House Committee on Human Services

 

AGENDA

 

Room 46 and Zoom

January 27, 2026 - January 30, 2026

Last Updated 1/30/2026 2:28 PM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

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

 

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

10:00 AM                   House Floor

 

After Floor                         Caucuses and Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   H. 594 - An act relating to establishing the Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program and the Return Home Program in fiscal years 2027 and 2028

Review 2025 Point-in-Time Count

Chad Simmons, Director, Housing and Homeless Alliance of Vermont

 

2:00 PM                   H. 594 - An act relating to establishing the Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program and the Return Home Program in fiscal years 2027 and 2028

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

Angus Chaney, Executive Director, Homeless Prevention Center, Rutland

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

Roxanne Carelli, Executive Director of Operational Development and Shelter Services, Bennington County Coalition for the Homeless

Jeanne Montross, Executive Director, Helping Overcome Poverty's Effects (HOPE)

Amy Shollenberger, Lobbyist, Action Circles, Vermont Community Action Partnership

 

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

9:00 AM                   Governor’s Proposed FY2027 Budget

AHS Budget

Jenney Samuelson, Secretary, Agency of Human Services

Tracy O'Connell, Chief Financial Officer, Agency of Human Services

Kristin McClure, Deputy Secretary, Agency of Human Services

Jill Mazza Olson, Medicaid and Health Systems Director, Agency of Human Services

Sandi Hoffman, Interim Commissioner, Department for Children and Families

Jon Murad, Interim Commissioner, Department of Corrections

Dr. Rick Hildebrant, MD, Commissioner, Department of Health

Emily Hawes, Commissioner, Department of Mental Health

Dr. Jill Bowen, Commissioner, Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living

DaShawn Groves, Commissioner, Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA)

 

10:15 AM                   Break

 

10:30 AM                   Governor’s Proposed FY2027 Budget

Individual member and group work time

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   H. 594 - An act relating to establishing the Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program and the Return Home Program in fiscal years 2027 and 2028

AHS Housing Initiative

The Committee will meet in Room 11 from 1:00 -3:30.

Sandi Hoffman, Interim Commissioner, Department for Children and Families

Kristin McClure, Deputy Secretary, Agency of Human Services

 

2:00 PM                   H. 594 - An act relating to establishing the Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program and the Return Home Program in fiscal years 2027 and 2028

AHS Housing Initiative - Department of Health

Dr. Rick Hildebrant, MD, Commissioner, Department of Health

Emily Trutor, Director of Substance Use Disorders, Department of Health

Shayla Livingston, MPH, Principal Assistant, Department of Health

 

-                                   H. 594 - An act relating to establishing the Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program and the Return Home Program in fiscal years 2027 and 2028

AHS Housing Initiative - Vermont Chronic Care Initiative

Renee Weeks, Director of Complex Care & Field Services, Agency of Human Services

 

-                                   H. 594 - An act relating to establishing the Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program and the Return Home Program in fiscal years 2027 and 2028

AHS Housing Initiative - DAIL

Dr. Jill Bowen, Commissioner, Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living

Angela Smith-Dieng, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living

 

-                                   H. 594 - An act relating to establishing the Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program and the Return Home Program in fiscal years 2027 and 2028

AHS Housing Initiative - Department of Mental Health

Samantha Sweet, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Mental Health

Kristen Briggs, Director of Mental Health Services, Department of Mental Health

Emily Hawes, Commissioner, Department of Mental Health

 

-                                   H. 594 - An act relating to establishing the Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program and the Return Home Program in fiscal years 2027 and 2028

AHS Housing Initiative - Department of Corrections

Kristin Calver, Deputy Commissioner, Vermont Department of Corrections

Travis Denton, Chief of Operations, Department of Corrections

Jill Moore, Housing Program Administrator, Department of Corrections

 

3:30 PM                   House Floor

 

Thursday, January 29, 2026

9:00 AM                   Mental Health Advocacy Day

Delaina Norton, Executive Director, Champlain Community Services

Beth Sightler, Executive Director, Washington County Mental Health Services

 

9:30 AM                   H. 594 - An act relating to establishing the Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program and the Return Home Program in fiscal years 2027 and 2028

Norman Croteau, Person with Lived Experience

Tamara Hodge, Person with Lived Experience

Ernest Cormia, Person with Lived Experience

 

10:20 AM                   H. 594 - An act relating to establishing the Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program and the Return Home Program in fiscal years 2027 and 2028

Committee Discussion

 

10:45 AM                   Break

 

11:00 AM                   Security Training

This will not be livestreamed due to sensitive content.

Agatha Kessler, Sergeant at Arms, Vermont General Assembly

John Poleway, Chief of Capitol Police, Capitol Police Department

Joe Tremblay, Officer, Capitol Police Department

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   H. 594 - An act relating to establishing the Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program and the Return Home Program in fiscal years 2027 and 2028

Alex Karambelas, Policy Advocate, ACLU of Vermont

Jessica Radbord, Staff Attorney, ACLU of Vermont

 

2:15 PM                   Break

 

2:25 PM                   H. 594 - An act relating to establishing the Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program and the Return Home Program in fiscal years 2027 and 2028

Matt Lawless, Town Manager, Shelburne

 

2:50 PM                   H. 660 - An act relating to fiscal year 2027 Opioid Abatement Special Fund appropriations

Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee recommendations

Jess Kirby, Vice-Chair, Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

3:30 PM                   House Floor

 

Friday, January 30, 2026

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

10:30 AM                   H. 660 - An act relating to fiscal year 2027 Opioid Abatement Special Fund appropriations

Shayla Livingston, MPH, Principal Assistant, Department of Health

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

Daniel Batsie, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Public Safety

 

11:20 AM                   H. 594 - An act relating to establishing the Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program and the Return Home Program in fiscal years 2027 and 2028

Thom Simmons, Executive Director, Neighborhood Connections

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   H. 594 - An act relating to establishing the Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program and the Return Home Program in fiscal years 2027 and 2028

Kathleen Berk, Executive Director, Vermont State Housing Authority

Elizabeth Bacon, Director of Housing Program Administration, Vermont State Housing Authority

Kim Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Officer, Cathedral Square

Deanna Hartog, Poverty Law Fellow, Vermont Legal Aid

 

2:25 PM                   Break

 

2:30 PM                   H. 594 - An act relating to establishing the Temporary Emergency Housing and Accountability Program and the Return Home Program in fiscal years 2027 and 2028

Brenda Siegel, Executive Director, End Homelessness Vermont

 

-                                   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 Lori.Morse@vtleg.gov