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Appropriations committee strips positions from early‑childhood licensure bill, ties implementation to FY27 funding
Summary
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amendment removing appropriation language and new positions from the early‑childhood educator licensure bill and made the licensure’s effective date contingent on a fiscal‑year 2027 appropriation.
The Vermont Senate Committee on Appropriations approved an amendment to the early‑childhood educator licensure portion of a bill on May 21 that removes section 18 — which included fiscal year 2026–27 appropriations and new position authorizations — and makes the licensure provisions effective only if the Legislature provides an appropriation for fiscal year 2027.
Katie McLennan, Office of Legislative Council, told the committee that the amendment “deletes section 18 of the bill, which had appropriations in the bill for fiscal year '26 and '27 and also created new positions,” and that the measure replaces the existing effective‑date language with one making the licensure take effect “on July 1 contingent on there being a fiscal year '27 appropriation for the implementation of the new chapter.”
Committee members said removing the appropriation language was intended to preserve the budget agreement reached with the House and the governor. A committee member noted the positions in section 18 “was a big deal on our construct of the budget,” and that eliminating the positions from this bill keeps the appropriations package consistent with what the Senate included in its budget work.
Committee discussion also acknowledged that the House could take different action on the licensure language. McLennan said the amendment preserves the licensure structure in statute but delays the staffing and implementation until funds are available, and that the House might either accept the contingent‑implementation language or remove the licensure provisions entirely.
Members agreed to have the amendment presented as coming from the committee; counsel said the amendment would be posted to the committee website and sent to editing before the bill goes to the floor. The committee later voted to report the related appropriations bill favorably with the committee’s amendment; roll call recorded Senators Norris, Watson, Baruth, Lyons, Westman, Brennan and Perchlet voting yes.
The action leaves licensure language in place while removing the immediate budgetary effect of hiring new positions until a separate appropriation is approved.
