The House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs used its first meeting of the biennium to introduce members and outline priorities for the session, focusing on veterans’ benefits and pensions, military and National Guard affairs, emergency response and climate resiliency, election access and voting administration, and government accountability.

“My goal for the next half hour is to just do some light introductions … and then I wanna talk a little bit about individual policy desires and priorities so we can start shaping our committee's agenda for the session,” Representative Matt Byron, the committee chair, said at the start of the meeting.

Members identified several recurring themes. Representative Lisa Hango and others highlighted military affairs and National Guard issues, saying the committee will work on veterans’ pensions and services. Representative Michael Morgan and multiple members urged attention to veterans’ needs, including access to health care and support for those affected by toxic exposures and post‑service illness. Committee members discussed coordinating with federal partners and the state’s National Guard leadership to address cases that cross state lines and require federal coordination.

Emergency response and climate resiliency were raised repeatedly. Members said flood response and fire resilience remain priorities after recent severe weather events, and that firefighters and first responders should be brought in to testify on staffing, training and deployment needs.

Elections and voting access were also an early priority. Members flagged: overseas and military voter access, the timing and delivery of absentee ballots by mail, and the prospect of secure electronic signature or electronic-delivery pilots for ballots. Representative comments included both support for pilots to reduce barriers and concern about ballot security and the administrative load on local clerks. Committee members asked that witnesses from the U.S. Postal Service and other outside experts be invited to testify.

The committee also discussed government oversight work. Several members said they will pursue an accountability mechanism to review whether laws passed in prior sessions produced the expected results, including working with the state auditor and creating a small subcommittee or pilot oversight group.

Operational notes and next steps announced at the meeting included deadlines and how the committee will work: the chair and vice chair said bill‑submission deadlines fall at the end of January; supporting documents and written testimony should be sent to the committee assistant, Autumn, to be posted on the committee web page; and members said the committee will give at least 24 hours’ public notice before any warned committee votes.

Committee members asked staff to arrange witnesses and briefings on Department of Corrections staffing and large employee payout questions that have appeared in recent reporting, on veterans’ home operations and on grants processes intended to speed funding to small governments and nonprofits.

The committee also agreed to pursue a site visit to the Vermont Veterans Home and asked trustees who are committee members to coordinate with the home’s leadership to identify a date, ideally after flu season when visitation risks are lower.

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