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Appropriations hears DOC FY27 budget: contracts, Medicaid waiver and special funds drive increases

Appropriations · March 11, 2026

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Summary

Rene, the department’s finance director, told Appropriations the FY27 request folds BAA increases (notably the Wellpath contract and Burlington Recovery Project) into the base, and cited the Section 1115 waiver and Medicaid Global Commitment as drivers of higher federal fund items.

Rene, the department’s Executive Director of Finance, presented the Department of Corrections FY27 budget picture and explained the major drivers of increases lawmakers should expect. "The total FY '27 budget... is presented as about $244 million," Rene told the committee, and she characterized the general fund as the largest share of the request. She said several items pushed FY27 upward: incorporating increases from the Biennial Adjustment (BAA) for the Wellpath health contract (because average daily population grew), carrying a full year of Burlington Recovery Project funding and some increases in out‑of‑state bed use.

Rene and Deputy Commissioner Calvert said the department used a mix of funding sources in the request. They described the "special fund" category as made up of surplus property sales, supervision fees collected from individuals under supervision, and local payments in lieu of taxes for towns that host facilities. The finance director said the Section 1115 waiver and the Medicaid Global Commitment fund contributed to recent increases in federal or federal‑related funding lines tied to expanded behavioral‑health services.

Calvert said a small transitional housing increase under Justice Reinvestment was requested "to keep beds online for Burlington Housing Authority who lost some federal funding." Rene confirmed the BAA had made some increases one‑time and the FY27 request was building those costs into the base for ongoing operations. Committee members asked whether the total increase stayed under the committee’s stated ceilings; Rene said she did not believe the total came in under a 3% target but that the major drivers were unavoidable contract and federal‑funded increases.

The department did not present a final appropriations bill in the hearing and no committee vote occurred; staff said legislators will review these figures during budget markup and asked for follow‑up on several line‑item clarifications.