SmartTranscript of Senate Government Operations - 2025-01-30 - 1:30PM

[Chair Brian Collamore ]: Hello, and welcome again to the senate government operations committee meeting of Thursday, January thirtieth. We are back on and going to meet some members of the Vermont Youth Council and talk about a potential sunset of a well, I'll let them explain exactly what I wasn't on this committee when, I don't believe, when this all came about. So we'll kind of welcome in, first of all, those of you when I see one, two, three, four, five, six, and I is there a seven? Are you a member of the council? You're not. Okay. So six people on Zoom who will each have however much time you need to bring us up to date on what's going on. But first, let's walk around the room and introduce ourselves starting with the senator from Orange. [Senator Larry Hart ]: Hi. I'm senator Larry Hart [Chair Brian Collamore ]: from Orange County. Hi, Claire. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: Allison Parks of Windsor District. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Brian Baltimore representing the Rutland District. [Assistant Gillian D'Acierno ]: And Julian, the committee assistant. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: Huntington Central District. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: And now entering I was hoping it was senator Becca. He did not. That is why. Sorry. Senator Becca White from the Windsor District is also on the committee, and she'll be joining us momentarily. So I could follow the agenda if you all like, or you could each put your hand up in terms of order of testimony. We are here at your disposal and bring us up to date. So who wants to lead off? [Witness Nicole Miller ]: I'll do a quick introduction, and then I'm gonna turn things over very quickly to the council members. First of all thank you so much to Chair Collinmore and to the rest of the committee for having the State Youth Council here today. My name is Nicole Miller. I'm the Executive Director of Vermont After School, and we work with the Department of Health and the Youth Services Advisory Council to support and facilitate much of the council's doings and and really just get to be here on the side and championing all that they're doing. As you said, the state youth council is here today to speak about their current sunset, which is set in Act one hundred and nine as February first twenty twenty six. In the submitted testimony, you'll see a document that I submitted that just provides some some background information and overview of how the council came to be. And much of that was really led by [Chair Brian Collamore ]: youth expressing their desire for more input in Vermont, [Witness Nicole Miller ]: and to have their voices Vermont, and to have their voices heard. And so, again, we thank you so much for the opportunity to be here and for listening to Vermont's young people, and I'm gonna turn things over to Harmony. [Harmony Bell Devo ]: Hello. I'm Harmony Bell Devo, and I'm the council chair of Vermont State Youth Council. And we ask that the sunset period of act one zero nine, creating the state youth council, be repealed or extended to October first two thousand and thirty two. The Vermont State Youth Council was formed in twenty twenty two with the purpose of providing young Vermonters an official means of providing advice on policies that impact young persons in Vermont, and this was to ensure that Vermont's children and young people achieve their potential and that Vermont has open, effective, and inclusive government. The council is currently composed of twenty six youth, and the council consists of the following five committees, each tasked with providing recommendations that apply to their topics, youth voice, education, equity and anti racism, climate change, and youth mental health. And each committee has a chair who are also members of the executive committee, which creates agendas and decides priorities for the council. And since the council has been formed, we've written numerous bylaws to outline how the council should work. We've also presented recommendations to the General Assembly and the governor, and we've shared knowledge and learned from multiple legislators during our Zoom meetings. And we've also hosted one public hearing to better understand what topics Vermonters are wanting legislation to address. And additionally, we have sent out one survey to Vermont students so the council can aim to represent all Vermont students' opinions, not just those of our members. The state youth council plans on presenting more recommendations on legislation that we believe should be passed and recommending that legislators support certain bills. We plan on speaking with legislators and testifying at the state house more often when we support or disagree with proposed legislation. We also plan on holding more public hearings and sending out more surveys to gain a better understanding of Vermont's needs. With so much for the council to work on during our bimonthly virtual meetings, it's really important for council members of the future to focus entirely on the council's goals. And if we have to advocate for the extension of act one zero nine too frequently, it'll detract from the time needed to craft recommendations, testify on proposed legislation, and uplift the voices of Vermont youth. The Vermont State Youth Council is important because it bridges the gap between Vermont youth who care to benefit their state and adult legislators who are working toward the same goal. As a member of this council of driven, intelligent, and thoughtful youth advocates, I felt like the youth of Vermont have been given a voice that legislators will listen to. This opportunity to participate in Vermont's democracy has been integral in providing me hope for the future of our Vermont communities. The state youth council is also