Appropriations Committee

The House Committee on Appropriations considers matters relating to appropriating money from the State Treasury.

Fiscal Year 2026 State Budget

As required in the Vermont Constitution, the annual appropriations bill begins in the House of Representatives. Therefore, the House has been engaged in reviewing the Governor’s draft budget with state agencies, legislative policy committees, and through citizen input at several public hearings. The needs that have been expressed in these forums include:

• Gaps between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of services delivered by mental health and primary care providers and at adult day and long-term care facilities

• Court backlogs that may require additional legal or judicial staffing to address

• Increased demand for basic food supports and meals on wheels

• Affordable housing for low to moderate-income Vermonters

As is true every year, we strive to pass a budget that strikes the right balance between addressing immediate or emerging needs, makes meaningful contributions to longer-term needs (e.g., maintaining bridges and roads or extending access to broadband), and ensures that the state government has the capacity to fulfill its obligations to Vermonters. This year, the budget process is also affected by two critical pressures: (1) the need to address the ways in which we fund education, and (2) to anticipate the impact of potential cuts to federal funding. 

We are working in especially close collaboration with the Governor, the Treasurer, and the Joint Fiscal Office as we consider all our options and obligations. The budget is expected to pass out of the House in late March and then move on to the Senate.