committee, on the status of appropriations made from the American Rescue 14
Plan Act – Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund. 15
(1) Reports shall include information on: 16
(A) the original amounts appropriated; 17
(B) outstanding obligations against appropriations; and 18
(C) any remaining spending authority. 19
(b) In fiscal year 2026, the Secretary of Administration shall report to the 20
Joint Fiscal Committee on a quarterly basis, and upon the request of the 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Committee, on the status of any new spending authority established pursuant to 1
2023 Acts and Resolves No. 113, Sec. E.106. 2
(1) Reports shall include information on: 3
(A) the original amounts appropriated; 4
(B) outstanding obligations against appropriations; and 5
(C) any remaining spending authority. 6
(c) Any spending authority established pursuant to 2024 Acts and Resolves 7
No. 113, Sec. E.106(a) and (c) that remains unexpended and unencumbered on 8
July 1, 2027 shall revert to the General Fund Balance Reserve. 9
(d) The Secretary of Administration shall report to the Joint Fiscal 10
Committee at its July 2027 meeting on the amount reverted to the General 11
Fund pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. 12
Sec. E.105 AGENCY OF DIGITAL SERVICES; COMMUNICATIONS 13
AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND TRANSFER 14
(a) In fiscal year 2026, the Agency of Digital Services shall utilize the 15
funds transferred from the General Fund to the Communications and 16
Information Technology Fund in Sec. D.101(a)(1)(F) of this act to cover the 17
costs of transitioning billable services from a service level agreement model to 18
a core enterprise services model. To the extent to which these funds are 19
insufficient to complete this transition the Agency shall, as part of its fiscal 20
year 2026 budget adjustment presentation, request an additional appropriation 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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or transfer of funds and shall not bill other agencies or departments to cover 1
the costs of the transition. 2
Sec. E.111 32 V.S.A. § 5824 is amended to read: 3
§ 5824. ADOPTION OF FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS 4
The statutes of the United States relating to the federal income tax, as in 5
effect on December 31, 2023 2024, but without regard to federal income tax 6
rates under 26 U.S.C. § 1, are hereby adopted for the purpose of computing the 7
tax liability under this chapter and shall continue in effect as adopted until 8
amended, repealed, or replaced by act of the General Assembly. 9
Sec. E.111.1 32 V.S.A. § 7402 is amended to read: 10
§ 7402. DEFINITIONS 11
As used in this chapter unless the context requires otherwise: 12
* * * 13
(8) “Laws of the United States” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code 14
of 1986, as amended through December 31, 2023 2024. As used in this 15
chapter, “Internal Revenue Code” has the same meaning as “laws of the United 16
States” as defined in this subdivision. The date through which amendments to 17
the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986 are adopted under this subdivision 18
shall continue in effect until amended, repealed, or replaced by act of the 19
General Assembly. 20
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Sec. E.111.2 32 V.S.A. § 5861(c) is amended to read: 1
(c) Spouses or a surviving spouse may shall file a joint Vermont personal 2
income tax return for any taxable year for which the spouses file or the 3
surviving spouse are permitted to file files a joint federal income tax return 4
under the laws of the United States, unless the Commissioner allows a different 5
filing status. 6
Sec. E.127 32 V.S.A. § 704 is amended to read: 7
§ 704. INTERIM BUDGET AND APPROPRIATION ADJUSTMENTS 8
(a) The General Assembly recognizes that acts of appropriations and their 9
sources of funding reflect the priorities for expenditures of public funds 10
enacted by the General Assembly and that major reductions or transfers, when 11
required by reduced State revenues or other reasons, ought to be made 12
whenever possible by an act of the General Assembly reflecting its revisions of 13
those priorities. Nevertheless, the General Assembly also recognizes that 14
when it is not in session, it may be necessary to reduce authorized 15
appropriations and their sources of funding, and funds may need to be 16
transferred, to maintain a balanced State budget. Under these limited 17
circumstances, it is the intent of the General Assembly that appropriations may 18
be reduced and funds transferred when the General Assembly is not in session 19
pursuant to the provisions of this section. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(b)(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (f) of this section, in 1
each instance that the official State revenue estimate for the General Fund, the 2
Transportation Fund, or federal funds has been reduced by one percent or more 3
from the estimates determined and assumed for purposes of the current fiscal 4
year’s appropriations, the Secretary of Administration shall prepare an 5
expenditure reduction plan for consideration and approval by the Joint Fiscal 6
Committee pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, provided that any total 7
reductions in appropriations and transfers of funds are not greater than the 8
reductions in the official State revenue estimate. 9
(2) In each instance that the official State revenue estimate for the 10
General Fund, the Transportation Fund, or federal funds has been reduced by 11
less than one percent from the estimates determined and assumed for purposes 12
of the current fiscal year’s appropriations, the Secretary of Administration may 13
prepare and implement an expenditure reduction plan without the approval of 14
the Joint Fiscal Committee, provided that any total reductions in appropriations 15
and transfers of funds are not greater than the reductions in the official State 16
revenue estimate. The Secretary may implement an expenditure reduction plan 17
under this subdivision if plan reductions to the total amount appropriated in 18
any section or subsection do not exceed five percent, the plan is designed to 19
minimize any negative effects on the delivery of services to the public, and the 20
plan does not have any unduly disproportionate effect on any single function, 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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program, service, benefit, or county. Plans not requiring the approval of the 1
Joint Fiscal Committee shall be filed with the Joint Fiscal Office prior to 2
implementation. If the Secretary’s plan consists of reductions greater than five 3
percent to the total amount appropriated in any section or subsection, such plan 4
shall only be implemented in the manner provided for in subdivision (1) of this 5
subsection. 6
(3) In each instance that a reduction of federal funds results in a one 7
percent or more reduction in the total federal funds anticipated in the most 8
recent fiscal year appropriations act: 9
(A) the Secretary of Administration shall prepare an expenditure 10
reduction and transfer plan for consideration and approval by the Joint Fiscal 11
Committee pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, provided that any total 12
reductions in appropriations and transfers of funds are not greater than the 13
reductions in federal funds; and 14
(B) to maintain a balanced State budget, minimize the impact to 15
Vermonters and to abide by the legislative intent set forth by the General 16
Assembly in the most recent appropriations act, the Joint Fiscal Committee 17
may make a recommendation to the Emergency Board to: 18
(i) pursuant to subdivision 308c(b)(3) of this title, utilize the 19
General Fund Balance Reserve to support impacted programs at not more than 20
the current fiscal year funding level until the General Assembly is in session; 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(ii) revert any unexpended and unobligated funds or abolish any 1
spending authority, or both; and 2
(iii) make such reductions or transfers in appropriations necessary 3
to support the priorities of the General Assembly, and the recommended 4
reduction is limited to not more than 10 percent of any fund or 10 percent of 5
any appropriation. 6
(4) In each instance that a reduction of federal funds results in a five 7
percent or more reduction in the total funds available to support an 8
appropriation, the Secretary of Administration shall notify the Joint Fiscal 9
Committee. 10
* * * 11
Sec. E.127.1 32 V.S.A. § 133 is amended to read: 12
§ 133. DUTIES 13
(a) The Board shall have authority to make expenditures necessitated by 14
unforeseen emergencies and may draw on the State’s General Fund and 15
General Fund Balance Reserve for that purpose. 16
(b) Pursuant to section 706 of this title, the Board shall also have authority 17
to transfer appropriations made to other agencies and to use the transferred 18
amounts to make expenditures necessitated by unforeseen emergencies. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(c) In a fiscal year, the sum of the Board’s expenditures under subsections 1
(a) and (b) of this section shall not exceed two percent of the total General 2
Fund appropriation for the year of the expenditures. 3
Sec. E.127.2 32 V.S.A. § 308c is amended to read: 4
§ 308c. GENERAL FUND AND TRANSPORTATION FUND BALANCE 5
RESERVES 6
(a) There is hereby created within the General Fund a General Fund 7
Balance Reserve, also known as the “Rainy Day Reserve.” After satisfying the 8
requirements of section 308 of this title, and after other reserve requirements 9
have been met, any remaining unreserved and undesignated end of fiscal year 10
General Fund surplus shall be reserved in the General Fund Balance Reserve. 11
The General Fund Balance Reserve shall not exceed five 10 percent of the 12
appropriations from the General Fund for the prior fiscal year without 13
legislative authorization. 14
(1), (2) [Repealed.] 15
(3) Of the funds that would otherwise be reserved in the General Fund 16
Balance Reserve under this subsection, the following amounts shall be 17
reserved as necessary and transferred from the General Fund as follows: 18
(A) 25 percent to the Vermont State Retirement Fund established by 19
3 V.S.A. § 473; and 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(B) 25 percent to the Postretirement Adjustment Allowance Account 1
established in 16 V.S.A. § 1949a. 2
(b)(1) The General Assembly may specifically unreserve and appropriate 3
the use of up to 50 percent of the amounts added in the prior fiscal year from or 4
transfer an amount not to exceed 10 percent of the General Fund Balance 5
Reserve to fund unforeseen or emergency needs. It is the intent of the General 6
Assembly that any General Fund Balance Reserve funds utilized in accordance 7
with this section be replenished. 8
(2) If the official State revenue estimates of the Emergency Board for 9
the General Fund, determined under section 305a of this title, have been 10
reduced by two percent or more from the estimates determined and assumed 11
for purposes of the general appropriations act or budget adjustment act, funds 12
in the General Fund Balance Reserve may be unreserved and appropriated or 13
transferred to compensate for a reduction of revenues. 14
(3) The Emergency Board, in response to a declared emergency 15
pursuant to 20 V.S.A. § 9 occurring while the General Assembly is not in 16
session, or a reduction in State revenue estimates or federal funding pursuant to 17
subsection 704(b) of this title occurring while the General Assembly is not in 18
session, may unreserve and make available an amount not to exceed 10 percent 19
of the General Fund Balance Reserve to replenish the spending authority 20
impacted by the declared emergency or reduction in funding in order to 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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maintain a balanced State budget, minimize the impact to Vermonters, and to 1
abide by the legislative intent set forth by the General Assembly in the most 2
recent fiscal year appropriations act. In no event shall the amount provided to 3