important for the state of Vermont. When working in a system where adults are given the most power, it is important that youth have the opportunity to have their opinions taken into account when legislative decisions are being made that affect youth's lives. Youth make up approximately twenty four percent of Vermont's population. If they [Chair Brian Collamore ]: were not rightfully represented in this [Harmony Bell Devo ]: legislature through the state youth council, this would mean a large number of Vermonters affected by legislators' decisions wouldn't have a say in it. The council is also carefully chosen to represent the diversity of youth of Vermont through location, family backgrounds, and beliefs. This allows for a diverse group of youth to share ideas and work together toward the goal of benefiting the future of Vermont. We ask you to repeal or extend until October first twenty thirty two, the sunset period for the Vermont State Youth Council, in order to allow Vermont youth to work with legislators to advance the state of Vermont. Thank you. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: So I know we have questions. I'll jump off if I could. How often do we listen to you, Harmadiv? [Harmony Bell Devo ]: Could you restate the question, please? [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Sure. You say that you reach out to legislators with policy suggestions, recommendations, whatever. Do you find that we listen to you often or not maybe as often as you like in terms of what decisions are finally made? [Harmony Bell Devo ]: I feel that anytime we do speak with legislators, they do listen really intently, and they do show that they care. But the council is hoping to meet with legislators more often, and that is a planning part on our executive committee's part. But anytime we meet with legislators, we definitely feel like they listen well to us. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: I think you have a career in politics. Yeah. That was a great answer. That's a great question. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: Thank you, guys. We're very we're delighted that you exist, and I'm very keen on addressing the this. But, I'd I'd really love to know as each of you introduce yourselves, what towns you're in so we can get a sense of how the state is represented from the areas that you're, that you're in. I also would encourage you, while it's great to speak to individual legislators, I'd encourage you to track legislation. And when you, in your five areas of interest, youth voice, education, equity, and diversity, climate change, and mental health, really engage with those committees of jurisdiction and ask to testify as the youth council voice, on those issues. And I I don't I mean, for example, incentive economic development, housing, and general affairs, I have never had the youth council ask to weigh in on an issue, and we've had a lot of issues that that you might have weighed in on. So I would encourage you to really track the agendas of our committees and weigh in when you feel you have something to add. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Senator Vignoski. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: Yeah. Absolutely. Thank you so much for being here and so much for the work you're doing. I have a couple questions. One, can you remind me what the current sunset date is? [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Twenty six. Right. Is it October first? I think it's February. February? Yeah. It's February first twenty twenty six? Yeah. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: Okay. Thank you. And then how long in the term for a youth council member? [Harmony Bell Devo ]: It's two to three years depending on how often the member participates. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: Okay. And you are the youth council required by statute to report at least to this committee and the house government arbitrations committee yearly? Okay. So my last question is how do you arrive at the October first two thousand and thirty two new sunset date? [Member Alison Clarkson ]: Halloween. October first. Oh, October first. Okay. I always love thirty first. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: I just you know, I was like, I was like comfortable with are you able to [Witness Nicole Miller ]: answer that question, Harmony? [Harmony Bell Devo ]: Sorry. There is an announcement over my loud speaker. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: How did you arrive at the expiration date? [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: The new sunset. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Yeah. [Harmony Bell Devo ]: I'm pretty sure Brianne Smith arrived at that date. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: Okay. Well, then I will ask Brianne to Okay. Speak to that. So I just wanted to for folks I know I've I've emailed with a couple of people, but I just wanted to sort of explain the purpose of the sunset. So I remember when I was on house government operations, and every year, we would have this really long bill that was repealing all of these boards and commissions that didn't meet anymore or were no longer really legal under current statute or had been absorbed into a department or agency. And it took a lot of time to kind of comb through the hundreds of boards and commissions to determine which ones were meeting their statutory requirements, which ones didn't even exist and haven't met in thirty years. So we arrived at this new idea of setting a sunset on any board and commission so that it forced us to be accountable both to that board to meet with you and say, hey. What are you doing? But also so the board had the accountability to come and talk about what they were doing. So that if we had to address, hey, the laws have changed and we need to adjust what your jurisdiction is, or the world has changed and we need to add more members to the commission, that we had a regular check-in point for us to do that. So the sunset is not the legislature saying we think you should go away in twenty twenty six. It's that accountability of the legislature to you to say, hey. Do we need to make changes? Is this still working? Are you still getting what you need from us? And so I I don't wanna make you come back and advocate too too soon, but I don't wanna push it out so far [Chair Brian Collamore ]: that because I I think [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: a lot can happen between to to today and twenty thirty two. And so I just wanna make sure we're finding that balance, but I wanna be clear. My intent is certainly that we are continuing with this work, but continuing it in a way where we're accountable to one another. