Senate Finance Committee approves BAA provisions keeping marriage-license fee increase and delaying telecom tax repeal

The Senate Finance Committee approved H.49, the FY '25 Budget and Budget Adjustment Act (BAA), preserving a $20-per-license increase that funds victim services and town clerks and delaying the repeal of the telephone personal property tax by one year.

Committee staffer Chris, identified himself as the presenter and said, "The bill H 49 is the, FY '25 budget and budget adjustment act." He and the chair told senators the two items within the committee’s jurisdiction—(1) a one-year postponement of the effective date for repeal of the telephone personal property tax and (2) removal of a two-year sunset on a prior marriage-license fee increase—are unchanged from the earlier version previously considered by the panel.

The committee was told the Department of Taxes requested the one-year delay in section 59 (page 43) so the department will have more time to bring on a contractor to perform the valuation work required to place communications property on the grand list. The BAA language in section 59 retains that delay.

Section 86 (page 69) removes the prospective two-year repeal that would have lowered the marriage-license fee from $80 back to $60 at the end of the fiscal year. The committee was told the original $20 increase—enacted two years earlier—directed $15 of the increase to the domestic violence special fund and $5 to town clerks. Committee staff estimated that, absent the sunset-strike language, the domestic violence special fund would lose roughly $72,000 per year and town clerks statewide would lose a little over $20,000 per year if fees reverted.

Senator Hardy moved to approve the BAA as sent to the committee; the motion was seconded (second not specified in the transcript) and the committee recorded ayes and nays before approving the measure. Named roll-call responses in the record included yes votes from Senator Ardy, Senator Gulick and Senator Kelly and no votes from Senator Beck and Senator Maddox. The committee chair then closed consideration of the two items in the committee’s jurisdiction and moved on to other housekeeping matters.

Committee members also touched briefly on external concerns: several senators discussed the possibility that repeated vetoes of the BAA could attract attention from rating agencies and might affect the state’s fiscal image, though no formal action resulted from that exchange. The committee paused afterward to await additional witnesses for subsequent agenda items.

Votes at a glance: The committee approved the BAA provisions under its jurisdiction. Mover: Senator Hardy. Second: not specified in the transcript. Named votes recorded in the discussion: Ardy—yes; Gulick—yes; Kelly—yes; Beck—no; Maddox—no. The committee proceeded without changes to the items in its jurisdiction.

The committee indicated the two revenue items were the only matters falling within its jurisdiction in H.49; other changes in the bill were on the appropriation side and handled elsewhere in the legislative process. The committee did not change the text of sections 59 or 86 and sent its approval forward.