Please be advised that the Committee on Health, Hospitals & Human Services will be conducting a hearing on Monday, June 01, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., in the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall, on St. Thomas.

BLOCK I

The Committee will receive testimony from the Department of Health regarding the Territory’s mental and behavioral health system, with emphasis on the use of appropriated funds, progress and timelines for facility construction and operational readiness, deployment of behavioral health vans, workforce recruitment and retention, community-based services, interagency coordination, equipment and asset disposition, nursing shortages, staffing stabilization strategies, and relocation plans for personnel affected by ongoing renovation, demolition, or rebuilding projects.

Additionally, the Committee will receive a comprehensive update on the status, operations, and overall progress of the Virgin Islands Diabetes Center of Excellence (VIDCOE). Testimony should address the Center’s current operations, programs, staffing, patient services, community outreach initiatives, funding, infrastructure, partnerships, and measurable outcomes achieved to date. The Committee will also examine any operational shortfalls, service delivery challenges, unmet needs, funding limitations, staffing concerns, equipment or facility issues, and any legislative or administrative support necessary to strengthen the Center’s capacity to effectively serve residents of the Virgin Islands.

Invited Testifiers:
Honorable Justa E. Encarnacion, Commissioner, Department of Health
Dr. Julia Sheen, DrPH, MPH, Executive Director, Virgin Islands Diabetes Center of Excellence

BLOCK II

Bill No. 36-0278        An act amending title 19, Virgin Islands Code, to establish immunization requirements for children and students enrolling in educational institutions in the Virgin Islands; to provide for immunization exemptions; and to require electronic reporting of immunization compliance to the Virgin Islands Department of Health through the Virgin Islands Immunization Registry (VIIRS)

Invited Testifier:
Honorable Justa E. Encarnacion, Commissioner, Department of Health