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: K. Who's up next? [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: Who's up next? [Member Alison Clarkson ]: And, Harmony, where are you from? Because we don't it would just be great to know where each of you is anchored. [Harmony Bell Devo ]: I'm in Warren. And maybe we could give a report on what we're doing, but it maybe could be not asking to repeal a sunset, but we could still let you know what we're working on. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: Yes. What you could we could you're best as to extend it, so that's our first consideration. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: I want to extend your something in the future. Yeah. I wanna be clear that I want to do that. Thank goodness. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Okay. Nicole, who's up next? [Witness Nicole Miller ]: I'm gonna go ahead and pass to Astrid, and then we'll go to Aiden and then Claire. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: K. And it tells us in each of their committees. Mhmm. Jolene is kindly obsessed. Mhmm. Oh. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: I've read every one of them so far. Welcome. Sorry. That's okay. [Aster Glongstrass ]: Thank you for listening to me and my fellow council members about this important subject. My name is Aster Glongstrass, and I'm the Climate Change Committee chair. I live in West Bullen and attend Mount Mansfield Union High School as a freshman. We ask that the state is council sunset period is repealed or extended to at least October of two thousand and thirty two. The Vermont State Youth Council is important in many ways. It gives youth a voice in what happens in our state and provides a valuable perspective on what our state needs. As more and more youth are leaving Vermont, it's more important now than ever to take action on challenges facing Vermont and Vermont youth in order to make our state a better place. Since I was young, I've always had an urge to make my voice heard and to make a difference. I've always wanted to leave my mark on the world, one that would stay long after I was gone, One that showed that I had done something to make the world a better place. The problem is I never quite knew how to do that until two years ago when I heard about the state east council. I knew that it might be the place for me. And ever since joining, I felt a sense of belonging that I've never felt before. And I know that I'm not the only one. As children, when so much for life is up to our parents and teachers, we have very little control and we often get the impression that we can't change anything until we ourselves become adults. However, this is not true, and this is why the state's council is so important. It gives youth an opportunity to use their voice in a way they were never sure how to do before and weren't given a chance to before. The council is a valuable resource to youth in the state and to the state itself. As the people who will be inheriting the state, youth perspectives need to be taken into consideration. We are asking for the Vermont State Youth Council Sunset Act to be repealed for or extended for the benefit of all Vermonters, future generations, and the future of the state. If the council ends, the state that we share will lose a valuable voice that cannot be replaced. We're asking for the next generation of youth in the state to be giving the same to be given the same amazing opportunity that we have been given. Thank you for listening, and I hope that you'll take this into consideration. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Thank you very much. Any questions? Senator White. [Senator Rebecca "Becca" White ]: Thank you, mister chair. Afton, thank you so much for sharing your experience with the youth council. That was very beautifully worded, and I can totally agree with the sentiment. And I had the experience that I you described with the debate team. So I really appreciate that that was an opportunity you were able to take advantage of. I wanted to ask if the Climate Change Subcommittee had specific recommendations, that you wanted to let us know about now or if you would be open to providing those at a later date. I think we are having the youth lobby, which is a separate group from you, but I think probably a lot of connected folks. They're coming to the State House on February thirteenth. And if possible, it would be great to have those recommendations from you by February thirteenth or your attendance in the building. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: And is that a climate solutions caucus day? [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Would it be a good idea to maybe have the youth council Exactly. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: To let them know how to [Claire Zantstra ]: If they're [Senator Rebecca "Becca" White ]: able to join, that'd be great. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: Well, or they could join remotely and give testimony. Yeah. