Committee letter opposes elimination of Vermont support service provider program for deaf‑blind clients
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Summary
A committee letter reviewed by the House Appropriations Committee says it does not concur with a proposed elimination of the Vermont support service provider program, which supports people who are deaf and blind; staff suggested the line might be a pilot scheduled to end June 30 rather than a permanent elimination.
During the March 11 meeting of the House Committee on Appropriations, a committee member drew attention to a committee letter that “do[es] not concur with proposed elimination of Vermont support service provider program,” asking staff to confirm the program’s scope.
Members said the program funds interpreter-style support for people who are deaf and blind. The committee member who read the letter said it appears on page 3, line 71 of the committee letters spreadsheet and urged members to note that the wording could affect scoring.
Staff replied that, according to department conversations, the funding appeared to be a pilot scheduled to end June 30 and that the department did not characterize it as an absolute elimination but rather as a decision not to renew the pilot. The Chair acknowledged the clarification and thanked the member who raised the concern.
Committee members agreed the wording in committee letters could change how an item scores in the prioritization exercise and requested that members reviewing the sheets keep the program's purpose—support for people who are deaf and blind—in mind when assigning priority.
No formal vote or action to restore funding occurred during the session; the committee will proceed with the prioritization exercise and may revisit items as chairs refine priorities later in the week.