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Senate advances two‑year capital bill; committee maintains $100 million bonding recommendation, adopts several re‑allocations
Summary
The Senate Institutions Committee presented H.494, a two‑year capital bill that the committee packaged with a $100 million bonding recommendation, cash appropriations and project reallocations; a House‑sourced $250,000 amendment for a women's recovery residence was adopted and a Windsor property transfer amendment failed.
The Senate Institutions Committee on Monday presented H.494, a two‑year capital construction and bonding bill that the committee said follows the Capital Debt Affordability Advisory Committee’s recommendation of $100 million in general obligation bonding for the biennium.
Senator Harrison, reporting for the committee, described the bill as “a two‑year bill to fund capital projects” and said committee members would review the bill’s spreadsheet and highlighted items where the Senate differed from the House or the governor’s recommendations.
The bill combines bonded and cash appropriations across multiple agencies and projects. The Senate committee’s report and its floor presentation emphasized project‑level reallocations, the new 2022 cash fund that the treasurer and the Joint Fiscal Office now use to pay some projects in cash rather than by bond, and the need for a JFO study on the tradeoffs of cash versus bonding.
Key items the committee highlighted included:
- Funding for three housing projects the committee recommended be supported with cash rather than bonding, including a $1.1 million redevelopment of the historic Bankton High School in Bennington that will include 17 perpetual affordable units (three units reserved for people experiencing homelessness), workforce‑restricted units, a senior center and a 102‑slot child care space.
- A recommendation of $425,000 toward an initial phase of restoration work at the Bennington Battle Monument (the committee noted $500,000 is likely needed to complete phase 1A).
- Reallocations of previously appropriated funds to meet an urgent FY26 funding need at the White River Junction courthouse.
- A $250,000 Senate amendment (moved from Appropriations) specifying DHCD support for Hope Grove Recovery to establish a new recovery residence in St. Albans; the Senate adopted that amendment.
The committee also addressed several newly added or modified items: a $100,000 site study for a Central Vermont development parcel; $250,000 for a five‑bed women’s recovery house in St. Albans; funding for upgrades and major maintenance at UVM and the Vermont State Colleges; dam safety and water infrastructure projects; and equipment and infrastructure for Forests, Parks and Recreation and Fish & Wildlife.
Senators debated an amendment from the Windsor delegation that would have required the Buildings and General Services commissioner to submit an actionable plan by Dec. 15, 2025, for the former Windsor prison site and, if certain conditions were met, would have transferred the property to the town of Windsor with a $2 million appropriation for demolition and remediation. The Senate divided the question and rejected both parts of the Windsor amendment after floor debate; committee leadership said more stakeholder testimony would be needed before a transfer or appropriation could be directed by statute.
Senator Watson, reporting for Appropriations, said the Appropriations Committee reviewed the capital bill and recommended concurrence with no further changes (vote 7–0).
The Senate then voted to propose the committee’s amendments to the House (including the $250,000 Hope Grove Recovery specification) and ordered third reading of H.494.
What happens next: The Senate’s proposal of amendment goes back to the House for concurrence or conference; legislators also signaled a planned JFO study on the cash‑versus‑bond tradeoffs to inform future capital planning.