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: That would be [Member Alison Clarkson ]: If you're not coming. [Senator Rebecca "Becca" White ]: If you we're we we're excited to ask for it, so let us know what you think. Yeah. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: You would close by. [Aster Glongstrass ]: So we are still kind of in progress of finalizing our recommendations, and we do have a few, but we haven't voted on them yet. So I don't think I should share them quite yet, but we could definitely share them with you at a later date. And I think joining remotely, I guess we'd have to talk about that later, but I like the idea of having some people come to represent the youth council at that event. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Yes. It would be great if [Member Alison Clarkson ]: you could have your recommendations on the thirteenth. That would be fair. [Senator Rebecca "Becca" White ]: I'll I will follow-up. How about that, miss Miller? You and I could follow-up or with Astrid directly. That would be great. Thank you. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Thanks, Astrid. Are we going to Claire next? [Witness Nicole Miller ]: I think we're going to Aidan, and then Claire is gonna ring us out. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Yep. [Aiden Otterman ]: Hello. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: Hello, Aidan. [Aiden Otterman ]: Before I start, I would like to apologize. I think my bell is about to ring for school. So if you see a hear a loud sound and kids rumbling through the hallway, that's probably them. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Mhmm. [Aiden Otterman ]: But yeah. First of all, I'd just like to thank you all, the government operations committee, for having us here today to listen to our testimonies. It really means a lot. My name is Aden Otterman. I am the chair of the youth voice committee for the Vermont State Youth Council, and I currently live in Thompson, Vermont just like Claire. Today, I am here to testify on behalf of repealing or extending the February first sunset period for Act one zero nine, an act relating to the creation of the Vermont State Youth Council. I'd like to first start by sharing a quick anecdote. As a first year member, I can vividly remember the the day I met my fellow council members for the first time. It was in Randolph, Vermont at the Vermont State Youth counts excuse me, the Vermont State University campus. I remember walking into the Langhavan House on campus, which was like a conference, big conference building. And I was completely scared out of my mind, worried if I was even qualified to be there. But when I walked in and met my peers for the first time, my worries pretty much melted away completely. I was met with a huge group of diverse, professional, and open minded individuals who all wanted nothing but to make me feel welcome. And we after that, after going through introductions, we spent the rest of the day brainstorming ideas for the future, first in small, tiny groups, then we moved on to committees, and eventually, we made it up to the whole council in the conference room. And I remember looking around the conference room and seeing probably four or five large Post it boards that were covered top to bottom with Post it notes that had all of our ideas and aspirations for the future. It was very overwhelming. Very, very overwhelming. But nonetheless, we kept discussing. We threw out even more ideas, and eventually we started debating what to keep and what to throw out. And we did all of it with Vermont's youth in our hearts and in our minds. So every idea was welcome, and we kinda had a a a criteria, a a unspoken criteria, subconscious, I guess you could call it, of is this idea realistic, and will it resonate with Vermont's youth? And I remember just leaving that day feeling completely fulfilled. I actually had to leave early. We had to head down to, Bellows Falls for a cross country championship. And while I don't want to draw lines where they probably shouldn't be drawn, I did get a personal record on the Bellas Falls course that day. You were so [Chair Brian Collamore ]: You know? [Assistant Gillian D'Acierno ]: Right. You [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Take that as you know. Mhmm. [Aiden Otterman ]: So I just wanted to share that quick anecdote with you, or not so quick, I guess, to demonstrate that the Vermont State Youth Council has always and will always be a an engaged, trusted, and professional council. We consistently prove to be an integral part of Vermont's youth civic engagement. And we as a as I mentioned earlier from day one, all of the members are completely intelligent and completely kind. They know how to get the job done. Whether that job be, communicating with our communities or writing well thought out, recommendations for our five committees. We always know how to get the job done to its full potential. The youth state youth council is also one of the most important and one of the only ways that Vermont's youth can engage in their state government. So oftentimes, our future lies in the hands of the council, our recommendations, and our testimonies that we give to the state such as this one. So I would just like to say that this we are a platform, a platform from which we can lift up the voices of Vermont's youth, and I think that's the most important part of it all. But if the sunset period of Act one zero nine comes to a close without being extended or repealed, it will be a day to remember, a day when we'll remember the loss of the voices of over one hundred thousand Vermonters, around twenty four percent of our population, as Harmony said earlier. It is paramount as members of the government operations committee that you guys propose some kind of legislation to repeal or extend the sunset act the sunset period of act one zero nine. Ideally, we want it repealed or extended to October first of twenty thirty two. I just like to say that a quarter of Vermont's population stands to lose their voice in their state government. Thank you very much for listening. