Committee on Health, Hospitals and Human Services

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

BLOCK I                                                                                                                                 10:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.

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, and interagency coordination. The Department is also expected to provide a detailed update on equipment and asset disposition from demolished or decommissioned facilities, current nursing shortages and stabilization strategies, and relocation plans for staff affected by ongoing renovation, demolition, or rebuilding projects to ensure continuity of public health services.

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

 BLOCK II                                                                                                                                  1:45 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.

The Committee will receive testimony on landfill management practices and soil health across the Territory, with a specific focus on public health impacts. Testimony will examine the effects of waste and vegetation burning and the use of incineration methods on air quality, respiratory health, and vulnerable populations, including associated health risks, regulatory safeguards, and mitigation of harmful emissions. The members will also receive testimony on the state of soil health and its direct relationship to food quality, food security, and overall public health; including the importance of nutrient-rich soil in supporting safe, sustainable agricultural production. Additionally, testimony will address the benefits of composting green waste as a sustainable alternative to reduce landfill burden, enhance soil fertility, and mitigate environmental health risks, along with recommendations for policy, oversight, and sustainable land management practices to better protect the health and well-being of residents across the Territory.

Invited Testifier(s):
Honorable Louis E. Petersen, Jr., Ph.D., Commissioner, VI Department of Agriculture
Ms. Dawn Henry, Esq., Vice-President & Chief Executive Officer, Island Green Living Association
Dr. Polly Hoppin, Research Professor, Environmental Health Science and Health Policy, University of Massachusetts
Mr. Harith Wickrema, President, Island Green Living Association
Ms. Judith Enck, President, Beyond Plastics
Mr. Mark Lichtenstein, Executive Operating Officer, SUNY College of Environment Science
Mr. Scott Woods, CEO and Founder, Sustainable Generation
Ms. Jane Williams, Chairwoman, Sierra Club National Clean Air Team
Mrs. Sommer Sibilly-Brown, Founder/President, Good Food Coalition
Dr. Lisa Lewis, Dean of Nursing, University of the Virgin Islands