any agency or department under this subsection exceed the original amount 4
appropriated by the General Assembly. 5
(c) There is hereby created within the Transportation Fund a Transportation 6
Fund Balance Reserve. After satisfying the requirements of section 308a of 7
this title, and after other reserve requirements have been met, any remaining 8
unreserved and undesignated end of fiscal year Transportation Fund surplus 9
shall be reserved in the Transportation Fund Balance Reserve. Monies from 10
this Reserve shall be available for appropriation by the General Assembly. 11
(d) Determination of the amounts of the General Fund and Transportation 12
Fund Balance Reserves shall be made by the Commissioner of Finance and 13
Management and reported, along with the amounts appropriated pursuant to 14
subsection (a) of this section, to the legislative Joint Fiscal Committee at its 15
first meeting following September 1 of each year. 16
Sec. E.131 3 V.S.A. chapter 18 is amended to read: 17
CHAPTER 18. VT VERMONT SAVES 18
§ 531. DEFINITIONS 19
As used in this chapter: 20
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(3) “Covered employer” means a person, entity, or subsidiary engaged 1
in a business, industry, profession, trade, or other enterprise in the State, 2
whether for profit or not for profit, that has does not offered currently offer to 3
an employee, or is within a control group that maintains or contributes to, 4
effective in form or operation at any time within the current calendar year or 5
two preceding calendar years, a specified tax-favored retirement plan. If an 6
employer does not maintain a specified tax-favored retirement plan for a 7
portion of a calendar year ending on or after the effective date of this chapter 8
but does adopt such a plan for the remainder of that calendar year, the 9
employer is not a covered employer for the remainder of the year. A covered 10
employer does not include: 11
(A) the federal government, the State or any other state, any county 12
or municipal corporation, or any of the State’s or any other state’s units or 13
instrumentalities; 14
(B) any employer that has not only been in business during both the 15
current calendar year and the preceding calendar year. 16
(4) “ERISA” means the federal Employee Retirement Income Security 17
Act of 1974, as amended, 29 U.S.C § 1001 et seq. 18
(5) “Internal Revenue Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 19
1986, as amended. 20
(6) “IRA” means a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(7) “Participant” means an individual who has an IRA under the 1
Program. 2
(8) “Payroll deduction IRA or payroll deduction IRA arrangement” 3
means an arrangement by which an employer allows employees to contribute 4
to an IRA by means of payroll deduction. 5
(9) “Program” means the VT Vermont Saves Program established in 6
accordance with this chapter. 7
* * * 8
§ 532. VT VERMONT SAVES PROGRAM; ESTABLISHMENT 9
(a) Establishment; purpose. There is established the VT Vermont Saves 10
Program (Program), administered by the Office of the State Treasurer, for the 11
purpose of increasing financial security for Vermonters by providing access to 12
an IRA for Vermont employees of companies that do not currently offer a 13
retirement savings program. The Program shall be designed to facilitate 14
portability of benefits through withdrawals, rollovers, and direct transfers from 15
an IRA and achieve economies of scale and other efficiencies to minimize 16
costs. The Program shall: 17
* * * 18
(b) Type of IRA. The type of IRA to which contributions are made 19
pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be a Roth IRA; provided, 20
however, the Treasurer is authorized to add an option for all participants to: 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(1) affirmatively elect to contribute to a traditional IRA instead of a 1
Roth IRA; or 2
(2) open both a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA. 3
(c) Contributions. 4
(1) Unless otherwise specified by the covered employee, a covered 5
employee shall automatically initially contribute five percent of the covered 6
employee’s salary or wages to the Program. A covered employee may elect to 7
opt out of the Program at any time or contribute at any higher or lower rate, 8
expressed as a percentage of salary or wages, or, as permitted by the Treasurer, 9
expressed as a flat dollar amount, subject in all cases to the IRA contribution 10
and eligibility limits applicable under the Internal Revenue Code at no 11
additional charge. 12
(2) The Treasurer shall provide for, on a uniform basis, an annual 13
increase of each active participant’s contribution rate, by not less than one 14
percent, but not more than eight 10 percent, of salary or wages each year. Any 15
such increases shall apply to active participants, including participants by 16
default with an option to opt out or participants who are initiated by affirmative 17
participant election, provided that any increase is subject to the IRA 18
contribution and eligibility limits applicable under the Internal Revenue Code. 19
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Sec. E.131.1 29 V.S.A. chapter 61 is amended to read: 1
CHAPTER 61. MUNICIPAL EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLE LOAN FUND 2
§ 1601. MUNICIPAL EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLE LOAN FUND 3
(a) There is hereby created the Municipal Equipment and Vehicle Loan 4
Fund for the purpose of providing loans on favorable terms to municipalities 5
for the purchase of construction, fire, emergency, or heavy equipment or 6
motorized highway building and maintenance equipment, heavy equipment, 7
and authorized emergency vehicles as set forth in 23 V.S.A. § 4. 8
(b) The Municipal Equipment and Vehicle Loan Fund shall be 9
administered by a committee composed of the State Treasurer and the State 10
Traffic Committee established by 19 V.S.A. § 1(24), pursuant to policies and 11
procedures approved by the Traffic this Committee established by 19 V.S.A. § 12
1(24) with administrative support from the Office of the State Treasurer. The 13
Committee shall establish criteria for distribution of available loan funds 14
among municipalities considering at least financial need, equitable geographic 15
distribution, and ability to repay. The Fund shall be a revolving fund and all 16
principal and interest earned on loans and the fund balance remaining in the 17
Fund at the end of any fiscal year shall not revert but be carried over in the 18
Fund for use in the succeeding fiscal year. The Committee shall meet upon 19
request of the Treasurer to consider applications. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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§ 1602. APPLICATION; LOANS; CONDITIONS 1
(a) Application forms shall be furnished by the Committee on request. 2
Upon Committee approval of an application of a municipality or two or more 3
municipalities applying jointly for purchases as set forth in subsection 1601(a) 4
of this title, the State Treasurer may loan money from the Fund to that 5
municipality or municipalities for the purchase of equipment. Purchases of 6
equipment eligible for loans the applicant(s). Loans from the Fund shall be 7
used on equipment and vehicles with have a useful life of at least five years 8
and a purchase price of at least $20,000.00 but shall not be eligible for loans in 9
excess of $150,000.00 from this Fund. 10
(b) The State Treasurer is authorized to establish terms and conditions, 11
including repayment schedules of up to five years for loans from the Fund to 12
ensure repayment of loans to the Fund. The amount of any loan shall be not 13
more than 75 percent of the purchase price or $150,000, whichever is lower. 14
Before a municipality may receive a loan from the Fund, it shall give to the 15
State Treasurer security for the repayment of the funds. The security shall be 16
in such form and amount as the Treasurer may determine and may include a 17
lien on the equipment or emergency vehicle financed by the loan. 18
(c) The rates of interest shall be as established by this section to assist 19
municipalities in purchasing equipment upon terms more favorable than in the 20
commercial market. Such rates shall be not more than two percent per annum 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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for a loan to a single municipality, and loans shall bear no interest charge if 1
made to two or more municipalities purchasing equipment jointly. 2
(d) In any fiscal year, new loans from the Municipal Equipment Loan Fund 3
shall not exceed an aggregate of $1,500,000.00. The Treasurer shall put forth 4
recommendations to the General Assembly on maximum loan amount every 5
five years, commencing January 15, 2028, based on requests received and 6
loans granted pursuant to this chapter. 7
(e) When a municipality suffers the destruction of more than one piece of 8
equipment or a vehicle at or near the same time or suffers some unanticipated 9
hardship relating to the equipment or vehicle and the Committee finds that 10
replacement would place an undue financial hardship on the municipality, the 11
Committee may waive one or both of the loan limiting factors in subsection (b) 12
of this section: 13
(1) the $ 150,000.00 annual limitation on each municipality; or 14
(2) the 75 percent of the purchase price limitation. 15
(f) The State Treasurer shall put forth recommendations to the General 16
Assembly on the maximum individual loan amount from the Fund every five 17
years, commencing January 15, 2028, based on requests received and loans 18
granted pursuant to this chapter in the five preceding years. 19
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Sec. E.131.2 32 V.S.A. § 1001 is amended to read: 1
§ 1001. CAPITAL DEBT AFFORDABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE 2
(a) Committee established. A Capital Debt Affordability Advisory 3
Committee is hereby created with the duties and composition provided by this 4
section. 5
(b) Committee duties. 6
(1) The Committee shall review annually biennially the size and 7
affordability of the net State tax-supported indebtedness and submit to the 8
Governor and to the General Assembly an estimate of the maximum amount of 9
new long-term net State tax-supported debt that prudently may be authorized 10
for the next two fiscal year years. The estimate of the Committee shall be 11
advisory and in no way bind the Governor or the General Assembly. 12
(A) The Governor or Emergency Board may request an off-cycle 13
report from the Committee. 14
(B) For years in which the Committee does not provide its biennial 15
report, an interim report shall be provided. 16
(2) The Committee shall conduct ongoing reviews of the amount and 17
condition of bonds, notes, and other obligations of instrumentalities of the 18
State for which the State has a contingent or limited liability or for which the 19
General Assembly is permitted to replenish reserve funds, and, when deemed 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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appropriate, recommend limits on the occurrence of such additional obligations 1
to the Governor and to the General Assembly. 2
(3) The Committee shall conduct ongoing reviews of the amount and 3
condition of the Transportation Infrastructure Bond Fund established in 19 4
V.S.A. § 11f and of bonds and notes issued against the Fund for which the 5
State has a contingent or limited liability. 6
(c) Committee estimate of a prudent amount of net State tax-supported 7
debt; affordability considerations. On or before September 30 of each year in 8
alternating years, the Committee shall submit to the Governor and the General 9
Assembly the Committee’s estimate of net State tax-supported debt that 10
prudently may be authorized for the next two fiscal year years, together with a 11
report explaining the basis for the estimate. The Committee’s estimate shall 12
not take into consideration the balance remaining at the end of each fiscal year 13
in the subaccounts of the Cash Fund for Capital and Essential Investments, 14
established pursuant to section 1001b of this title. The provisions of 2 V.S.A. 15
§ 20(d) (expiration of required reports) shall not apply to the report to be made 16
