House Committee on Human Services

 

AGENDA

 

Room 11 and Zoom

October 30, 2025

Last Updated 10/24/2025 12:54 PM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-human-services.

Thursday, October 30, 2025

9:00 AM                   Impact of Federal/State Changes to SNAP; Food Insecurity

Review of federal changes; Vermont's implementation

Miranda Gray, Deputy Commissioner, Economic Services Division, Department for Children and Families

Leslie Wisdom, Food & Nutrition Program Director, Department for Children and Families - Invited

 

9:45 AM                   Impact of Federal/State Changes to SNAP; Food Insecurity

Implications for low-income individuals; impact on community providers

Liz Scharf, Director of Community Economic Development and Food Security, Capstone Community Action

Claire Kendall, Executive Director, Family Center of Washington County

 

10:15 AM                   Impact of Federal/State Changes to SNAP; Food Insecurity

Carrie Stahler, Senior Government Affairs Manager, Vermont Foodbank

Anore Horton, Executive Director, Hunger Free Vermont

 

10:55 AM                   Break

 

11:05 AM                   Impact of Federal/State Changes to SNAP; Food Insecurity

Impact on Special Immigration Visa individuals

Tracy Dolan, Director, State Refugee Office, Agency of Human Services - Invited

Molly Gray, Executive Director, Vermont Afghan Alliance

Sonali Samarasinghe, Director, US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

Joe Wiah, Director, ECDC-VT

Miranda Gray, Deputy Commissioner, Economic Services Division, Department for Children and Families

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Housing/Homelessness

Availability of HUD housing vouchers; impact on homelessness

Kathleen Berk, Executive Director, Vermont State Housing Authority

Taylor Thibault, Chair, Chittenden County Homeless Alliance

 

1:45 PM                   Housing/Homelessness

Shelter Status; plans to shelter for 2025-2026 winter

Lily Sojourner, Director, Office of Economic Opportunity, Department for Children and Families - Invited

 

2:15 PM                   Housing/Homelessness

Ability to meet the need - community shelter providers

Jonathan Farrell, Executive Director, Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) - Invited

Julie Bond, Co-Executive Director, Good Samaritan Haven, Barre - Invited

Jenna O'Farrell, Executive Director, Northeast Kingdom Community Action - Invited

 

3:00 PM                   Housing/Homelessness

General Assistance update; plans to shelter for 2025-2026 winter

Miranda Gray, Deputy Commissioner, Economic Services Division, Department for Children and Families

 

-                                   Housing/Homelessness

Status of appeals post-Gubernatorial Executive Order

Maryellen Griffin, Staff Attorney, Vermont Legal Aid

Joseph Reinert, Chief Hearing Officer, Human Services Board - Invited

Brynn Hare, Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

4:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

ATTENTION WITNESSES

 

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

 

Should you require accessibility services, please click here and note that requests should be made 48 hours in advance of testimony.

 

 

 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Lori Morse at lmorse@leg.state.vt.us