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Fiscal Committee adopts consent and regular calendars; votes at a glance
Summary
At its May 16 meeting the Fiscal Committee approved rule changes, multiple budget items and personnel adjustments and set June 20 as the likely date for the next meeting. Several items were removed from the consent calendar for questions before being adopted.
The Fiscal Committee convened on May 16 and approved rule changes, minutes and a range of consent and regular calendar items after brief question-and-answer exchanges with agency officials. Committee members removed a handful of items from the consent calendar for discussion before adopting the remainder by voice vote.
Items removed from consent and discussed individually included budget adjustments for the Laconia campus (25 1 1 1), the Department of Justice temporary pathologist funding (25 1 1 5), and a Department of Energy position (25 1 3 9). Committee members questioned agency representatives about utility charges, personnel needs and budgeting; each item was adopted after discussion.
The committee also approved a technical change to rules and procedures that the chair described as effectively approving American Rescue Plan funds through December 2026 and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds through June 30, 2027. Minutes from the April 18 meeting were adopted. The committee adopted regular-calendar items including Department of Health and Human Services item 25 1 1 4 and a list of school security improvement projects under item 25 1 3 1. The Department of Health and Human Services also presented item 25126, an MCO incentive-pool mechanism, which the committee approved.
The committee settled scheduling for its next meeting on June 20 and discussed room logistics; members indicated an 11 a.m. start in Room 100 at the Statehouse, with Reps' Hall as an alternate if needed.
Votes at a glance
- Change to rules and procedures (de facto approval of American Rescue Plan through Dec. 2026 and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through June 30, 2027): motion adopted by voice vote. - Minutes, April 18: adopted by voice vote. - Consent calendar (tabs 4–7) except listed exceptions: adopted by voice vote. - Item 25 1 1 1 — Laconia campus utilities adjustment: adopted (motion by Senator Grama; second by Representative Griffin). - Item 25 1 1 5 — DOJ funding for temporary fourth pathologist removed from consent, adopted (Kathleen Carr confirmed funding was not carried forward into the 26/27 budget). - Item 25126 — DHHS Medicaid MCO incentive pool: adopted (department officials explained structure and actuarial constraints). - Item 25 1 3 9 — Department of Energy position removed from consent, adopted (commissioner said the department could reassign duties to existing staff). - Item 25 1 3 1 — School security improvement projects list: adopted. - Item 25 1 1 4 — DHHS regular-calendar item: adopted.
Committee members requested follow-up materials on several items, including a detailed analysis of Winnipesaukee River Basin charge increases and actuarial details on the Medicaid incentive pool, to be routed via the Legislative Budget Assistant. The committee adjourned and noted the next likely meeting date of June 20 at 11 a.m.
