The House Appropriations Committee on March 21 approved an amendment that restores a $1.1 million appropriation from the Opioid Abatement Special Fund to the City of Burlington for establishment of an overdose prevention center, and then reported H.218 as amended out of committee.

Katie McLennan of the Office of Legislative Counsel said the amendment (2.1) returns language in H.218 to the governor’s recommendation by fully appropriating $1,100,000 for the Burlington project “upon submission of a grant proposal that has been approved by the Burlington City Council and meets the requirements in statute, including the guidelines developed by the Department of Health.” She said the language also includes intent that the General Assembly continue to appropriate funds from the Opioid Abatement Special Fund through fiscal year 2028 unless the fund lacks sufficient monies.

Why it matters: the committee restored funding the Department of Health and the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee recommended for an overdose prevention center in Burlington. Committee members asked how appropriation and use of funds would be handled if federal authorities challenged or prevented operation of a supervised consumption site; staff said grantees typically bill against awarded grant agreements and that unused appropriated funds would depend on the specifics of grant agreements and expenditures.

Committee action and votes: an amendment (2.1) to restore the $1,100,000 appropriation was moved, considered and put to recorded roll-call vote. The committee recorded the amendment vote at 10 yes, 1 no, 0 abstain. Following that vote, the committee voted to approve H.218 as amended and reported it out of committee.

What the language says: McLennan summarized the restored subdivision as follows: it appropriates $1,100,000 to the Vermont Department of Health to award grants to the City of Burlington for establishing an overdose prevention center upon submission of a city-approved grant proposal that meets statutory requirements and Department of Health guidelines. The amendment also contains intent language for continued appropriations from the Opioid Abatement Special Fund through fiscal year 2028, conditional on fund balance.

Committee members raised legal and programmatic questions: several members asked what would happen to appropriated funds if federal authorities pursued enforcement actions that affected operation of a supervised consumption site; McLennan said she would consult with JFO and staff about typical grant-billing and the mechanics of reverting or reallocating funds if a project could not proceed. Representative members and staff emphasized the appropriation is from the opioid settlement fund and not the general fund.

Quotations used in this story are drawn from committee remarks recorded on the March 21, 2025 House Appropriations Committee transcript.