The Vermont House has given final approval to a mid-fiscal-year budget adjustment that takes savings from Medicaid and uses the money to address other growing demands in human services.
The biggest new line item is more than $4.5 million for the ReachUp program, which helps people move from welfare to work. Others are $3.2 million for child development and about $2 million each for general assistance and mental health.
The money is coming mainly from an overestimate during last spring’s budget process of how much was going to be spent on Medicaid. The changes apply to the budget for the fiscal year that ends June 30.
Gov. Peter Shumlin is set to deliver his budget address for the fiscal year that begins on July 1 Thursday at 2 p.m. VPR will broadcast the speech.