under this subsection. In developing its annual biennial estimate, and in 17
preparing its annual biennial report, the Committee shall consider: 18
(1) The amount of net State tax-supported indebtedness that during the 19
next fiscal year and annually for the following nine fiscal years: 20
(A) will be outstanding; and 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(B) has been authorized but not yet issued. 1
(2) A projected schedule of affordable net State tax-supported bond 2
authorizations for the next fiscal year and annually for the following nine fiscal 3
years. The assessment of the affordability of the projected authorizations shall 4
be based on all of the remaining considerations specified in this section. 5
(3) Projected debt service requirements during the next fiscal year, and 6
annually for the following nine fiscal years, based upon: 7
(A) existing outstanding debt; 8
(B) previously authorized but unissued debt; and 9
(C) projected bond authorizations. 10
(4) The criteria that recognized bond rating agencies use to judge the 11
quality of issues of State bonds, including: 12
(A) existing and projected total debt service on net tax-supported 13
debt as a percentage of combined General and Transportation Fund revenues, 14
excluding surpluses in these revenues that may occur in an individual fiscal 15
year; and 16
(B) existing and projected total net tax-supported debt outstanding as 17
a percentage of total State personal income; 18
(C) existing and projected pension and other postemployment benefit 19
liability metrics; and 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(D) other metrics at the Committee’s discretion, including long-term 1
liabilities not covered not covered in subdivisions (A)–(C) of this subdivision 2
(4). 3
(5) The principal amounts currently outstanding, and balances for the 4
next fiscal year, and annually for the following nine fiscal years, of existing: 5
(A) obligations of instrumentalities of the State for which the State 6
has a contingent or limited liability; 7
(B) any other long-term debt of instrumentalities of the State not 8
secured by the full faith and credit of the State, or for which the General 9
Assembly is permitted to replenish reserve funds; and 10
(C) to the maximum extent obtainable, all long-term debt of 11
municipal governments in Vermont that is secured by general tax or user fee 12
revenues. 13
(6) The impact of capital spending upon the economic conditions and 14
outlook for the State. 15
(7) The cost-benefit of various levels of debt financing, types of debt, 16
and maturity schedules. 17
(8) Any projections of capital needs authorized or prepared by the 18
Agency of Transportation, the Joint Fiscal Office, or other agencies or 19
departments. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(9) The capital asset depreciation ratio reflecting unfunded capital 1
maintenance costs. 2
(10) Any other factor that is relevant to: 3
(A) the ability of the State to meet its projected debt service 4
requirements for the next five fiscal years; or 5
(B) the interest rate to be borne by the credit rating on, or other 6
factors affecting the marketability of State bonds. 7
(10)(11) The effect of authorizations of new State debt on each of the 8
considerations of this section. 9
* * * 10
Sec. E.133 VERMONT STATE EMPLOYEES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM 11
AND VERMONT PENSION INVESTMENT COMMISSION; 12
OPERATING BUDGET, SOURCE OF FUNDS 13
(a) Of the $3,390,593 appropriated in Sec. B.133 of this act, $2,247,471 14
constitutes the Vermont State Employees’ Retirement System operating 15
budget, and $1,143,122 constitutes the portion of the Vermont Pension 16
Investment Commission’s budget attributable to the Vermont State 17
Employees’ Retirement System. 18
Sec. E.134 VERMONT MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES ’ RETIREMENT 19
SYSTEM AND VERMON T PENSION INVESTMENT 20
COMMISSION; OPERATING BUDGET; SOURCE OF FUNDS 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(a) Of the $1,941,020 appropriated in Sec. B.134 of this act, $1,494,924 1
constitutes the Vermont Municipal Employees’ Retirement System operating 2
budget, and $446,096 constitutes the portion of the Vermont Pension 3
Investment Commission’s budget attributable to the Vermont Municipal 4
Employees’ Retirement System. 5
Sec. E. 134.1 3 V.S.A. § 523 is amended to read: 6
§ 523. VERMONT PENSION INVESTMENT COMMISSION; DUTIES 7
* * * 8
(i) Professional staff and salaries. 9
(1) The Commission shall have the assistance of a professional staff to 10
implement its policy and oversee daily operations. The Commission is 11
authorized to retain independent advisors as it deems necessary to carry out its 12
responsibilities. 13
(2) Staff shall be full-time State employees and shall be exempt from the 14
State classified system. The Commission is authorized to periodically hire 15
independent compensation consultants to set staff compensation at a level 16
sufficient to attract and retain a qualified investment team and to meet the 17
Commissioner’s fiduciary duties. 18
Sec. E.134.2 VERMONT PENSION INVESTMENT COMMISSION; 19
COMPENSATION REPORT 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(a) The Vermont Pension Investment Commission shall hire an 1
independent compensation consultant to complete a compensation report, 2
which shall include the following: 3
(1) in coordination with the Commission, a compensation philosophy 4
for Commission staff; and 5
(2) a compensation structure for Commission staff that sets initial 6
compensation levels and is benchmarked against other public pension funds. 7
(b) On or before November 15, 2025, the Commission shall submit a copy 8
of the report described in subsection (a) of this section and a proposed budget 9
to the Joint Public Pension Oversight Committee and the House and Senate 10
Committees on Appropriations. 11
Sec. E.139 GRAND LIST LITIGATION ASSISTANCE 12
(a) Of the appropriation in Sec. B.139 of this act, $9,000 shall be 13
transferred to the Attorney General and $70,000 shall be transferred to the 14
Department of Taxes’ Division of Property Valuation and Review and used 15
with any remaining funds from the amount previously transferred for final 16
payment of expenses incurred by the Department or towns in defense of grand 17
list appeals regarding the reappraisals of the hydroelectric plants and other 18
expenses incurred to undertake utility property appraisals in Vermont. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. E.142 PAYMENTS IN LIEU OF TAXES 1
(a) This appropriation is for State payments in lieu of property taxes under 2
32 V.S.A. chapter 123, subchapter 4, and the payments shall be calculated in 3
addition to and without regard to the appropriations for correctional facilities 4
elsewhere in this act. Payments in lieu of taxes under this section shall be paid 5
from the PILOT Special Fund under 32 V.S.A. § 3709. 6
Sec. E.142.1 32 V.S.A. § 3709 is amended to read: 7
§ 3709. PILOT SPECIAL FUND 8
(a) There is hereby established a PILOT Special Fund consisting of local 9
option tax revenues paid to the Treasurer pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 138. This 10
Fund shall be managed by the Commissioner of Taxes pursuant to chapter 7, 11
subchapter 5 of this title. Notwithstanding subdivision 588(3) of this title, all 12
interest earned on the Fund shall be retained in the Fund for use in meeting 13
future obligations. The Fund shall be exclusively for payments required under 14
chapter 123, subchapter subchapters 4 and 4C of this title, and for any 15
additional State payments in lieu of taxes for correctional facilities and to the 16
City of Montpelier. The Commissioner of Finance and Management may draw 17
warrants for disbursements from this Fund in anticipation of receipts. 18
* * * 19
Sec. E.142.2 32 V.S.A. chapter 123, subchapter 4C is added to read: 20
Subchapter 4C. Municipal Grand List Stabilization Program 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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§ 3710. MUNICIPAL GRAND LIST STABILIZATION PROGRAM 1
(a) There is established the Municipal Grand List Stabilization Program 2
within the Department of Taxes to reimburse municipalities for municipal 3
property taxes assessed under chapter 133 of this title for flood-prone 4
properties acquired by a municipality pursuant to 20 V.S.A. § 51 or a prior 5
voluntary buyout program operated by the Division of Emergency 6
Management. 7
(b) On or before September 1 of each year, the Commissioner of Public 8
Safety shall certify to the Commissioner of Taxes the properties eligible for the 9
Municipal Grand List Stabilization Program and shall submit any other 10
information required by the Commissioner of Taxes. To be eligible for the 11
Program under this subchapter, a municipality must have acquired an eligible 12
property on or after July 1, 2023 and preserved the property as open space with 13
a deed restriction or covenant prohibiting development of the property. The 14
Commissioner of Public Safety shall first certify properties to the 15
Commissioner of Taxes pursuant to this subsection on or before September 1, 16
2025. 17
(c) Upon notification by the Commissioner of Public Safety, the 18
Commissioner of Taxes shall certify the payment amounts and make an annual 19
payment to each municipality for each eligible property to compensate for the 20
loss of municipal property tax. The payment shall be calculated using the 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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grand list value of the acquired property for the year during which the property 1
was either damaged by flooding or identified as flood-prone by the 2
Commissioner of Public Safety, multiplied by the municipal tax rate, including 3
any submunicipal tax rates, in effect each year. This payment shall be made on 4
or before January 1 of each year for five years. 5
(d) A property shall not be eligible for reimbursement payments for more 6
than 10 years. The Commissioner shall make an annual payment for the full 7
amount calculated under subsection (c) of this section for five years. After a 8
municipality has received payments for an eligible property for five 9
consecutive years, the Commissioner shall make an annual payment to the 10
municipality for any subsequent year of eligibility in an amount equal to one-11
half of the amount calculated under subsection (c) of this section. 12
(e) Payment under this section shall be calculated and issued from the 13
PILOT Special Fund under section 3709 of this title only after all other grants 14
under subchapter 4 of this chapter are calculated and issued. If the PILOT 15
Special Fund balance is insufficient to pay the full amount of all payments 16
authorized under this subchapter, then payments calculated under this section 17
and due to each municipality for each property shall be reduced 18
proportionately. 19
Sec. E.142.3 20 V.S.A. § 51 is added to read: 20
§ 51. FLOOD-PRONE PROPERTIES; ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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The Division of Emergency Management and the Agency of Commerce and 1
Community Development shall establish and maintain the Voluntary Buyout 2
Program for flood-prone properties. The Program shall allow a municipality, 3
at the request of the owner of a flood-prone property, to apply for funding to 4
cover the purchase price of the property. The purchase price shall be the full 5
fair market value of the flood-prone property. The municipality shall maintain 6
the acquired property as open space with a deed restriction or covenant 7
prohibiting development of the property. 8
Sec. E.144 PAYMENTS IN LIEU OF TAXES; CORRECTIONAL 9
FACILITIES 10
(a) Payments in lieu of taxes under this section shall be paid from the 11
PILOT Special Fund under 32 V.S.A. § 3709. 12
Sec. E.200 ATTORNEY GENERAL 13
(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, the Office of the Attorney 14
General, Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit, is authorized to retain, 15
subject to appropriation, one-half of the State share of any recoveries from 16
Medicaid fraud settlements, excluding interest, that exceed the State share of 17