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Thank you very much. Thank you, Amy. Okay. Senator McDonald. Thank you. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: Thank you. And I just I don't I'm so glad that you shared your experience of sort of being welcomed into the youth council. I will tell you the first day I walked into this building, I had the exact same sense of what am I doing here? I don't belong here. I don't know what I'm doing. And so I appreciate one of the things the youth council is doing in addition to bringing really important voices is helping prepare you to maybe sit in this space and not feel like I did. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Mhmm. Hear. Hear. Any other questions for Aiden? [Senator Larry Hart ]: Aiden, I think you did a very good job presenting that. I'm not sure if you know me, but I'm Larry Hart. I live on [Chair Brian Collamore ]: the east side about a mile and [Senator Larry Hart ]: a half in Clare. And I represent your town as well, and I love to pick on your grandfather an awful lot. So [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Okay. So what's up next, the goal? [Witness Nicole Miller ]: Last is Claire. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: Oh, you've got two more. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Show two more. [Witness Nicole Miller ]: I'm sorry. I shoulda I neglected to introduce my colleague, Brianne, at the very beginning. Brianne works here at Vermont After School, and she's the primary liaison with the council. My apologies to Brianne and to the committee. So [Chair Brian Collamore ]: We'd love to hear from her too if she so chooses. Okay. So Claire's next. Yep. Claire? [Claire Zantstra ]: Hi. Thank you for your time. My name is Claire Zantstra. I'm testifying for the Vermont State Youth Council as the chair of the youth mental health committee, and I live in the town of Topson. Before I begin, I'd like you all to know that my mother had a stroke yesterday, which was very unexpected, and so I'm a bit discombobulated and distracted. If my words don't flow right, that's probably why. So here I go. Our goal is to have the sunset period on the Vermont State Youth Council repealed or extended to October of twenty thirty two. The Vermont State Youth Council is important to the state because we take into into consideration what the youth in Vermont are concerned about. We can we then can make informed recommendations to the legislature that reflect the youth's priorities. Being on the council so far has been a great way for me to connect with people across the state who are my age. It has also helped me meet those who share interest in politics, the state of Vermont, and making a difference in a place where there isn't always a way for young people to have a voice in policy. I cannot stress how essential and crucial having a voice is, not just for my fellow council members, but for all youth in Vermont. The council member the the council members can help encourage civic participation on young Vermonters, and this helps develop the next generation of political and community leaders who are excited to take part in government. Currently, the Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that one third of students in high school have poor mental health, and only one fifth, and only fifty percent of high school students feel like they could play an important part in their communities. Given this, we ask that the legislature repeal the or extend the sunset period on the Vermont State Youth Council. I promise that me and the people who will join the council after me are committed to using our voices to uplift the feelings and thoughts of the youth in Vermont. We we will aim to support you in continuing to make policies that help young Vermonters thrive and make our beautiful state a great place for kids to grow. Thank you. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Thank you, Claire. And please, on behalf of the committee, accept our concern and thoughts to, to you and your family and hopefully your mom's back quickly. Mister chairman? Yep. Claire, [Senator Larry Hart ]: you and your family are amazing. [Claire Zantstra ]: Thank you. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Brianna, did you wanna add anything? We're certainly we've got plenty of time. [Assistant Gillian D'Acierno ]: Hi, Lauren. Hi. I didn't prepare anything, but I thank you for having the state youth council testify and share their experience on the council and why they feel it's important for the sunset period to be repealed or extended. And also thank you to the youth that testified, prepared your testimony, and took the time out of your day to to testify today. I've very much enjoyed working with the youth council. I think that's the youth council has given me so much hope for the future and so much, like, so much respect for people younger than me, and I'm [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: I'm just grateful that I [Assistant Gillian D'Acierno ]: get to work with the youth council and support their vision for the future. So, yeah, thank you. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Okay. Senator Vioski. