Appropriations committee amendment restores overdose-prevention appropriation to H.218; straw poll taken

The committee considered an Appropriations Committee amendment to H.218 (opioid abatement settlement fund) that restores a $1,100,000 appropriation to the Department of Health for an overdose prevention center.

Katie, staff reviewing the amendment, said the amendment adds the $1.1 million appropriation back into the bill’s list of items for fiscal year 2026 and renumbers the remaining items in the section. She described the change as restoring the amount previously removed earlier in the drafting process.

Representative Lully, speaking for the Appropriations Committee, said the committee restored the appropriation because the city of Burlington had selected a provider since the bill first passed the committee and because setting up an overdose prevention center requires substantial planning and one-time expenses. "It did not seem wise to me to hold back some of the money," she said, noting the committee planned to appropriate the full $1,100,000 for FY 2026 so the city and provider could proceed with siting, fit-up and outreach.

Nolan, fiscal staff, reported projected inflows into the opioid settlement abatement fund and a balance estimate: after the appropriation in the bill as passed, the fund bottom line was about $3,250,000; after restoring the $1.1 million the projected bottom line would be about $2,160,000. Nolan provided multi-year projections showing roughly $4 million per year incoming through the early 2030s, then tapering.

Committee members debated whether to include carry-forward or reversion language to ensure unspent FY25 funds could be used for the FY26 commitment and discussed grant timing and contract periods that may not align with the state fiscal year. Committee members agreed to seek additional information from the Department of Health and the Joint Fiscal Office on grant language, carry-forward practice and the details of unobligated vs. unspent balances before final action.

Because this was a committee amendment under consideration, the chair conducted a nonbinding straw poll. The committee recorded seven members in favor of adopting the Appropriations Committee amendment. The straw poll was explicitly nonbinding and committee members asked staff to return with additional fiscal detail before formal action.

Ending: The committee took a nonbinding straw poll in favor of the amendment and requested follow-up from the Department of Health and fiscal staff; no formal binding vote was recorded in the transcript.