House Appropriations Committee approves amendment to S.122 advancing appropriations, baby‑bonds pilot and convention‑center study

The Vermont House Appropriations Committee on May 27, 2025, approved a committee amendment to S.122 and voted to report the bill favorably to the full House. The committee’s action, taken unanimously on the record, advances multiple provisions: clarified one‑time appropriations for small‑business supports, a seven‑member task force to study construction of a convention center and performance venue, statutory direction and a special fund for a baby‑bonds pilot, and establishment language for a Vermont–Ireland Trade Commission.

The amendment keeps language allocating $200,000 to the Vermont Professionals of Color Network and $150,000 to the Department of Economic Development for a grant to the Vermont Small Business Development Center; both amounts are described as already appropriated in the fiscal bill and are presented in S.122 as allocation/enabling language rather than new appropriations. The committee removed a $25,000 line item tied to the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund after staff said that amount was already restored in the enacted budget and was not intended as a separate appropriation.

The bill creates a seven‑member task force to review the feasibility of constructing a convention center and a performance venue; the task force includes two legislative members, executive‑branch designees, and representatives of statewide business and regional planning groups. The committee amended the reimbursement section so legislative members’ per diem payments are drawn from monies appropriated to the General Assembly, and non‑legislative members’ per diem (if not paid by their employer) may be paid from the Agency of Commerce and Community Development budget. The task force may meet not more than six times, with an initial meeting possible July 15, 2025, and must file an interim report by Nov. 1, 2025, and a final report by Nov. 1, 2026.

S.122 also adds session law establishing a five‑year baby‑bonds pilot program administered by the State Treasurer. The amendment creates a special fund to receive gifts, donations and grants for the pilot and requires annual reports to specified legislative committees during the pilot and a final treasurer’s report on or before Jan. 15, 2031, summarizing recipient demographics, income, geography, behavioral changes and access to wraparound services. The revised language makes commencement of a fully funded permanent trust contingent on both the treasurer’s final pilot report and a future appropriation by the General Assembly.

The Vermont–Ireland Trade Commission language was amended to explicitly state that commission members will not receive state reimbursement or compensation for service; the amendment also sets appointment and sunset dates (appointments deadline Oct. 1, 2026; automatic repeal/sunset review June 30, 2030). Sections of the bill tied to the baby‑bonds pilot and the convention‑center task force were set to take effect on passage so those bodies can begin meeting and preparing reports.

Committee staff from the fiscal office confirmed that the per‑diem costs for the task force can be accommodated within the current fiscal 2026 budgets identified for the General Assembly and ACCD; the committee adjusted language to reflect that those payments would be drawn from the stated appropriations.

The committee’s vote to accept the amendment and report S.122 favorably was recorded as unanimous on the transcript roll calls. The committee chair indicated the bill will move to the House floor for further consideration and that members may see other related bills on the floor later in the day.

Background: S.122 collects several economic‑development and workforce items previously considered in other committees, clarifies statutory responsibilities for the recently created Office of Workforce Strategy and Development, and places several one‑time allocations and enabling language into session law so the programs and pilot authorities can proceed. The bill does not appropriate additional recurring general‑fund dollars beyond what the enacted fiscal bill already contains; the baby‑bonds pilot is structured to launch only if donations and the treasurer’s procedures support a pilot, and continuation into a permanent program must be approved by a future appropriation.

Next steps: The committee reported S.122 favorably as amended and will transmit the bill to the House floor. The task force appointments and administration of the baby‑bonds pilot are contingent on the statutory timelines and on the treasurer’s receipt of designated funds for the pilot.