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: Awesome. Thanks. I just wanted to ask you, Brian, because I think you were the one that came up with the proposed new date as to how you arrived at that date. It does seem to me to be kind of a long ways away, but I wanna understand from you why it why. [Assistant Gillian D'Acierno ]: Yeah. Absolutely. I could clarify. [Senator Rebecca "Becca" White ]: I didn't come I didn't come up with [Assistant Gillian D'Acierno ]: the date per se. It was an adjusted number from a previous recommendation that our, a past council chair, Joshua Stearns, put forward. That was somewhere in, I wanna say, maybe February. I'm not sure the exact date, but we adjusted it to be the same, like, six year period. So we took his recommended date from a few years ago and added a couple of years to to be the same six year period for testifying today, and that was the date of two thousand and thirty two. And we chose October to fit more in the biennium period of making legislation, the October two thousand and thirty two date. So it was an adjusted figure by from a previous recommendation. And, Nicole, if you have more to share on that. Yeah. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: No. That makes a lot of sense. I appreciate that. And and it's interesting that you say it's adjusted to be more in line with the biennial. My concern with it is actually that it is well, we are out of session. And so it might be actually more challenging for us to address it in twenty thirty two as we are unlikely to be in the building. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: I I can get a call. We could talk for sure. Yeah. Nicole, I see your hands up. [Witness Nicole Miller ]: Sure. I'm happy to share a little bit more context. I think one of the things that the council has been trying to figure out for the last two years is as Harmony said, they spent a lot of those first twelve months really figuring out how they were gonna operate as a council. And so thinking about you all schedules the legislature, the schedule of young people, and when they typically are available mixed with school schedules and summers, that's part of why we were thinking about the October date. Additionally, this work is, you know, our staff time, and all the council expenses are paid through a grant with the Department of Health, which starts every which starts in October. It follows the federal fiscal calendar because there's other work that Vermont After School does that is separate from the council but is federally funded, so we're on that cycle. So that is part of the reason why we we thought about October as that start date. Certainly, council members weigh in if you have other thoughts, but we're flexible as far as what that date could be. It's really wanting to give the council enough time to to focus on recommendations, to focus on being able to engage with you all and and less time thinking about like, oh, we have to work towards this the sunset, and and what do we need to do and prepare for that? Additionally, I'll say that the council in Act one hundred and nine is required to testify and to share their recommendations with the governor and house and senate government operations annually. So they do have that nice check-in period that happens on a regular cadence. This year, it's a little bit. Last year, they shared in January, and this year, they're planning to share a little bit later this spring, partially because they've been preparing for for this work as well as they had this is the first time they had new council members coming on board, which kind of changed up the timeline a little bit. So I'm happy to answer other questions as well, but council members, feel free to chime in too. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: I don't see anybody else's hand up. Amy, did you wanna weigh in at all? You don't have to, and I don't mean to put you on the spot. But I first became aware of this through the efforts of Amy. So feel free if you want. If you're just assuming not, that's fine too. [Amy Schallenberger ]: I'll just say one quick thing. Sure. I'm Amy Schallenberger. I represent Vermont after school as Hallease. Just to senator Vyhovsky's comment about not being in session in October, I think the other piece of it is that the the sunset being in February puts a lot of pressure on like, it it has to pass this session for Mhmm. February expiration Mhmm. Next year. And if for some reason that didn't get done, then there's no way to, like, deal with it. And a bill passing by February is so unlikely. Mhmm. And so I think we were just thinking that would give the entire legislative session in the year that it expired for you all to consider, [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: you know, what you want to do. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: Yes. Under Clarkson. It's actually not very far away. I mean, what you know, we are talking about goals and requirements in two thousand thirty. I mean, it's only [Aiden Otterman ]: six [Member Alison Clarkson ]: years away. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: That's right. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: It's I know. I I hear you, but it's three years also seems a little short. So anyway. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Okay. Yeah. Senator Hart. Chair. [Senator Larry Hart ]: Is there a possibility that we can create a bill or whatever to extend that? Yes. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: Oh, yeah. That's our top. [Senator Larry Hart ]: That done, like, ASAP so we could get it done for [Chair Brian Collamore ]: this this group. Yeah. Because this group's amazing. Oh, yeah. No. We know that. [Senator Larry Hart ]: We created it. Amazing. So let's get you let's get it done for these guys. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Okay. I don't think there's any disagreement on the committees. [Witness Nicole Miller ]: We created them. We love them. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Okay. [Witness Nicole Miller ]: We're we honor you. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: I'm In [Member Alison Clarkson ]: case it hasn't been clear. [Senator Rebecca "Becca" White ]: This is such a great moment. