Committee approves 31-bill FY2026 budget package; measures sent to full body under closed rule

St. Thomas, V.I. — The Committee on Rules and Judiciary of the 36th Legislature voted on Sept. 15 to forward a package of 31 budget bills for fiscal year 2026 to the full Legislature under a closed rule, after the committee approved each bill in a series of roll-call votes.

The bills, compiled by the Committee on Budget Appropriations and Finance and vetted over multiple hearings this summer, together make up the territory’s proposed FY2026 spending plan. Committee members said the package is balanced and includes targeted increases for hospitals, school construction, road maintenance, and nonprofit and senior services.

Why it matters: The votes allow the Legislature to consider the full slate during general session without amendments in committee. Lawmakers and staff emphasized the package funds core services — including health care, capital improvements on St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John, and support for nonprofit programs — and that the territory must collect projected revenues to support the spending plan.

Most important facts

- The committee approved 31 bills that make appropriations from multiple local funds (general fund, special revolving funds and charitable funds) for fiscal year 10/01/2025–09/30/2026 and forwarded each to the full Legislature under a closed rule (Rule 314(b)(4)).

- Budget highlights mentioned in committee debate include a $2.5 million increase for hospitals (including funding for the Charlotte Kimelman Center and cardiac services), a $35,000 salary threshold for a raise affecting workers earning under $35,000, an estimated health-insurance cost increase of about $27 million with $20.5 million budgeted to help cover it, and roughly $139 million in revenue tied to disaster-recovery projects cited by committee members.

- The package includes targeted appropriations from several funds: Caribbean Basin Initiative funds, tourism advertising revolving funds, the Transportation Trust Fund, the Virgin Islands Insurance Guarantee Fund…