U.S Senate Finance Committee reached an agreement that will affect the territory's Medicaid. "The specific Medicaid language in the Senate proposal includes that the Virgin Islands will receive a four-year deal that $126 million annual funding will increase for the Virgin Islands for each fiscal year from 2020 to 2023. Additionally, the federal match will remain at the same rate of 100 percent through December 20, 2019, of this year. And from December 21st of this year through the end of 2023 the rate of federal matching fund will be 83 percent for the Virgin Islands," said Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett.
Senator Kenneth L. Gittens is calling for public hearings to be held territory-wide before the 33rd Legislature act on Governor Albert A. Bryan's bill to allow for non-medical cannabis use. Senator Gittens said, "such a sweeping change to public policy and the extensive accompanying regulations beg for community review and input." "The Virgin Islands needs to get this right and ensure that our people will be the ultimate beneficiaries of any such initiative. At this point, it is not necessarily about being for or against legalization, but about crafting a realistic regulatory environment."