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: I'm I'm fairly certain there won't be a negative vote in the in the room. Bipartisan. Whatever we decide to check-in with the date. And I will say to senator Biovsky's point earlier, I was on that boards and commissions, I think, as well. And we set a five year period, if I'm remembering correctly, that each five years, if you're on a border commission, you have to go back and say, hey. We're still here. We're still doing work good work. Can you extend it? So that may come into play, and I hope that won't necessarily disappoint anybody on the screen. But that's that would get us to twenty thirty. It's still shorted here at twenty thirty two, I hope, but Well, I think that [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: would be twenty thirty one because their expiration is in expiration is in February of twenty twenty [Chair Brian Collamore ]: six. Okay. So We can definitely talk about it. And And what's it here? Being a rather fiscal, fiscally conservative person, I just wanna double check because I'm sure this might come up or anybody that might be doing. And we don't need a bill necessarily, like, we we could probably put it in something else or something. And it may [Member Alison Clarkson ]: We have them. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: More easily pass in that fashion. But I will ask, is there any sort of fiscal question that might come up? I think there's per diems involved here. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: The money comes through the cannabis. It's funded by the our cannabis, isn't it? [Chair Brian Collamore ]: I don't believe so. I thought [Member Alison Clarkson ]: after school was funded by our cannabis money. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: I think Nicole might be able to help. [Witness Nicole Miller ]: Yeah. I'm I'm happy to support it. As part of the the overview, you can find more details in that that document I I included. When this, council was was in deliberations last time when it was first being created, the Department of Health was able to step forward, and they provided funds to be able to support the council. There is quite a bit of staff time that goes into this, just for the protection of young people and and being able to help and facilitate all of those pieces. So there's there's our staff time that's also part of that cost. And I would say the Department of Health should should talk with you all about what the cost is and and what they would like to see moving forward because it's it's their funding. So I don't wanna be in a a weird space to respond to that. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: But Yes. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Senator Cooks? [Member Alison Clarkson ]: You know what your budget is. What's your budget? [Witness Nicole Miller ]: It's just over a hundred thousand, and that includes the cost for the council stipends, any mileage that they have for in person events, any costs related to, venues for public hearings, those sorts of things. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: Right. And do you know if you were included in the governor's budget? [Witness Nicole Miller ]: I don't believe this has been included. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: Okay. So that's important information, and I and it's good for the young people to know this too because reinforcing our support for you means we have to advocate for you in the in the appropriations process. And so we have to put our money where our mouth is supporting this effort. And so it would be very helpful to for us to, [Chair Brian Collamore ]: to to have [Member Alison Clarkson ]: that in Alaska, the department of health. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: I'm guessing that Amy could probably help find that the permission is [Amy Schallenberger ]: I I possible. Mister chair, I'm happy to help, but I think, it would I think you will need to ask the department directly because yes. They don't quite well. That's a good idea. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: And I didn't mean to make any sort of negative comment here. I think you have our full assurance Yeah. That we will be doing an extension of the expiry or the sunset on this. I don't think there's any question. Harmony, I see your hand is up. [Harmony Bell Devo ]: I know I can't speak for the rest of the council, but I speak for myself. When I say I feel like we're all really passionate or at least I feel really passionate about the youth council, and I wouldn't really mind not being paid a stipend if the governor wanted to, like, conserve any funds. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: It's not the governor. It's the legislature that the the appropriate the governor suggests, but we're the ones who make the decisions about money. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: And I'm [Harmony Bell Devo ]: just saying I wouldn't mind not receiving stipends because I'm still really cashing [Chair Brian Collamore ]: it out. And now I'm feeling badly about even bringing it up. I don't think you should spend any sleepless night over it. Okay? I think we could probably find that money. That'll be off. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: Yeah. Absolutely. I and and, pardon me, I appreciate that. One of the things that I think the stipend allows is for young people who might otherwise have to be working, it makes it more accessible to people. So I do actually think it's really important. And your work is important. So paying you for that work, I actually think is is pretty important. I also was just wondering because I appreciate that there is a a challenge here and the disconnect between the federal fiscal year and the state fiscal year. Mhmm. And I'm wondering if from if Vermont afterschool also gets any state funds that are bound to the state fiscal year. For [Witness Nicole Miller ]: this specific grant, I don't believe so. I believe the department is currently paying for this out of title fund or title five funding, which I know does have a state match, but I don't I don't know what that process looks like on their end. