Today, March 14th, is the crossover deadline, when bills must be voted out of their committee(s) of jurisdiction to pass from one legislative chamber to the other in order to be passed into law this year. There is still much up in the air, but here are some highlights of where things stand at this pivotal moment. We will have more information to share soon.
Federal Update
Newly Released Continuing Resolution (CR) Attempts to Avoid Government Shutdown
By National Council of Nonprofits
Over the weekend, House Republicans released a stopgap bill to fund the government through Sept. 30 and avoid a government shutdown scheduled to start this Friday, Mar. 14 at midnight. The “clean” continuing resolution (CR) fully funds government services, maintains operations at current levels, and provides funding for veterans, firefighters, social security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Facing the shutdown deadline, Congress signaled approving a “clean CR” along party lines last week when the White House and Republican reached an agreement on a “clean CR” to keep existing funding levels in place.
State Grants
H. 233, An act relating to requirements for State-funded grants
After taking up H. 233 on 2/26, the House Government Operations Committee will not be taking up H.233 in time to make it over in time for crossover. While this does mean the bill is unlikely to pass this year, it doesn’t mean our work is over. With priority bills passed out of their committee, and just a few bills coming over from their Senate counterparts, we anticipate the committee will be able to give adequate attention to H. 233 in the coming months, teeing it up for 2026.
Please email [email protected] to receive updates/action alerts on this issue and join us on April 22 for Nonprofit Legislative Day!
H. 13, An act relating to Medicaid payment rates for home- and community-based service providers
H. 13 was passed by the House and has been referred to the Senate Health & Welfare Committee. This bill would:
- Require the Secretary of Human Services to determine reasonable and adequate Medicaid payment rates for providers of home- and community-based services.
- Direct the Secretary to adopt rules setting forth the methodology for those payment rates, and for Medicaid payment rates for DAs and SSAs, that accounts for inflation, client absences, and Vermont labor rates and sets a predictable timeline for redetermining rates.
- Directs the Secretary to establish a process for providers whose financial condition places it at immanent risk of closure to seek extraordinary financial relief from the agency.
- Require the Secretary to redetermine rates annually and report the rates and funding needed to Legislative committees.
Budget Adjustment Act
The Budget Adjustment Act, the appropriation bill that accounts for mid-year changes, was voted out by the Conference Committee for Appropriations on 2/28. Highlights of the package that net an additional $3.81M on top of the FY25 budget include:
- Adds $1.8 million to support General Assistance Emergency Housing, extending emergency winter weather housing provisions for eligible populations through June 30, 2025.
- Adds $8.6 million to the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board for various housing initiatives.
- Adds $1.8 million for grants to municipalities impacted by floods.
- Directs the Department for Children and Families to fully utilize the State’s allocation of discretionary exemptions in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to the extent permitted by federal regulation.
- Provides $10 million for provider stabilization grants for Medicaid participating providers with stabilization needs and sustainability plans.
Read the full summary here. The bill is now on it’s way to the Governor’s desk but Governor Scott has already said he plans to veto it due to the inclusion of funding for the emergency winter weather housing program.
Data Privacy
The Senate Institutions Committee spend this week taking testimony on S. 71, An act relating to consumer data privacy and online surveillance. Testimony was split between those supporting S. 71, and those in favor of a similar bill, S. 93, An act relating to consumer data privacy. Those supporting S. 71 referenced components of the bill not included in S. 93 including data minimization requirements, the ban on the sale of sensitive data, and the private right to action. Witnesses in support of S. 71 also advocated that it has stronger protections against the sale of information by data brokers.
S. 93, on the other hand, exempts nonprofits and small businesses, aligns with legislation passed in neighboring states, and does not include a private right to action. It also has a much higher applicability threshold than S. 71 (100,000 consumers vs. 6,250).
Common Good Vermont greatly supports the efforts of both of these bills to protect personal information against misuse by large corporations and data brokers. However, we do have concerns about applying the same requirements to small nonprofits and businesses that will face disproportionate costs and barriers to coming into compliance, and do not pose the same level of risk to consumer data. For this reason, we’ve signed on to this op-ed alongside fellow nonprofits, the Chamber of Commerce, and others, in support of S. 93.
On 3/13, the Institutions Committee decided they will do a strike-all amendment to S. 71, replacing it with the language from S. 93.
Housing
Committee Bills
Both the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs and the House Committee on General & Housing have been working on housing bills. The House committee voted draft 9.1 of their bill (this draft fiscal note based on draft 7.2 provides an overview) out on 3/13, but still needs to make it through the Appropriations and Ways and Means committees. The differences between the two chambers will likely wound up being hashed out by a committee of conference.
H. 91, An act relating to the Emergency Temporary Shelter Program
H. 91 has undergone significant changes this week, including moving state shelter funding out of AHS/OEO to be administered by CAPs. The committee is still working bill at this time.
Health Care
S. 27, An act relating to medical debt relief and excluding medical debt from credit report
Senate Health and Welfare Committee has voted out S. 27, An act relating to medical debt relief and excluding medical debt from credit reports. This bill, supported by the State Treasurer, prohibits credit reporting agencies from reporting or maintaining in the file on consumer information relating to a medical debt.
Watch the Treasurer’s Virtual Policy Forum on Medical Debt Relief.
H. 102, An act relating to annual reporting on health care sharing plans and arrangements
Health care sharing plans (or health care sharing ministries) are (often religious) organizations that resemble health insurance, and often cost less, but are not required to pay medical claims. H. 102 would not restrict the operations of HCSPs/HCSMs, but it would give the state the power to collect information from them to understand how these entities are operating in Vermont as very little is currently known. Colorado has passed similar legislation.
While the House Health Care Committee hasn’t taken action since hearing a bill introduction from Rep. Conor Casey, Common Good Vermont is curious to learn if nonprofits (or nonprofit employees) have been targeted by, or have experience with, HCSPs/HCSMs. Please reach out to [email protected]
Community Safety
H. 2, An act relating to increasing the minimum age for delinquency proceedings
H. 2 was passed by the House on 3/13. The bill delays the “Raise the Age” initiative, that would move most charges for offenders 19- and 20-years old out of criminal and into family court, for two more years. This was a compromise between immediate implementation and ending the initiative entirely. H. 2 also increases the age one can be charged with juvenile offenses from 10 to 12. Read more from VTDigger.
S.44, An act relating to requiring legislative approval prior to entering into certain immigration agreements & S.56, An act relating to creating an Office of New Americans
On 3/13, S. 44 was passed by the Senate and S. 56 was voted out of Senate Government Operations.
Read more about these bills from VTDigger.
Have feedback? Questions? Want to engage in our advocacy work? Email [email protected].