restitution to the Medicaid Program. All such designated additional recoveries 18
retained shall be used to finance Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit 19
activities. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(b) Of the revenue available to the Attorney General under 9 V.S.A. 1
§ 2458(b)(4), $1,802,200 is appropriated in Sec. B.200 of this act. 2
Sec. E.208 PUBLIC SAFETY; ADMINISTRATION 3
(a) The Commissioner of Public Safety is authorized to enter into a 4
performance-based contract with the Essex County Sheriff’s Department to 5
provide law enforcement service activities agreed upon by both the 6
Commissioner of Public Safety and the Sheriff. 7
Sec. E.209 PUBLIC SAFETY; STATE POLICE 8
(a) Of the General Fund appropriation in Sec. B.209, $35,000 shall be 9
available to the Southern Vermont Wilderness Search and Rescue Team, which 10
is composed of the State Police, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, county 11
sheriffs, and local law enforcement personnel in Bennington, Windham, and 12
Windsor Counties, for snowmobile enforcement. 13
(b) Of the General Fund appropriation in Sec. B.209 of this act, $405,000 is 14
allocated for grants in support of the Drug Task Force. Of this amount, 15
$190,000 shall be used by the Vermont Drug Task Force to fund three town 16
task force officers. These town task force officers shall be dedicated to 17
enforcement efforts with respect to both regulated drugs as defined in 18 18
V.S.A. § 4201(29) and the diversion of legal prescription drugs. Any 19
unobligated funds may be allocated by the Commissioner to fund the work of 20
the Drug Task Force or be carried forward. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(c) Of the General Fund appropriation in Sec. B.209 of this act, $2,100,000 1
is allocated exclusively for the purchase, outfitting, assignment, and disposal of 2
State Police vehicles. 3
Sec. E.212 PUBLIC SAFETY; FIRE SAFETY 4
(a) Of the General Fund appropriation in Sec. B.212 of this act, $55,000 5
shall be granted to the Vermont Rural Fire Protection Task Force for the 6
purpose of designing dry hydrants. 7
Sec. E.215 MILITARY; ADMINISTRATION 8
(a) The amount of $1,219,834 shall be disbursed to the Vermont Student 9
Assistance Corporation for the National Guard Tuition Benefit Program 10
established in 16 V.S.A. § 2857. 11
Sec. E.219 MILITARY; VETERANS’ AFFAIRS 12
(a) Of the funds appropriated in Sec. B.219 of this act, $1,000 shall be used 13
for continuation of the Vermont Medal Program; $2,000 shall be used for the 14
expenses of the Governor’s Veterans Advisory Council; $7,500 shall be used 15
for the Veterans’ Day parade; and $10,000 shall be granted to the American 16
Legion for the Boys’ State and Girls’ State programs. 17
Sec. E.232 SECRETARY OF STATE; VERMONT ACCESS NETWORK 18
BUDGET 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(a) The Secretary of State shall grant the $1,350,000 General Fund 1
appropriation, provided in Section B.232 of this act, to the Vermont Access 2
Network to maintain current operations and programming. 3
Sec. E.236.1 LIQUOR AND LOTTERY; APPROPRIATION; BUSINESS 4
-TO-BUSINESS WEBSITE 5
(a) Of the funds appropriated in Sec. B.236.1 of this act, $1,820,000 6
Enterprise Fund shall be used for the business-to-business website design and 7
implementation to improve the ordering and payment of on-premise licensees. 8
Sec. E.300 FUNDING FOR THE OFFICE OF THE HEALTH CARE 9
ADVOCATE, VERMONT LEGAL AID 10
(a) Of the funds appropriated in Sec. B.300 of this act: 11
(1) $2,000,406 shall be used for the contract with the Office of the 12
Health Care Advocate; 13
(2) $1,717,994 for Vermont Legal Aid services, including the Poverty 14
Law Project and mental health services; and 15
(3) $650,000 is for the purposes of maintaining current Vermont Legal 16
Aid program capacity and addressing increased requests for services, including 17
eviction prevention and protection from foreclosure and consumer debt. 18 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. E.300.1 REPORT; RESIDENTIAL BEDS FOR YOUTH 1
(a) As part of their fiscal year 2027 budget presentations to the General 2
Assembly, the Agency of Human Services and departments within the Agency 3
of Human Services shall provide coordinated information regarding: 4
(1) the basis for the projected number of beds per facility to create 41 5
new beds for youth in high-end facilities under the Departments for Children 6
and Families, of Mental Health, and of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent 7
Living for inpatient, psychiatric residential, stabilization, and treatment 8
services, including projected reductions in out-of-state placements; 9
(2) the status of capacity at lower level residential and crisis facilities 10
and their capabilities in preventing higher level needs if investments would 11
enable full capacity use; and 12
(3) a projected five-year operating budget across the Agency and 13
departments for full utilization of the new high-end system components as 14
currently planned, including: 15
(A) costs to the Department of Vermont Health Access’ budget; and 16
(B) how these costs will impact the overall budgets for lower-level, 17
community-based, prevention, and other services needed to prevent escalation 18
to higher levels of care. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. E.301 SECRETARY’S OFFICE; GLOBAL COMMITMENT 1
(a) The Agency of Human Services shall use the funds appropriated in Sec. 2
B.301 of this act for payment required under the intergovernmental agreement 3
between the Agency of Human Services and the managed care entity, the 4
Department of Vermont Health Access, as provided for in the Global 5
Commitment for Health Waiver approved by the Centers for Medicare and 6
Medicaid Services under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act. 7
(b) In addition to the State funds appropriated in Sec. B.301 of this act, a 8
total estimated sum of $27,887,533 is anticipated to be certified as State 9
matching funds as follows: 10
(1) $24,714,000 certified State match available from local education 11
agencies for eligible special education school-based Medicaid services under 12
Global Commitment. This amount, combined with $35,286,000 of federal 13
funds appropriated in Sec. B.301 of this act, equals a total estimated 14
expenditure of $60,000,000. An amount equal to the amount of the federal 15
matching funds for eligible special education school-based Medicaid services 16
under Global Commitment shall be transferred from the Global Commitment 17
Fund to the Medicaid Reimbursement Special Fund established by 16 V.S.A. 18
§ 2959a. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(2) $3,173,533 certified State match available from local designated 1
mental health and developmental services agencies for eligible mental health 2
services provided under Global Commitment. 3
(c) Up to $4,997,210 is transferred from the Agency of Human Services 4
Federal Receipts Holding Account to the Interdepartmental Transfer Fund 5
consistent with the amount appropriated in Sec. B.301 of this act. 6
Sec. E.301.1 GLOBAL COMMITMENT APPROPRIATIONS; TRANSFER; 7
REPORT 8
(a) To facilitate fiscal year 2026 closeout, the Secretary of Human Services, 9
with the approval of the Secretary of Administration, may make transfers 10
among the appropriations authorized for Medicaid and Medicaid waiver 11
program expenses, including Global Commitment appropriations outside the 12
Agency of Human Services. At least three business days prior to any transfer, 13
the Agency of Human Services shall submit to the Joint Fiscal Office a 14
proposal of transfers to be made pursuant to this section. A final report on all 15
transfers made under this section shall be made to the Joint Fiscal Committee 16
for review at the Committee’s September 2026 meeting. The purpose of this 17
section is to provide the Agency with limited authority to modify the 18
appropriations to comply with the terms and conditions of the Global 19
Commitment section 1115 demonstration approved by the Centers for 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Medicare and Medicaid Services under section 1115 of the Social Security 1
Act. 2
Sec. E.301.2 2022 Acts and Resolves No. 83, Sec. 72a, as amended by 2022 3
Acts and Resolves No. 185, Sec. C.105, 2023 Acts and Resolves No. 78, Sec. 4
E.301.2, and 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 113, Sec. E.300.2, is further 5
amended to read: 6
Sec. 72a. MEDICAID HOME- AND COMMUNITY -BASED SERVICES 7
(HCBS) PLAN 8
* * * 9
(f) The Global Commitment Fund appropriated in subsection (e) of this 10
section obligated in fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025, and 2026 for the 11
purposes of bringing HCBS plan spending authority forward into fiscal year 12
years 2024, and fiscal year 2025, and 2026, respectively. The funds 13
appropriated in subsections (b), (c), and (e) of this section may be transferred 14
on a net-neutral basis in fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025, and 2026 in the 15
same manner as the Global Commitment appropriations in 2022 Acts and 16
Resolves No. 185, Sec. E.301. The Agency shall report to the Joint Fiscal 17
Committee in September 2023, September 2024, and September 2025, and 18
September 2026, respectively, on transfers of appropriations made and final 19
amounts expended by each department in fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025, 20
and 2026, respectively, and any obligated funds carried forward to be 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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expended in fiscal year years 2024, and fiscal year 2025, and 2026, 1
respectively. 2
Sec. E.301.3 GLOBAL COMMITMENT FUND; HOSPITAL DIRECTED 3
PAYMENT PROGRAM 4
(a) The Agency of Human Services is authorized to seek a State Directed 5
Payment model with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This 6
payment model will be for a Hospital Directed Payment program. Upon 7
approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Agency of 8
Human Services’ Department of Vermont Health Access, the University of 9
Vermont, and the University of Vermont Medical Center may enter into a 10
mutual agreement on the implementation of the Hospital Directed Payment 11
program. 12
(b) If the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approves a Vermont 13
Hospital Directed Payment program within the State’s Global Commitment to 14
Health Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver in fiscal year 2026 while the 15
General Assembly is not in session, then, pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 511 and 16
notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the Department of 17
Finance and Management is authorized to approve the Agency of Human 18
Services’ allocation and expenditure of excess receipts for Global Commitment 19
Fund spending up to the amount approved by the Centers for Medicare and 20
Medicaid Services for the Vermont Hospital Directed Payment program. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(c) In fiscal year 2026, the Agency of Human Services is authorized, to the 1
extent permitted under federal law, to reasonably manage the timing of federal 2
fiscal year 2026 Disproportionate Share Hospital payments to hospitals due to 3
the impact the Vermont Hospital Directed Payment program payments 4
received in fiscal year 2026 may have on hospitals’ eligibility for 5
Disproportionate Share Hospital payments. 6
(d) The Agency of Human Services shall report on the status of the 7
Vermont Hospital Directed Payment program, the expenditure of excess 8
receipts, and the status of the program’s potential impacts on Disproportionate 9
Share Hospital payments at the September and November 2025 meetings of the 10
Joint Fiscal Committee. 11
Sec. E.306 NURSING HOMES; SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES; 12
EXTRAORDINARY FINANCIAL RELIEF 13
(a) Extraordinary financial relief shall be used in rare occasions or as a last 14
resort to prevent nursing homes that are in good standing and in compliance 15
with State rules and federal regulations from closing. On or before December 16
15, 2025, the Department of Vermont Health Access’ Division of Rate Setting 17
shall submit a report to the House Committee on Human Services and to the 18
