LCAR withdraws objection and approves amended DCF emergency housing assistance rule

The Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules on March 13 accepted revisions from the Department for Children and Families and voted to withdraw its prior objection to the department's emergency housing assistance rules, then approved the amended rule.

Committee staff introduced an objection to specific provisions in the Department's emergency housing assistance/general assistance purchasing housing assistance rules. Heidi, a DCF staff member, told the committee that DCF received a formal notice of objection to specified subsections and decided to remove those provisions from the rule. She said the department proposed a modified rule with the contested sections eliminated.

Committee members discussed timing for filing. Heidi said the amended rule will take effect 15 days after it is filed with the Secretary of State, which, depending on signatures, would likely be in mid-April to May 1. The committee chair noted concerns about overlap between the emergency rule and new program approval language.

Brenda Siegel, who identified herself as executive director of "mental illness this Vermont," addressed the committee during public comment. Siegel said clients and people across the state had struggled with the provisions the committee had objected to and expressed frustration that the provisions had not been implemented earlier. She warned that, if the governor vetoed the BAA and people were exited on April 1, the delay could cause significant hardship.

A committee member moved to withdraw the objection and then to approve the rule as amended. Both motions were approved by voice vote; the transcript records unanimous "ayes" with no roll-call tally provided in the record.