Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance
The Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance will meet on Monday, June 30, 2025, 10:00 A.M. in the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall on St. Thomas to receive testimony on the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget.
Honorable Dr. Dionne Wells-Hedrington, Commissioner
TUESDAY, JULY 01
Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance
The Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance will meet on Tuesday, July 01, 2025, 10:00 A.M. in the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall on St. Thomas to receive testimony on the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget.
Committee on Health, Hospitals and Human Services
Please be advised that the Committee on Health, Hospitals & Human Services will be conducting a meeting on Monday, July 07, 2025, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., in the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall, on St. Thomas.
BLOCK I 10:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.
Bill No. 36-0079 An Act amending title 19 Virgin Islands Code, part IV, chapter 37, to add a new subchapter mandating territorial hospitals to provide paternity testing services upon request.
Bill No. 36-0003 An Act amending title 19 Virgin Islands Code relating to nursing homes and assisted living facilities by adding a new chapter 76 to establish the services that nursing homes and assisted living facilities are required to provide; establishing limitations on financial charges, requirements for visitation, and the rights of a resident.
Invited Testifiers:
Honorable Justa Encarnacion, Commissioner, V.I. Department of Health
Mr. Gordon Rhea, Esq., Attorney General, V.I. Department of Justice
Honorable Averil E. George, Commissioner, Department of Human Services
Mr. Troy Schuster, Virgin Islands State Director, American Association of Retired Persons
BLOCK II 1:15 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.
The committee will receive a comprehensive overview of the growing challenges posed by the direct discharge of minimally processed wastewater in public areas and brine discharge in our bays, which threatens environmental safety, public hygiene, and community health. This synopsis should help us understand both the immediate and long-term health risks, including potential disease outbreaks, and to provide guidance on best practices for sewage management, public health protection, and coordinated government response.
Invited Testifiers:
Honorable Justa Encarnacion, Commissioner, V.I. Department of Health
Honorable Jean Pierre-Oriol, Commissioner, V.I. Department of Planning and Natural Resources
Mr. Daryl Griffith, Interim Executive Director, V.I. Waste Management Authority
Mr. Karl Knight, Executive Director & CEO, V.I. Water & Power Authority
WEDNESDAY, JULY 09, 2025
Committee on Housing, Transportation and Telecommunications
The Committee on Housing, Transportation and Telecommunications will meet on Wednesday, July 09, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. in the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall, to address issues related to the residential housing market from the perspective of the various Housing, Banking & Insurance invitees. The committee will engage in a discussion of various topics impacting homeownership in the Virgin Islands, including, but not limited to, construction costs, zoning and building code requirements, local and federal government policies and programs, the cost and availability of financing, the cost and accessibility of insurance, the attainability of labor, and the availability and reliability of contractors.
Invited Testifiers:
Eugene Jones, Executive Director, Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority
David Bennett, Chief Executive Officer, VI Territorial Association of Realtors
Ada Rivera, Acting Area Director, USDA Rural Development Virgin Islands
James Crites, Chairman, Virgin Islands Bankers Association
Adrienne Williams-Octalien, Director, Office of Disaster Recovery
Wayne Biggs, Chief Executive Officer, Economic Development Authority
Sandra Harty, President, Virgin Islands Insurance Association
John Woods, Chairman, Board of Architects, Engineering and Land Surveyors
Honorable Tregenza Roach, Lieutenant Governor of the Virgin Islands
Honorable Jean-Pierre Oriol, Commissioner, Department of Planning and Natural Resources
Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance
The Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance will meet on Thursday, July 10, 2025, 10:00 A.M. in the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall on St. Thomas to receive testimony on the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget.