Senate Committee on Health and Welfare containing proactive measures and 19
targeted interventions that may be used to reduce the use and amount of future 20
extraordinary financial relief for nursing homes. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(b) On or before January 15, 2026, the Departments of Vermont Health 1
Access and of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living shall present to the 2
House Committees on Appropriations and on Human Services and to the 3
Senate Committees on Appropriations and on Health and Welfare on the 4
following: 5
(1) the number and name of all nursing homes in the State, including: 6
(A) whether a nursing home is a for-profit or nonprofit organization 7
and the owner’s contact information; 8
(B) the payer mix of each nursing home; 9
(C) the ratio of employees versus contracted traveler positions at each 10
nursing home and the specific job titles of the contracted traveler positions; 11
and 12
(D) the average length of patient stay at each nursing home; 13
(2) the number of skilled nursing facilities seeking extraordinary 14
financial relief in fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025; and 15
(3) the number of skilled nursing facilities receiving extraordinary 16
financial relief in fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025, including: 17
(A) the name of each skilled nursing facility; 18
(B) whether a skilled nursing facility receiving extraordinary 19
financial relief is a for-profit or nonprofit organization; 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(C) the amount of extraordinary financial relief received by each 1
skilled nursing facility; 2
(D) the reason extraordinary financial relief was sought by each 3
skilled nursing facility; and 4
(E) the reason extraordinary financial relief was awarded to each 5
skilled nursing facility. 6
Sec. E.311 2022 Acts and Resolves No. 109, Sec. 4 is amended to read: 7
Sec. 4. SUNSET OF STATE YOUTH COUNCIL 8
3 V.S.A. § 3097 (State Youth Council) is repealed on February 1, 2026. 9
[Repealed.] 10
Sec. E.312 HEALTH; PUBLIC HEALTH 11
(a) HIV/AIDS funding: 12
(1) In fiscal year 2026 and as provided in this section, the Department of 13
Health shall provide grants in the amount of $475,000 in AIDS Medication 14
Rebates special funds to the Vermont AIDS service and peer-support 15
organizations for client-based support services. The Department of Health 16
AIDS Program shall meet at least quarterly with the Community Advisory 17
Group with current information and data relating to service initiatives. The 18
funds shall be allocated according to a Request for Proposal process. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(2) In fiscal year 2026, and as provided by this section, the Department 1
of Health shall provide grants in the amount of $295,000 from the General 2
Fund for HIV and Harm Reduction Services to the following organizations: 3
(A) Vermont CARES: $140,000; 4
(B) AIDS Project of Southern Vermont: $100,000; and 5
(C) HIV/HCV Resource Center: $55,000. 6
(3) Ryan White Title II funds for AIDS services and the Vermont 7
Medication Assistance Program shall be distributed in accordance with federal 8
guidelines. The federal guidelines shall not apply to programs or services 9
funded solely by State General Fund. 10
(A) The Secretary of Human Services shall immediately notify the 11
Joint Fiscal Committee if at any time there are insufficient funds in Vermont 12
Medication Assistance Program to assist all eligible individuals. The Secretary 13
shall work in collaboration with persons living with HIV/AIDS to develop a 14
plan to continue access to Vermont Medication Assistance Program 15
medications until such time as the General Assembly can take action. 16
(B) As provided in this section, the Secretary of Human Services 17
shall work in collaboration with the Vermont Medication Assistance Program 18
Advisory Committee, which shall be composed of not less than 50 percent of 19
members who are living with HIV/AIDS. If a modification to the program’s 20
eligibility requirements or benefit coverage is considered, the Committee shall 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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make recommendations regarding the program’s formulary of approved 1
medication, related laboratory testing, nutritional supplements, and eligibility 2
for the program. 3
(4) In fiscal year 2026, the Department of Health shall provide grants in 4
the amount of $400,000 General Fund for HIV and Harm Reduction Services 5
not later than September 1, 2025. The method by which these prevention 6
funds are distributed shall be determined by mutual agreement of the 7
Department of Health and the Vermont AIDS service organizations and other 8
Vermont HIV/AIDS prevention providers. 9
(5) In fiscal year 2026, the Department of Health shall not reduce any 10
grants to the Vermont AIDS service and peer-support organizations or syringe 11
service programs from funds appropriated for HIV/AIDS services to levels 12
below those in fiscal year 2025 without receiving prior approval from the Joint 13
Fiscal Committee. 14
Sec. E.312.1 2023 Acts and Resolves No. 78, Sec. E.100, as amended by 2024 15
Acts and Resolves No. 87, Sec. 56, is further amended to read: 16
Sec. E.100 EXECUTIVE BRANCH POSITIONS 17
* * * 18
(d) The establishment of 23 new exempt limited-service positions is 19
authorized in fiscal year 2024 as follows: 20
* * * 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(2) Agency of Administration Department of Health – Health Equity 1
Advisory Commission: 2
(A) one Private Secretary. 3
Sec. E.312.2 3 V.S.A. § 5003 is amended to read: 4
§ 5003. DUTIES OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF RACIAL EQUITY 5
(a) The Executive Director of Racial Equity (Director) shall work with the 6
agencies and departments to implement a program of continuing coordination 7
and improvement of activities in State government in order to combat systemic 8
racial disparities and measure progress toward fair and impartial governance, 9
including: 10
(1) overseeing a comprehensive organizational review to identify 11
systemic racism in each of the three branches of State government and 12
inventory systems in place that engender racial disparities; 13
(2) managing and overseeing the statewide collection of race-based data 14
to determine the nature and scope of racial discrimination within all systems of 15
State government; and 16
(3) developing a model fairness and diversity policy and reviewing and 17
making recommendations regarding the fairness and diversity policies held by 18
all State government systems; and 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(4) temporarily overseeing the establishment of the Health Equity 1
Advisory Commission established pursuant to 18 V.S.A. § 252 until the Office 2
of Health Equity is established. 3
* * * 4
Sec. E.312.3 18 V.S.A. § 252 is amended to read: 5
§ 252. HEALTH EQUITY ADVISORY COMMISSION 6
* * * 7
(c) Powers and duties. The Advisory Commission shall: 8
(1) provide guidance on the development of the Office of Health Equity, 9
which shall be established based on the Advisory Commission’s 10
recommendations not later than January 1, 2023, including on: 11
(A) the structure, responsibilities, and jurisdiction of the Office; 12
(B) whether the Office shall be independent and, if not, in which 13
State agency or department it shall be situated; 14
(C) how the Office shall be staffed; 15
(D) the populations served and specific issues addressed by the 16
Office; and 17
(E) the duties of the Office, including how grant funds shall be 18
managed and distributed; and 19
(F) the time frame and necessary steps to establish the Office; 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(2) provide advice and make recommendations to the Office of Health 1
Equity, Commissioner, and General Assembly once established, including 2
input on: 3
(A) any rules or policies proposed by the Office or Department of 4
Health; 5
(B) the awarding of grants and the development of programs and 6
services; 7
(C) the needs, priorities, programs, and policies relating to the health 8
of individuals who are Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color; individuals 9
who are LGBTQ; and individuals with disabilities; and 10
(D) any other issue on which the Office of Health Equity, 11
Department of Health, or General Assembly requests assistance from the 12
Advisory Commission; 13
(3) review, monitor, and advise all State agencies regarding the impact 14
of current and emerging State policies, procedures, practices, laws, and rules 15
on the health of individuals who are Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color; 16
individuals who are LGBTQ; and individuals with disabilities; 17
(4) identify and examine the limitations and problems associated with 18
existing laws, rules, programs, and services related to the health status of 19
individuals who are Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color; individuals who 20
are LGBTQ; and individuals with disabilities; 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(5) advise the Department of Health and the General Assembly on any 1
funding decisions relating to eliminating health disparities and promoting 2
health equity, including the distribution of federal monies related to COVID-3
19; 4
(6) to the extent funds are available for the purpose, distribute grants 5
that stimulate the development of community-based and neighborhood-based 6
projects that will improve the health outcomes of individuals who are Black, 7
Indigenous, and Persons of Color; individuals who are LGBTQ; and 8
individuals with disabilities; and 9
(7) advise the General Assembly on efforts to improve cultural 10
competency, cultural humility, and antiracism in the health care system 11
through training and continuing education requirements for health care 12
providers and other clinical professionals. 13
(d) Assistance. The Advisory Commission shall have the administrative, 14
legal, and technical assistance of the Agency of Administration at the request 15
of the Executive Director of Racial Equity Department of Health. 16
* * * 17
(f) Meetings. 18
(1) The Executive Director of Racial Equity or designee shall call the 19
first meeting of the Advisory Commission to occur on or before September 1, 20
2021. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(2) The Advisory Commission shall select a chair and vice chair at its 1
first meeting and annually thereafter. 2
(3)(2) The Advisory Commission shall adopt procedures to govern its 3
proceedings, including voting procedures and how the staggered terms shall be 4
apportioned among members. 5
(4)(3) All meetings of the Advisory Commission and any 6
subcommittees of the Advisory Commission shall be open to the public with 7
opportunities for public comment provided on a regular basis. 8
* * * 9
(h) Compensation and reimbursement. Appointed members of the 10
Advisory Commission shall be entitled to per diem compensation and 11
reimbursement of expenses as permitted under 32 V.S.A. § 1010 for meetings 12
as deemed appropriate by the Advisory Commission within the appropriation 13
provided. These payments shall be made from monies appropriated to the 14
Agency of Administration Department of Health. 15
Sec. E.312.4 18 V.S.A. § 254 is added to read: 16
§ 254. OFFICE OF HEALTH EQUITY 17
(a) There is established the Office of Health Equity within the Department 18
of Health for the purpose of eliminating avoidable and unjust disparities in 19
health among Vermonters. The Office shall use a systemic and comprehensive 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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approach that addresses those social, economic, and environmental factors that 1
influence health outcomes. 2
(b) The Office of Health Equity shall be directed by an Executive Director, 3
an individual who shall be qualified by reason of education, expertise, and 4
experience and who may have a professional degree in public health, social or 5
environmental justice, or a related field. The Executive Director shall serve on 6
a full-time basis and shall be exempt from classified service. 7
Sec. E.312.5 18 V.S.A. § 4812 is added to read: 8
