The Rules and Judiciary committee unanimously forwarded all the bills pertaining to the 2022 Fiscal Year budget to the full body on Wednesday.
Chairmen of the Committee Milton Potter stated that all of the bills were vetted extensively in the Committee of Finance throughout the summer during the budget hearings and gave each member of the committee one minute to share their thoughts on the budget bills.
Members of the Committee on Rules and Judiciary were very complimentary of the Committee on Finance and government officials that appeared for the senate this summer to get the process of approving the Fiscal Year 2022 budget to this point during their remarks.
Mr. Potter said “the Committee on Finance really worked hard all summer long and stayed on task, they stayed focused, it was not an easy task having 20 plus agencies come before you and assessing and analyzing the department’s budget that was presented. It is something that should not be taken for granted, the work that was put in, to having the final product.”
Senator Kenneth Gittens said that balancing the budget is one of the most important responsibilities of the Senate and “it is important for us to not only pass a balanced budget but to pass this budget timely so that there can be continuity of services to the people of the territory.” The 2022 Fiscal Year will begin on October 1, 2021. The bills that passed on Wednesday will be heard on Friday September 17.
The bills will all passed through the committee under the closed rule, which Mr. Francis said “is really an opportunity for us to ensure that there is no adjustment being made to these measures” before they appear before the full body in a legislative session. He added that “this is something that is always done in order to ensure we pass a balanced budget.”
Members of the committee Sens. Potter, Francis, Gittens, Steven Payne, Carla Joesph, Genevine Whitaker, Franklin Johnson all voted in favor of all the budget bills that were voted on Wednesday.
Bill No. 34-0135, An act providing an appropriation for the operating expenses of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles of the Government of the Virgin Islands during the fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022, was removed from the agenda because it was redundant because the funding for the BMV is included in Bill No. 34-0130 according to Mr. Francis. .
All the bills were Sponsored by Senators Donna A. Frett-Gregory and Kurt Vialet by request of the Governor
The following bills were passed unanimously:
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Bill 34-0110: An act providing an appropriation for the operation of the Judicial Branch of the Government of the Virgin Islands during the fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0111: An act providing an appropriation for the operation of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands during fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0112: An act providing an appropriation for salaries and expenses of the Board of Elections and the Office of the Supervisor of Elections during the fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0113: An act providing an appropriation from the Anti-Litter and Beautification Fund to the Waste Management Authority and the Department of Public Works for operating expenses during the fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0114: An act providing an appropriation for the salaries and expenses of the University of the Virgin Islands during the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022 and for other purposes
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Bill 34-0115: An act providing an appropriation for the operating expenses of the Virgin Islands Board of Education from the General Fund during the fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0116: An act providing an appropriation from the Business and Commercial Properties Revolving Fund of the Government of the Virgin Islands to the Department of Property and Procurement for operating expenses during the fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0117: An act providing an appropriation for the operating expenses of the Virgin Islands Career and Technical Education Board from the General Fund of the Government of the Virgin Islands during the fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0118: An act providing an appropriation from the Caribbean Basin Initiative Fund for the year October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0119: An act providing an appropriation from the government Insurance Fund of the Government of the Virgin Islands to the Department of Labor and the Department of Finance for operating expenses during fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0120: An act providing an appropriation from the Health Revolving Fund for fiscal year October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0121: An act providing an appropriation for the operating expenses of the Virgin Islands Hospital and Health Facilities Corporation from the General Fund of the Government of the Virgin Islands during the fiscal year October 1, 221 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0122: An act providing for the lump sum appropriation from the Indirect Cost Fund for salaries, operating expenses and other purposes of the Office of Management and Budget, the Division of Personnel, the Department of Property and Procurement, and the Department of Finance for the fiscal year October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0123: An act providing an appropriation for the operating expenses of the Virgin Islands Office of the Inspector General from the General Fund of the Government of the Virgin Islands during the fiscal year October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0124: An act providing an appropriation from the Internal Revenue Matching Fund for the fiscal year October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0125: An act providing an appropriation in the sum of $900,000 from the Virgin Islands Lottery as a contribution to the General Fund for the fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0126: An act providing an appropriation for the operating expenses of the Public Employees Relations Board and the Labor Management Committee for the fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0127: An act providing an appropriation for operating expenses of the Waste Management Authority from the Sewer System Fund of the Government of the Virgin Islands for the fiscal year October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0128: An act providing an appropriation to the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission for the fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0129: An act providing an appropriation from the Tourism Advertising Revolving Fund to the Office of Management and Budget, the Virgin Islands Police Department, the Department of Public Works, the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority, and the Department of Tourism during the fiscal year October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0130: An act providing an appropriation for the sum of $11,000,000 from the Transportation Trust Fund as a contribution to the General Fund for the fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0131: An act providing an appropriation for the operating expenses of the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority from the General Fund of the Government of the Virgin Islands during the fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0133: An act providing an appropriation for the operating expenses of the Virgin Islands Board of Nurse Licensure from the General Fund during the fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0136: An act providing an appropriation for the sum of $16,300,000 from the Virgin Islands Insurance Guaranty Fund as a contribution to the General Fund for the fiscal year October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0137: An act amending Virgin Islands Code, Title 22, Chapter 10, Section 237(A)(3)(A) and Title 33, Chapter 111, Section 3061 relating to the balance in the Insurance Guaranty Fund to amend the currently required $30,000,000 amount which is set to increase to $50,000,000 on September 30, 2022 to $40,000,000
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Bill 34-0132: An act providing an appropriation to the Public Services Commission for the fiscal year October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022 for operating expenses
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Bill 34-0109: An act providing an appropriation from the General Fund of the Government of the Virgin Islands for the operation of the Government of the Virgin Islands during the fiscal year October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022
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Bill 34-0106: FY21 SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET An act amending Act No. 8365, as amended by Act No. 8411; and Act No. 8451; amending Act No. 8451, Section 2(A); amending Act No. 8347, Section 1, relating to the fiscal year 2021 operating budget for the Government of the Virgin Islands, to appropriate $24,423,321 to several departments and agencies to pay outstanding obligations; and providing for other related purposes
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