Commerce & Economic Development committee backs Appropriations amendment to H.398 in straw vote
March 22, 2025 | Commerce & Economic Development, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont
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The Vermont House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development on March 20 took a straw vote to report favorably on an Appropriations Committee amendment to House Bill H.398, recommending removal of a $2,000,000 line item that Appropriations members say was already funded in a prior budget appropriation.
Representative Stevens, a member of the Appropriations Committee, told the Commerce committee that the amendment would amend the committee report by striking the $2,000,000 appropriation in section 3 and renumbering remaining sections. He told the Commerce committee the change is a repurposing of funds rather than a new appropriation: “It’s repurposing funds that have already been appropriated for this purpose,” Stevens said, adding that the prior action had passed out of Appropriations by an 11–0–0 vote.
Stevens explained that the $2,000,000 had been split off from a previously approved $7,000,000 appropriation (referred to in the meeting as BGAP/BGAAP funds), leaving $5,000,000 remaining in that earlier appropriation and $2,000,000 identified for the component in H.398. He said agency language authorizing a transfer was effectively already in place: “It’s been essentially transferred. So, yes, the short answer is yes.” The committee did not discuss details of the underlying program funding during the item.
Committee leadership then called a straw vote on the motion “to report favorably on the Appropriations amendment to H.398.” The motion was moved and seconded; the Commerce committee recorded a straw vote of 10–0–1 in favor. Committee members characterized the vote as a straw (informal) vote before the committee returned to other business and the floor session.
The committee chair also noted that Representative Harvey is drafting a separate amendment to H.342 and that the committee may reconvene briefly after floor action to consider that amendment; no final action on H.342 was taken at this meeting.
Votes at a glance
• Motion to report favorably on the Appropriations amendment to H.398 — Straw vote: 10 yes, 0 no, 1 abstention. Motion moved and seconded; mover/second not specified on the record.
Context and next steps
The amendment reported by Appropriations removes an explicit $2,000,000 line item in H.398 that Appropriations says is already covered by a prior BGAP/BGAAP appropriation approved last summer. The Commerce committee’s favorable report (by straw vote) is not the final House action; H.398 and any amendments will still be subject to floor consideration and any final budget or bill reconciliation processes.
Representative Stevens, a member of the Appropriations Committee, told the Commerce committee that the amendment would amend the committee report by striking the $2,000,000 appropriation in section 3 and renumbering remaining sections. He told the Commerce committee the change is a repurposing of funds rather than a new appropriation: “It’s repurposing funds that have already been appropriated for this purpose,” Stevens said, adding that the prior action had passed out of Appropriations by an 11–0–0 vote.
Stevens explained that the $2,000,000 had been split off from a previously approved $7,000,000 appropriation (referred to in the meeting as BGAP/BGAAP funds), leaving $5,000,000 remaining in that earlier appropriation and $2,000,000 identified for the component in H.398. He said agency language authorizing a transfer was effectively already in place: “It’s been essentially transferred. So, yes, the short answer is yes.” The committee did not discuss details of the underlying program funding during the item.
Committee leadership then called a straw vote on the motion “to report favorably on the Appropriations amendment to H.398.” The motion was moved and seconded; the Commerce committee recorded a straw vote of 10–0–1 in favor. Committee members characterized the vote as a straw (informal) vote before the committee returned to other business and the floor session.
The committee chair also noted that Representative Harvey is drafting a separate amendment to H.342 and that the committee may reconvene briefly after floor action to consider that amendment; no final action on H.342 was taken at this meeting.
Votes at a glance
• Motion to report favorably on the Appropriations amendment to H.398 — Straw vote: 10 yes, 0 no, 1 abstention. Motion moved and seconded; mover/second not specified on the record.
Context and next steps
The amendment reported by Appropriations removes an explicit $2,000,000 line item in H.398 that Appropriations says is already covered by a prior BGAP/BGAAP appropriation approved last summer. The Commerce committee’s favorable report (by straw vote) is not the final House action; H.398 and any amendments will still be subject to floor consideration and any final budget or bill reconciliation processes.
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