§ 4812. SUBSTANCE MISUSE PREVENTION SPECIAL FUND 9
(a) The Substance Misuse Prevention Special Fund is established and 10
managed by the Vermont Department of Health in accordance with 32 V.S.A. 11
chapter 7, subchapter 5. 12
(b) Thirty percent of the revenues raised by the cannabis excise tax 13
imposed pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 7902, not to exceed $10,000,000 per fiscal 14
year, shall be deposited into this fund for substance misuse prevention costs. 15
(c) Any unencumbered and unexpended spending authority reverted in 16
accordance with 32 V.S.A. § 703 may be immediately re-established the 17
following fiscal year in accordance with 32 V.S.A. § 511. 18
(d) Notwithstanding any provisions of 32 V.S.A. chapter 7, subchapter 5 to 19
the contrary, all interest earned by this fund shall be retained by this fund. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. E.312.6 SUBSTANCE MISUSE PREVENTION FUNDING; REPEAL 1
(a) 32 V.S.A. § 7909 (substance misuse prevention funding) is repealed. 2
Sec. E.316 2023 Acts and Resolves No. 78, Sec. E.316 is amended to read: 3
Sec. E.316 STAKEHOLDER WORKING GROUP; FACILITY 4
PLANNING FOR JUSTICE-INVOLVED YOUTH 5
(a) The Department for Children and Families, in consultation with the 6
Department of Buildings and General Services, shall assemble a stakeholder 7
working group to provide regular input on the planning, design, development, 8
and implementation of the temporary stabilization facility for youth and on the 9
development of a long-term plan for the high-end system of care. 10
* * * 11
(f) The stakeholder working group shall cease to exist on June 30, 2025 12
2027. 13
Sec. E.316.1 33 V.S.A. § 125 is added to read: 14
§ 125. BUDGETARY INFLATION; DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDERS 15
Annually, as part of its budget presentation, the Department shall inform the 16
House Committees on Appropriations and on Human Services and the Senate 17
Committees on Appropriations and on Health and Welfare the cost of adding a 18
one percent increase over the previous fiscal year’s funding for community-19
contracted direct service providers. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. E.321 GENERAL ASSISTANCE EMERGENCY HOUSING 1
(a) To the extent emergency housing is available and within the funds 2
appropriated, the Commissioner for Children and Families shall ensure that 3
General Assistance Emergency Housing is provided in fiscal year 2026 to 4
households that attest to lack of a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime 5
residence and have a member who: 6
(1) is 65 years of age or older; 7
(2) has a disability that can be documented by: 8
(A) receipt of Supplemental Security Income or Social Security 9
Disability Insurance; or 10
(B) a form developed by the Department as a means of documenting 11
a qualifying disability or health condition that requires: 12
(i) the applicant’s name, date of birth, and the last four digits of 13
the applicant’s Social Security number or other identifying number; 14
(ii) a description of the applicant’s disability or health condition; 15
(iii) a description of the risk posed to the applicant’s health, safety, 16
or welfare if temporary emergency housing is not authorized pursuant to this 17
section; and 18
(iv) a certification of a health care provider, as defined in 18 19
V.S.A. § 9481, that includes the provider’s credentials, credential number, 20
address, and phone number; 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(3) is a child 19 years of age or under; 1
(4) is pregnant; 2
(5) has experienced the death of a spouse, domestic partner, or minor 3
child that caused the household to lose its housing; 4
(6) has experienced a natural disaster, such as a flood, fire, or hurricane; 5
(7) is under a court-ordered eviction or constructive eviction due to 6
circumstances over which the household has no control; or 7
(8) is experiencing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, 8
stalking, human trafficking, hate violence, or other dangerous or life-9
threatening conditions that relate to violence against the individual or a 10
household member that caused the household to lose its housing. 11
(b)(1) General Assistance Emergency Housing shall be provided in a 12
community-based shelter whenever possible. If there is inadequate 13
community-based shelter space available within the Agency of Human 14
Services district in which the household presents itself, the household shall be 15
provided emergency housing in a hotel or motel within the district, if available, 16
until adequate community-based shelter space becomes available in the 17
district. The utilization of hotel and motel rooms pursuant to this subdivision 18
shall be capped at 1,100 rooms per night between September 15, 2025 through 19
November 30, 2025 and between April 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(2) The maximum number of days that an eligible household receives 1
emergency housing in a hotel or motel under this section, per 12-month period, 2
shall not exceed 80 days. 3
(3) The Department shall provide emergency winter housing to 4
households meeting the eligibility criteria in subsection (a) of this section 5
between December 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026. Emergency housing in a 6
hotel or motel provided pursuant to this subdivision shall not count toward the 7
maximum days of eligibility per 12-month period provided in subdivision (2) 8
of this subsection. 9
(4)(A) Notwithstanding any rule or law to the contrary, the Department 10
shall require all households applying for or receiving General Assistance 11
Emergency Housing to engage in their own search for and accept any available 12
alternative housing placements. All applicants and eligible households shall 13
regularly provide information to the Department, not less frequently than 14
monthly, about their efforts to secure an alternative housing placement. If the 15
Department determines that a household, at the time of application or during 16
the term of the household’s authorization, has not made efforts to secure an 17
alternative housing placement, or has access to an alternative housing 18
placement, the Department shall deny the application or terminate the 19
authorization at the end of the current authorization period. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(B) For purposes of this subdivision (4), “alternative housing 1
placements” may include shelter beds and pods; placements with family or 2
friends; permanent housing solutions, including tiny homes, manufactured 3
homes, and apartments; residential treatment beds for physical health, long-4
term care, substance use, or mental health; nursing home beds; and recovery 5
homes. 6
(c) Emergency housing provided pursuant to this section shall replace the 7
catastrophic and noncatastrophic categories previously adopted by the 8
Department in rule. 9
(d) Emergency housing required pursuant to this section may be provided 10
through approved community-based shelters, new unit generation, open units, 11
licensed hotels or motels, or other appropriate shelter space. The Department 12
shall, when available, prioritize emergency housing at housing or shelter 13
placements other than hotels or motels. 14
(e) Case management services provided by case managers employed by or 15
under contract with the Agency of Human Services or reimbursed through an 16
Agency-funded grant shall include assisting clients with finding appropriate 17
housing. 18
(f) The Commissioner for Children and Families shall apply the General 19
Assistance Emergency Housing rules approved by the Legislative Committee 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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on Administrative Rules on March 13, 2025 for the administration of this 1
section. 2
(g) On or before the last day of each month from July 2025 through June 3
2026, the Department for Children and Families, or other relevant agency or 4
department, shall continue submitting a similar report to that due pursuant to 5
2023 Acts and Resolves No. 81, Sec. 6(b) to the Joint Fiscal Committee, 6
House Committee on Human Services, and Senate Committee on Health and 7
Welfare. Additionally, this report shall include the Department’s monthly 8
expenditure on General Assistance Emergency Housing. 9
(h) For emergency housing provided in a hotel or motel beginning on July 10
1, 2024 and thereafter, the Department for Children and Families shall not pay 11
a hotel or motel establishment more than the hotel’s lowest advertised room 12
rate and not more than $80 a day per room to shelter a household experiencing 13
homelessness. The Department for Children and Families may shelter a 14
household in more than one hotel or motel room depending on the household’s 15
size and composition. 16
(i) The Department for Children and Families shall apply the following 17
rules to participating hotels and motels: 18
(1) Section 2650.1 of the Department for Children and Families’ 19
General Assistance (CVR 13-170-260); 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(2) Department of Health, Licensed Lodging Establishment Rule (CVR 1
13-140-023); and 2
(3) Department of Public Safety, Vermont Fire and Building Safety 3
Code (CVR 28-070-001). 4
(j)(1) The Department for Children and Families may work with either a 5
shelter provider or a community housing agency to enter into a full or partial 6
facility lease or sales agreement with a hotel or motel provider. Any facility 7
conversion under this section shall comply with the Office of Economic 8
Opportunity’s shelter standards. 9
(2) If the Department for Children and Families determines that a 10
contractual agreement with a licensed hotel or motel operator to secure 11
temporary emergency housing capacity is beneficial to improve the quality, 12
cleanliness, or access to services for those households temporarily housed in 13
the facility, the Department shall be authorized to enter into such an agreement 14
in accordance with the per-room rate identified in subsection (h) of this 15
section; provided, however, that in no event shall such an agreement cause a 16
household to become unhoused. The Department for Children and Families 17
may include provisions to address access to services or related needs within the 18
contractual agreement. 19
(k) Of the amount appropriated to implement this section, not more than 20
$500,000 shall be used for security costs. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(l) As used in this section: 1
(1) “Community-based shelter” means a shelter that meets the Vermont 2
Housing Opportunity Grant Program’s Standards of Provision of Assistance. 3
(2) “Household” means an individual and any dependents for whom the 4
individual is legally responsible and who live in Vermont. “Household” 5
includes individuals who reside together as one economic unit, including those 6
who are married, parties to a civil union, or unmarried. 7
Sec. E.321.1 CONTRACTING FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER 8
OPERATIONS AND SERVICES 9
(a) In contracting with emergency shelter organizations for operations and 10
services, the Department for Children and Families shall prioritize contracts 11
with organizations that are in close proximity to the community served to 12
ensure that an organization familiar with the specific needs of a community 13
serve its population of unhoused residents. 14
Sec. E.324 EXPEDITED CRISIS FUEL ASSISTANCE 15
(a) The Commissioner for Children and Families or designee may authorize 16
crisis fuel assistance to those income-eligible households that have applied for 17
an expedited seasonal fuel benefit but have not yet received it if the benefit 18
cannot be executed in time to prevent them from running out of fuel. The 19
crisis fuel grants authorized pursuant to this section count toward the one crisis 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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fuel grant allowed per household for the winter heating season pursuant to 1
33 V.S.A. § 2609(b). 2
Sec. E.325 DEPARTMENT FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES; OFFICE 3
OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY 4
(a) Of the General Fund appropriation in Sec. B.325 of this act, 5
