Senate Appropriations committee holds orientation, outlines budget timetable and member assignments

Members of the Vermont Senate Appropriations Committee met for an orientation in which Joint Fiscal Office staff explained the committee’s role in producing the state budget, reviewed the midyear “budget adjustment,” discussed timeline milestones and member assignments, and completed a clerking appointment.

The Joint Fiscal Office’s deputy fiscal officer, Emily Burnham, told members that “the appropriations act is the must‑pass bill” and that JFO will provide nonpartisan fiscal analysis and support to the committee throughout the session. JFO staff described their roles and the products members should expect, including department “ups and downs” documents, vantage reports and proposed language changes ahead of department testimony.

The orientation covered why the midyear budget adjustment (sometimes called the budget adjustment act) exists and how it differs from the next fiscal year budget. JFO and staff said the adjustment updates the current fiscal year (fiscal 2025 in the committee’s discussion) for revenue or program changes, and emphasized that adding new policy to the adjustment can lengthen the process. The meeting also flagged two calendar items that can alter the committee’s work: the Emergency Board’s upcoming revenue forecast and…