Rules Pushes Forward More than $1B Budget Package, Heads to Full Senate

Senators on Monday moved the territory’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget package one step closer to final approval, reporting favorably on more than 30 appropriations bills that together total more than $1 billion – inclusive of federal and local funds – in spending.

At the center of the package is the government’s main operating budget — Bill No. 36-0174 — which appropriates just over $725 million from the General Fund, or $752 million including non-lapsing funds. Companion bills cover a wide range of areas, from the Judiciary, Legislature, and UVI to hospitals, Waste Management, and capital projects. Several measures also redirect money from special funds, such as the Insurance Guaranty and Tourism Advertising funds, into the General Fund to balance operations.

Monday, Senate President Milton Potter called the budget “perhaps the most important thing that we, as legislators, are asked to do,” adding that the decisions made determine whether schools, health care, infrastructure, and public servants are adequately supported. Vice President Kenneth Gittens likewise thanked the Budget, Appropriations, and Finance Committee — chaired by Sen. Novelle Francis — and the Legislature’s Post Audit Division for producing what he called a balanced plan.

Francis said more than 20 budget hearings were held over the summer, with senators scrutinizing agency staffing, finances, and service delivery. He noted that this year’s bills include targeted increases for hospitals — including $1.5 million each for the Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute and JFL’s cardiac catheterization lab. Money is also directed toward senior services, streetlights, and road work.