$26,343,655 shall be used by the Department for Children and Families’ Office 6
of Economic Opportunity to issue grants to community agencies to assist 7
individuals experiencing homelessness by preserving existing services, 8
increasing services, or increasing resources available statewide. These funds 9
may be granted alone or in conjunction with federal Emergency Solutions 10
Grants funds. Grant decisions and the administration of funds shall be done in 11
consultation with the two U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 12
Development-recognized continuum of care programs. 13
Sec. E. 326 DEPARTMENT FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES; OFFICE 14
OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY; WEATHERIZATION 15
ASSISTANCE 16
(a) Of the special fund appropriation in Sec. B.326 of this act, $750,000 is 17
for the replacement and repair of home heating equipment. 18
Sec. E.329 33 V.S.A. § 506 is added to read: 19
§ 506. BUDGETARY INFLATION; DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDERS 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Annually, as part of its budget presentation, the Department shall inform the 1
House Committees on Appropriations and on Human Services and the Senate 2
Committees on Appropriations and on Health and Welfare the cost of adding a 3
one percent increase over the previous fiscal year’s funding for community-4
contracted direct service providers. 5
Sec. E.333 DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY SERVICES; PAYMENT 6
REFORM 7
(a) The Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living’s 8
payment reform process for developmental disability services shall not be 9
implemented prior to July 1, 2026. 10
(b) Between July 1, 2025 and implementation of the payment reform 11
process for developmental disability services, the Department shall align 12
conflict-free case management with the existing payment model. 13
Sec. E.338 CORRECTIONS; CORRECTIONAL SERVICES 14
(a) Notwithstanding 32 V.S.A. § 3709(a), the special fund appropriation of 15
$152,000 for the supplemental facility payments to Newport and Springfield 16
shall be paid from the PILOT Special Fund under 32 V.S.A. § 3709. 17
Sec. E.338.1 CORRECTIONS; FEDERAL FUNDS STATUS 18
(a) At or before the Joint Fiscal Committee’s November 2025 meeting, the 19
Department of Corrections shall report to the Committee on the status of 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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federal funds that may affect the provision of recovery coaching for 1
incarcerated individuals at the State’s correctional facilities. 2
Sec. E.338.2 CORRECTIONS; TREATMENT-FOCUSED FACILITY 3
(a) The $200,000 General Fund appropriated to the Department of 4
Corrections in Sec. B.1100(i)(1) of this act shall be used to retain a consultant 5
and develop an implementation plan to transition the Northeast Correctional 6
Complex or the Caledonia County Work Camp, or parts of either or of both, to 7
a treatment-focused facility for incarcerated Vermonters. 8
(b) On or before December 1, 2025, the Department of Corrections shall 9
submit a written report to the Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee 10
concerning the consultant’s findings and recommendations related to 11
transitioning either the Northeast Correctional Complex or the Work Camp, or 12
parts of either or of both, to a treatment-focused facility. The report shall 13
contain the following: 14
(1) a detailed transition plan; 15
(2) expected outcomes and measures of success; 16
(3) an assessment of how transitioning either the Northeast Correctional 17
Complex or Caledonia County Work Camp, or parts of either or of both, to a 18
treatment-focused facility aligns with best practices for residential treatment 19
programs; and 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(4) input from the Department’s current medical providers, including an 1
analysis of how the program developed would impact any contract with the 2
Department’s third-party medical provider. 3
Sec. E.345 18 V.S.A. § 9374(h) is amended to read: 4
(h)(1)(A) Except as otherwise provided in subdivisions (1)(C) and (2) of 5
this subsection (h), the expenses of the Board shall be borne as follows: 6
(i) 40.0 percent by the State from State monies; 7
(ii) 28.8 36.0 percent by the hospitals; 8
(iii) 23.2 24.0 percent by nonprofit hospital and medical service 9
corporations licensed under 8 V.S.A. chapter 123 or 125, health insurance 10
companies licensed under 8 V.S.A. chapter 101, and health maintenance 11
organizations licensed under 8 V.S.A. chapter 139; and 12
(iv) 8.0 percent by accountable care organizations. 13
(B) Expenses under subdivision (A)(iii) of this subdivision (1) shall 14
be allocated to persons licensed under Title 8 based on premiums paid for 15
health care coverage, which for the purposes of this subdivision (1) shall 16
include major medical, comprehensive medical, hospital or surgical coverage, 17
and comprehensive health care services plans, but shall not include long-term 18
care, limited benefits, disability, credit or stop loss, or excess loss insurance 19
coverage. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(C) Expenses Amounts assessed pursuant to the provisions of section 1
sections 9441 and 9382 of this title shall not be assessed in accordance with the 2
formula set forth in subdivision (A) of this subdivision (1). 3
(2) The Board may determine the scope of the incurred expenses to be 4
allocated pursuant to the formula set forth in subdivision (1) of this subsection 5
if, in the Board’s discretion, the expenses to be allocated are in the best 6
interests of the regulated entities and of the State. 7
(3) If the amount of the proportional assessment to any entity calculated 8
in accordance with the formula set forth in subdivision (1)(A) of this 9
subsection would be less than $150.00, the Board shall assess the entity a 10
minimum fee of $150.00. The Board shall apply the amounts collected based 11
on the difference between each applicable entity’s proportional assessment 12
amount and $150.00 to reduce the total amount assessed to the regulated 13
entities pursuant to subdivisions (1)(A)(ii)–(iv)(iii) of this subsection. 14
* * * 15
Sec. E.500 EDUCATION; FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION 16
(a) The Global Commitment funds appropriated in this section will be used 17
for physician claims for determining medical necessity of Individualized 18
Education Programs. These services are intended to increase access to quality 19
health care for uninsured persons, underinsured persons, and Medicaid 20
beneficiaries. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. E.502 EDUCATION; SPECIAL EDUCATION: FORMULA GRANTS 1
(a) Of the appropriation authorized in Sec. B.502 of this act, and 2
notwithstanding any other provision of law, an amount not to exceed 3
$5,236,200 shall be used by the Agency of Education in fiscal year 2026 as 4
funding for 16 V.S.A. § 2967(b)(2)-(6). In distributing such funds, the 5
Secretary shall not be limited by the restrictions contained within 16 V.S.A. 6
§ 2969(c) and (d). 7
(b) Of the appropriation authorized in Sec. B.502 of this act, and 8
notwithstanding any other provision of law, an amount not to exceed 9
$2,000,000 shall be used by the Agency of Education in fiscal year 2026 as 10
funding for 16 V.S.A. § 2975. In distributing such funds, the Secretary shall 11
not be limited by the restrictions contained within 16 V.S.A. § 2969(c) and (d). 12
Sec. E.503 EDUCATION; STATE-PLACED STUDENTS 13
(a) The Independence Place Program of ANEW Place shall be considered a 14
24-hour residential program for the purposes of reimbursement of education 15
costs. 16
Sec. E.504 ADULT EDUCATION AND LITERACY 17
(a) Of the appropriation in Sec. B.504 of this act, $3,958,345 General Fund 18
shall be granted to adult education and literacy providers, pursuant to the Adult 19
Education and Secondary Credential Program established in 16 V.S.A. § 945. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. E.504.1 EDUCATION; FLEXIBLE PATHWAYS 1
(a) Notwithstanding 16 V.S.A. § 4025, of the Education Fund appropriation 2
in Sec. B.504.1 of this act, the amount of: 3
(1) $921,500 is available for dual enrollment programs notwithstanding 4
16 V.S.A. § 944(f)(2); 5
(2) $2,400,000 is available to support the Vermont Virtual High School; 6
(3) $400,000 is available for secondary school reform grants; 7
(4) $4,200,000 is available for Early College pursuant to 16 V.S.A. 8
§ 947(b); and 9
(5) $2,638,896 is available for the Adult Education and Secondary 10
Credential Program. 11
(b) Of the appropriation in Sec. B.504 of this act, $921,500 from the 12
General Fund is available for dual enrollment programs. 13
Sec. E.504.2 16 V.S.A. § 4011 is amended to read: 14
§ 4011. EDUCATION PAYMENTS 15
(a) Annually, the General Assembly shall appropriate funds to pay for 16
statewide education spending and a portion of a base education amount for 17
each adult education and secondary credential program student. 18
(b) For each fiscal year, the base education amount shall be $6,800.00, 19
increased by the most recent New England Economic Project Cumulative Price 20
Index, as of November 15, for state and local government purchases of goods 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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and services from fiscal year 2005 through the fiscal year for which the amount 1
is being determined, plus an additional one-tenth of one percent. 2
* * * 3
(f) Annually, the Secretary shall pay to a local adult education and literacy 4
provider, as defined in section 942 of this title, that provides an adult education 5
and secondary credential program from funds appropriated for this subsection 6
to the Agency in an amount equal to 26 percent of the base education amount 7
for each student who completes the diagnostic portions of the an adult 8
education and secondary credential program, based on an average of the 9
previous two years; 40, the Secretary shall pay to a local adult education and 10
literacy provider, as defined in section 942 of this title, that provides an adult 11
education and secondary credential program an amount that shall be calculated 12
pursuant to the funding formula contained in the State Board of Education 13
adult education rules. Forty percent of the payment required under this 14
subsection shall be from State funds appropriated from the Education Fund and 15
60 percent of the payment required under this subsection shall be from State 16
funds appropriated from the General Fund. 17
* * * 18
Sec. E.504.3 ADULT EDUCATION; FUNDING; REPORT 19
(a) On or before December 1, 2025, the Agency of Education, in 20
consultation with local adult education and literacy providers, shall submit a 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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written report to the House Committee on Commerce and Economic 1
Development, the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and 2
General Affairs, and the House and Senate Committees on Education with 3
recommendations to modernize adult education funding to ensure funds are 4
distributed equitably across all regions of the State. 5
(b) For fiscal year 2026, the Agency of Education shall negotiate in good 6
faith to extend the existing contracts with local adult education and literacy 7
providers for a term of one year. The Agency shall endeavor to maintain the 8
terms of the existing contracts to the greatest extent possible. 9
Sec. E.507.1 ENGLISH LEARNER; CATEGORICAL AID 10
(a) The funds appropriated in Sec. B.507.1 of this act shall be used to 11
provide categorical aid to school districts for English Learner services, 12
pursuant to 16 V.S.A. § 4013. 13
Sec. E.511 EDUCATION; TECHNICAL EDUCATION 14
(a) Notwithstanding 16 V.S.A. 1561(c) and (d) or any other provision of 15
law to the contrary, in fiscal year 2026 career technical center supplemental 16
assistance grants shall be calculated using the fiscal year 2025 base education 17
amount. 18
Sec. E.514 STATE TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM 19
(a) In accordance with 16 V.S.A. § 1944(g)(2), the annual contribution to 20
