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House Committee on General & Housing considers amendment to allow ADA coordinator to apply for grants, accept donations
Summary
On March 24, the House Committee on General & Housing discussed an amendment to H 861 that would explicitly authorize a statewide ADA coordinator to apply for grants and accept donations. Representative Dan Noyes presented the amendment and reported a Human Services Committee straw poll of 9-0-2; members debated legal and tax implications but did not record a final vote.
The House Committee on General & Housing met on March 24 to discuss an amendment to H 861 that would add to the ADA coordinator’s duties the explicit authority "to apply for grants and accept donations to support the work that they're doing," Representative Dan Noyes said.
The amendment was presented by Representative Dan Noyes, a member of the Human Services Committee and a resident of Wolcott. Noyes told the committee the language mirrors provisions used recently for an animal welfare fund and said the Human Services Committee had signaled support in a straw poll, 9-0-2.
The matter drew detailed legal and practical questions from members. The committee’s presiding member (Chair) cautioned that administrative officials are generally limited to powers the law explicitly grants and said grantors often require a statutory citation showing authority to receive funds. "When you apply for a grant, you have to include the act that gives you the authority to apply," the Chair said, arguing that the amendment would provide that clarity.
Members also discussed the difference between writing grant applications and soliciting donations. One lawmaker asked whether donors could claim tax deductions for gifts directed to a state office; the Chair responded that donations to the state do not automatically produce a tax deduction for the donor and suggested, as a common practice, that supporters establish a separate 501(c)(3) to channel private support for public programs.
Noyes stressed the amendment would create an option rather than a mandate: it would allow the coordinator to pursue outside funding but would not require solicitation. "We asked just that you consider an amendment ... to allow them to apply for grants and accept donations to support the work that they're doing," he said.
There was no formal roll-call vote on the amendment recorded in this transcript. Noyes said he would "report out the straw poll from the Human Services" committee, and members requested additional information about how fundraising and tax handling would be implemented in practice before taking further formal action.
The committee proceeded with brief closing remarks and logistical notes; no final decision on the amendment appears in the provided transcript.
