Conference committee agrees language changes to H.91, adds $3 million for housing and adjusts regional council membership

Conference committee members reviewing H.91 on Thursday afternoon discussed and provisionally approved several edits to the bill text, including reinstating a finding, adding legislative intent to move emergency housing and the HOP program into a regularly funded structure beginning in fiscal year 27, shifting statewide homelessness organizations to required membership on regional advisory councils, and adding $3,000,000 to the Department for Children and Families to increase capacity for permanent affordable housing, emergency shelters and permanent supportive housing, with any unspent money carried forward.

The committee’s staff read the Senate proposal into the record and pointed to an insertion in the bill’s findings section that committee members agreed should be reinserted. "That's the big one. I couldn't remember any conversation about removing it," said Committee member 3.

The bill text being discussed includes a new statement of legislative intent that, as read by staff, "it is the intent of the general assembly that [be heard] for places the provision of emergency housing through the general assistance program and the HOP program beginning in fiscal year 27 using consistent and stable funding." Committee members asked for time to consider precise wording so the provision would be administrable and less likely to prompt a veto. "I don't disagree with the concept...we're all trying to walk a line of, wanting a bill that makes sense and a bill that the governor's not gonna veto," said Committee member 3.

Members also addressed the regional advisory councils established by the bill. The Senate proposal moves "statewide homelessness organizations" from a permissive (may) role to a required (shall) role in subdivision 1. Committee members discussed what "statewide homelessness organizations" means in practice and whether organizations could or would attend every regional meeting. Senator Gulick said inclusion of a statewide voice helps connect regional activity to state-level policy.

To accommodate local differences — notably in Chittenden County, where the local Continuum of Care (CoC) performs the functions of a local housing coalition — the committee agreed to language that recognizes a "local housing coalition or local continuum of care serving as the local housing coalition." A staff member confirmed that this wording was intended to incorporate regional variations in how local coordination is structured.

Other technical and funding items the committee discussed include:

- Reimbursement for nonprofessional members of regional councils would increase from four meetings annually to eight meetings annually. - Section 3 of the bill (EPART) was noted to take effect July 1, 2025. - Language tied to emergency-shelter-related support services was shortened and federal references clarified in subdivision text relating to shelter beds. - The committee reverted one funding line to the Senate’s figure of "5.085" (the transcript did not specify units or whether this is millions; that detail was not specified and may be an accounting shorthand in the draft). The staff noted removal of a house-added figure of "515" from that paragraph. - The Senate text adds $3,000,000 to DCF "to enhance capacity for the creation [and] expansion of permanent affordable housing, emergency shelters, and permanent supportive housing capacity," with any unspent funds carried forward.

Committee members indicated there may be additional accounting adjustments and a chance to revisit the $3,000,000 line. One member said staff would do a bit more work on the accounting and that a short private conversation would follow about a separate $515,000 item that will not be resolved during the public session.

Discussion in the meeting mixed negotiated drafting details, policy intent and budget arithmetic. Several members emphasized the need for clear language that could be implemented by agencies without creating unintended fiscal or legal complications; others flagged practical limits on which organizations can reliably attend regional council meetings.

Next steps: the committee indicated it will continue refining language and accounting for the funding lines in subsequent sessions and follow-up work by staff. A member requested a brief offline conversation about the separate $515,000 matter before finalizing that portion of the draft.