the State Teachers’ Retirement System (STRS) shall be $212,752,627, of 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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which $199,377,627 shall be the State’s contribution and $13,375,000 shall be 1
contributed from local school systems or educational entities pursuant to 2
16 V.S.A. § 1944c. 3
(b) In accordance with 16 V.S.A. § 1944(c)(2), of the annual contribution, 4
$41,414,649 is the “normal contribution” and $171,337,978 is the “accrued 5
liability contribution.” 6
Sec. E.514.1 VERMONT STATE TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM 7
AND VERMONT PENSION INVESTMENT COMMISSION; 8
OPERATING BUDGET; SOURCE OF FUNDS 9
(a) Of the $3,918,155 appropriated in Sec. B.514.1 of this act, $2,719,271 10
constitutes the Vermont State Teachers’ Retirement System operating budget, 11
and $1,198,884 constitutes the portion of the Vermont Pension Investment 12
Commission’s budget attributable to the Vermont State Teachers’ Retirement 13
System. 14
Sec. E.515 RETIRED TEACHERS’ HEALTH CARE AND MEDICAL 15
BENEFITS 16
(a) In accordance with 16 V.S.A. § 1944b(b)(2) and 16 V.S.A. 17
§ 1944b(h)(1), the annual contribution to the Retired Teachers’ Health and 18
Medical Benefits plan shall be $79,952,589, of which $71,052,589 shall be the 19
State’s contribution and $8,900,000 shall be from the annual charge for teacher 20
health care contributed by employers pursuant to 16 V.S.A. §1944d. Of the 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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annual contribution, $24,712,382 is the “normal contribution” and $55,240,207 1
is the “accrued liability contribution.” 2
Sec. E.600 UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT 3
(a) The Commissioner of Finance and Management shall issue warrants to 4
pay 1/12 of the appropriation in Sec. B.600 of this act to the University of 5
Vermont on or about the 15th day of each calendar month of the year. 6
(b) Of this appropriation, $380,362 shall be transferred to the Experimental 7
Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) to comply with State 8
matching fund requirements necessary for the receipt of available federal or 9
private funds, or both. 10
Sec. E.602 VERMONT STATE COLLEGE S 11
(a) The Commissioner of Finance and Management shall issue warrants to 12
pay 1/12 of the appropriation in Sec. B.602 of this act to the Vermont State 13
Colleges on or about the 15th day of each calendar month of the year. 14
(b) Of this appropriation, $427,898 shall be transferred to the Vermont 15
Manufacturing Extension Center to comply with State matching fund 16
requirements necessary for the receipt of available federal or private funds, or 17
both. 18 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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Sec. E.603 VERMONT STATE COLLEGES ; ALLIED HEALTH 1
(a) If Global Commitment fund monies are unavailable, the total grant 2
funding for the Vermont State Colleges shall be maintained through the 3
General Fund or other State funding sources. 4
(b) The Vermont State Colleges shall use the Global Commitment funds 5
appropriated in Sec. B.603 of this act to support the dental hygiene, respiratory 6
therapy, and nursing programs that graduate approximately 315 health care 7
providers annually. These graduates deliver direct, high-quality health care 8
services to Medicaid beneficiaries or uninsured or underinsured persons. 9
Sec. E.605 VERMONT STUDENT ASSISTANCE CORPORATION 10
(a) Of the funds appropriated to the Vermont Student Assistance 11
Corporation in Sec. B.605 of this act: 12
(1) $25,000 shall be deposited into the Trust Fund established in 16 13
V.S.A. § 2845; 14
(2) not more than $300,000 may be used by the Vermont Student 15
Assistance Corporation for a student aspirational initiative to serve one or more 16
high schools; and 17
(3) not less than $1,000,000 shall be used to continue the Vermont 18
Trades Scholarship Program established in 2022 Act and Resolves No. 183, 19
Sec. 14. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(b) Of the funds appropriated to the Vermont Student Assistance 1
Corporation in Sec. B.605 of this act that remain after accounting for the 2
expenditures set forth in subsection (a) of this section, not less than 93 percent 3
shall be used for direct student aid. 4
(c) After accounting for the expenditures set forth in subsection (a) of this 5
section, up to seven percent of the funds appropriated to the Vermont Student 6
Assistance Corporation in Sec. B.605 of this act or otherwise currently or 7
previously appropriated to the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation or 8
provided to the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation by an agency or 9
department of the State for the administration of a program or initiative may be 10
used by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation for its costs of 11
administration. The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation may recoup its 12
reasonable costs of collecting the forgivable loans in repayment. Funds shall 13
not be used for indirect costs. To the extent that any of these funds are federal 14
funds, allocation for expenses associated with administering the funds shall be 15
consistent with federal grant requirements. 16
Sec. E.605.1 NEED-BASED STIPEND FOR DUAL ENROLLME NT AND 17
EARLY COLLEGE STUDENTS 18
(a) Notwithstanding 16 V.S.A. § 4025, the sum of $41,225 Education Fund 19
and $41,225 General Fund is appropriated to the Vermont Student Assistance 20
Corporation for dual enrollment and need-based stipend purposes to fund a 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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flat-rate, need-based stipend or voucher program for financially disadvantaged 1
students enrolled in a dual enrollment course pursuant to 16 V.S.A. § 944 or in 2
early college pursuant to 16 V.S.A. § 946 to be used for the purchase of books, 3
cost of transportation, and payment of fees. The Vermont Student Assistance 4
Corporation shall establish the criteria for program eligibility. Funds shall be 5
granted to eligible students on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are 6
depleted. 7
(b) On or before January 15, 2026, the Vermont Student Assistance 8
Corporation shall report on the program to the House Committees on 9
Appropriations and on Commerce and Economic Development and to the 10
Senate Committees on Appropriations and on Economic Development, 11
Housing and General Affairs. 12
Sec. E.715 REPEALS; SUNSET OF PROPERTY TRANSFER TAX 13
CLEAN WATER SURCHARGE 14
(a) 2017 Acts and Resolves No. 85, Sec. I.10 (sunset of clean water 15
surcharge), as amended by 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 181, is repealed. 16
(b) 2017 Acts and Resolves No. 85, Sec. I.11(a)(5) (effective date of sunset 17
of clean water surcharge) is repealed. 18
Sec. E.715.1 2017 Acts and Resolves No. 85, Sec. I.1(b) is amended to read: 19
(b) Purpose and intent. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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(1) The purpose of Secs. I.1–I.12 of this act is to promote the 1
development and improvement of housing for Vermonters. 2
(2) It is the intent of the General Assembly: 3
(A) to extend the clean water surcharge to provide an interim a 4
source of revenue for addressing water quality issues throughout the State; and 5
(B) to continue its work on identifying a long-term funding source or 6
sources that are sufficient in scope and targeted in design to address these 7
water quality issues; and 8
(C) once one or more long-term funding sources are identified and 9
enacted, but not later than July 1, 2027, to reduce the amount of the clean 10
water surcharge to 0.04 percent. 11
Sec. E.715.2 2017 Acts and Resolves No. 85, Sec. I.12 is amended to read: 12
Sec. I.12. EFFECTIVE DATES 13
(a) Secs. I.1–I.12 shall take effect on July 1, 2017, except that Sec. I.10 14
(allocating clean water surcharge revenue to Vermont Housing and 15
Conservation Trust Fund) shall take effect on July 1, 2027. 16
Sec. E.715.3 2017 Acts and Resolves No. 85, Sec. I.7(d) is amended to read: 17
(d) To compensate for this reduction of available property transfer tax 18
revenue, it is the intent of the General Assembly through this act to provide for 19
the transfer of $2,500,000.00 to the Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust 20
Fund, as follows: 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
(1) Sec. D.100 of this act appropriates $11,304,840.00 in fiscal year 1
2018 from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust Fund to the Vermont 2
Housing and Conservation Board. Upon the effective date of this act, 3
$1,500,000.00 shall revert to the Fund, resulting in a fiscal year 2018 total 4
appropriation to the Board of $9,804,840.00. In fiscal year 2018 only, the 5
amount of $1,500,000.00 from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust 6
Fund shall be transferred to the General Fund. 7
(2) As provided in Sec. I.9 of this act, from July 1, 2017 until 8
July 1, 2027, pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 9602a, the first $1,000,000.00 in revenue 9
generated by the clean water surcharge of 0.2 0.22 percent shall be transferred 10
to the Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust Fund. In fiscal year 2018 11
only, the Commissioner shall transfer the amount of $1,000,000.00 from the 12
Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust Fund to the General Fund. 13
(3) After July 1, 2027, pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 9602a as amended in 14
Sec. I.10 of this act, $1,000,000.00 in total revenue generated by the clean 15
water surcharge of 0.04 percent shall be transferred to the Vermont Housing 16
and Conservation Trust Fund. [Repealed.] 17
(4) As provided in Sec. I.11 of this act, the clean water surcharge will be 18
repealed in its entirety on July 1, 2039. [Repealed.] 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
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VT LEG #381972 v.1
Sec. E.900 19 V.S.A. § 11a is amended to read: 1
§ 11a. TRANSPORTATION FUNDS APPROPRIATED FOR THE 2
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FUND APPROPRIATIONS 3
(a) No transportation funds shall be appropriated for the support of 4
government other than for the Agency, the Board, Transportation Pay Act 5
Funds, construction of transportation capital facilities, transportation debt 6
service, and the operation of information centers by the Department of 7
Buildings and General Services, and the Department of Public Safety. The 8
amount of transportation funds appropriated to the Department of Public 9
Safety shall not exceed: 10
(1) $25,250,000.00 in fiscal year 2014; 11
(2) $22,750,000.00 in fiscal years 2015 and 2016; 12
(3) $21,150,000.00 in fiscal year 2017; and 13
(4) $20,250,000.00 in fiscal year 2018 and in succeeding fiscal years. 14
(b) In fiscal year 2018 and in succeeding fiscal years, of the funds 15
appropriated to the Department of Public Safety pursuant to subsection (a) of 16
this section, the amount of $2,100,000.00 is allocated exclusively for the 17
purchase, outfitting, assignment, and disposal of State Police vehicles. Any 18
unexpended and unencumbered funds remaining in this allocation at the close 19
of a fiscal year shall revert to the Transportation Fund. The Department of 20
Public Safety may periodically recommend to the General Assembly that this 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.493
2025 Page 192 of 192
VT LEG #381972 v.1
allocation be adjusted to reflect market conditions for the vehicles and 1
equipment. 2
* * * Effective Dates * * * 3
Sec. F.100 EFFECTIVE DATES 4
(a) This section and Secs. C.100, C.101, C.102, C.103, C.104, C.105, 5
C.106, C.107, E.142.1, and E.142.2 shall take effect on passage. 6
(b) Notwithstanding 1 V.S.A. § 214, Secs. E.111 and E.111.1 shall take 7
effect retroactively on January 1, 2025 and shall apply to taxable years 8
beginning on and after January 1, 2024. 9
(c) Notwithstanding 1 V.S.A. § 214, E.111.2 shall take effect retroactively 10
on January 1, 2025 and shall apply to taxable years beginning on and after 11
January 1, 2025. 12
(d) All remaining sections shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 13