House committee hears H.38 to add staff, funding for Vermont Human Rights Commission

The House General and Housing Committee on Jan. 22 heard H.38, a bill that would add staff and funding to the Vermont Human Rights Commission to address a growing backlog of discrimination complaints, committee members and commission staff said.

The bill, as read by Office of Legislative Council staff, would authorize six additional full-time positions and two additional part-time positions for fiscal year 2026 and requests operating and facility funds to support those positions, Sophie Pizzadatni of the Office of Legislative Council told the committee.

Representative Kevin Christie, who identified himself as a representative from Hartford and chair of the Vermont Human Rights Commission for the hearing, framed the bill by describing everyday incidents that lead to complaints and the human impact of delays. "When you think of all of the members of our community that are protected by our laws ... you don't realize how important it is," Christie said, citing examples such as inaccessible parking and disputes over housing accommodations.

Amanda Garces, director of policy, education and outreach for the Vermont Human Rights Commission, told the committee the agency cannot meet current demand with existing staff. "We have seven staff members that are not able to meet the current demand," Garces said. She said the commission had turned away about 50 people as of December and, as of that month, had roughly 68 active investigations and about 15 matters in litigation. "We would like to have a case intake person," Garces said, and asked for a communications and outreach coordinator, additional investigators/staff attorneys, a paralegal, a part-time mediator and a part-time social worker/case manager.

Pizzadatni summarized the office's fiscal ask for the bill: "one full-time permanent communications and outreach coordinator; one full-time permanent intake specialist; three full-time permanent staff attorney investigators; one full-time permanent paralegal; one part-time permanent mediator; and one part-time permanent social worker/case manager," and she said the request is for fiscal year 2026. She also reported line-item funding described for the proposal: $25,000 for education and outreach, roughly $794,600 for salary and benefits, $18,000 for related operating expenses and equipment, and $50,000 for additional office space.

Committee members asked for clarifying information to put the request in context, including the commission's current staffing and total budget and whether other state or nonprofit providers are shifting work or funding. Garces said the commission receives some HUD funding for fair housing work and coordinates with Legal Aid and the attorney general's office on certain matters, but the primary driver of the backlog is increased volume and staff turnover. "One of our investigators left just a couple of weeks ago," Garces said, describing investigator burnout and lengthy investigations that can last one to three years.

The committee did not vote on H.38 at the hearing. Members discussed using the Budget Adjustment Act (BAA) process to accelerate part of the funding and preparing a draft recommendation to the Appropriations Committee. The chair said the committee must submit a letter to the Appropriations Committee by Thursday and expected to include language from the Human Rights Commission in that draft. The committee scheduler also said the commission will return next week to provide fuller testimony and requested that the commission send precise position titles and cost language for the BAA request.

Next steps: the committee will receive formal testimony from the Human Rights Commission at a future hearing, the chair will draft a recommendation letter to the Appropriations Committee (due Thursday), and members will decide whether to pursue some funding in the BAA or wait for the FY2026 budget process. The committee discussed that BAA funding can make money available a few months earlier than including items in the regular budget.