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: Or like us. So that actually brings [Chair Brian Collamore ]: up my next concern, and that is that is there any concern that the federal funding may go away? [Witness Nicole Miller ]: I think that's part of the conversation that that needs to be asked to the department. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: Okay. I I wanna just make sure [Chair Brian Collamore ]: that we're having that conversation if [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: that needs to be had and figuring out what we need to do in in the instance those federal funds become unavailable. [Witness Nicole Miller ]: I appreciate that given the past week very much. Yes. Given the past week, maybe. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: Yeah. No. And I I just wanna say thank you to all all of you for being here, and I so appreciate the work that you do. And I I think wherever we land in terms of the previous boards and commissions work, and and I will say that a lot of the boards and commissions that we found hadn't met in thirty years old have had statutory language saying they needed to present to the legislature every year. So the sunset is again, it's not just because we don't think they're actually going to do that. It's accountability to us too to make sure that the legislation is meeting your needs. Some of these things we're talking about right now, like, oh, hey, do we need to fix this, the fact that there might be federal funding this thing? And I don't think in many instances the sort of sunset presentation needs to be a huge, like, I think it could be one of your recommendations. Here's all the great work we've done this year, and we recommend you extend the sunset. So I don't I I know that that sunset language is really scary. But I I think that as you get your feet on the ground and start to become a really regular part of this conversation, it may well be part of your yearly report that, okay. The sunsets next year. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: We want you to extend [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: it because look at all this great work we did. I don't think it has to be a looming dark cloud. Like, I and that's what I why I wanted to share some of that background to let you know that that is not what it is there for. It is not there for you to be nervous that we're trying to get rid of you. But thank you. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: So how about if we do this? We'll take some testimony probably next week from the department health since we only have one more day of this week, and we'll stay in touch with your rep, Amy, to let you know when that person might be in. You are free to look in on Zoom if you want. And as soon as we get that information, I I'm guessing that I could probably ask the rest of the committee members to vote to to repeal the sunset and extend it to a date TBD. I I don't know when the perfect date is, but it'll be at least five years from from that and maybe six. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: Can I ask one follow-up question, and that is when we can anticipate your recommendations and report on the work you've done in the last year in [Member Alison Clarkson ]: this committee? On the five, yeah, on the five committees. [Vice Chair Tanya Vyhovsky ]: Yeah. I know we we had such an amazing presentation from the council last year, and I'm, like, anxious for this year's. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Well, yeah. When are your reports due or recommendations? Well, that yeah. Exactly. [Witness Nicole Miller ]: Harmony, do you wanna chime in about where you all are in your process? In the act, there's no specific date. It just says annually. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Okay. Okay. But, Harmony, [Witness Nicole Miller ]: I'll let you chime in. [Harmony Bell Devo ]: Yeah. Right now, we're finalizing our recommendations. So we have them written, and we're just basically voting on them to make sure the council agrees on them before we present them. But I'm not sure the exact date that we've set. I mean, maybe Brianne or Nicole. [Member Alison Clarkson ]: Yeah. And you could let us know. I just think it's important for you to co that that your reports and recommendations are probably enough in our legislative process so that we can listen to [Chair Brian Collamore ]: them and incorporate them if we should. Yeah. It's not a hard time. [Senator Larry Hart ]: When I got here this morning, I [Chair Brian Collamore ]: had some time to kill, so I opened it up, and [Senator Larry Hart ]: I read every one of your written testimonies. And every one of them are written very elegant, and you spoke it very elegant, and I'm pretty proud of every one of you. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Claire, [Senator Larry Hart ]: be strong. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: Okay. Hey. Everybody's up. Alright. Excellent job today, and we'll be in touch as they said it. Okay? But you have our assurance that it'll be extended. [Witness Nicole Miller ]: Thank you all so much. [Aster Glongstrass ]: Thank you. [Aiden Otterman ]: Thank you very much, everyone. Your time. [Chair Brian Collamore ]: You bet. Thanks for your work. Okay. It's quarter past three, and we have our next group. I think they've opened the door and discovered they Okay. Gonna have a room full of people. So we'll take a a day there. [Witness Nicole Miller ]: Thank you.

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