This bill updates Idaho's Transportation Support Program to clarify which costs school districts and transportation providers can claim for reimbursement when moving students to and from school. It defines allowable expenses such as vehicle maintenance, driver salaries, and contracted transportation services, while excluding costs for optional vehicle features not essential for safety or disability transport. The state will typically cover 50% of reimbursable costs, with higher reimbursement rates for training, fees, and bus maintenance, and includes a cap based on statewide average costs per mile or per student rider. The law also extends reimbursement eligibility to home-based public virtual schools for internet, equipment, and face-to-face visit costs, and establishes specific criteria for hardship bus runs that may qualify for higher reimbursement limits.
This bill expands the authority of Idaho's Legislative Services Office to conduct revenue analysis and provide fiscal information to the legislature. It amends state law to require the office to make annual revenue estimates, analyze the governor's budget proposals, and review state agency financial records to support legislative decision-making. The office will also be able to seek input from various groups when developing revenue estimates and continue its existing duties related to budget studies and economic reporting. This change aims to strengthen the legislature's ability to review state finances and budget requests without altering the office's current operational structure.
This bill allocates funding to the Idaho Department of Lands for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, directing specific amounts to support personnel costs, capital projects, and trustee benefit payments across various programs including business services, forest resources, trust land management, fire protection, and minerals. The legislation provides $2.7 million for fiscal year 2027 and $285,000 for fiscal year 2026, while simultaneously reducing certain appropriations from previous budgets to balance the overall funding. It designates $145,000 specifically for the Idaho Geological Survey and allows the Forest and Range Fire Protection Program to receive unlimited transfers from other departmental funds for both fiscal years. Additionally, the bill limits General Fund bonuses to firefighters with incident qualification cards and requires a report on 2026 fire season bonus awards to be submitted by January 5, 2027.
This bill creates a new legal framework for developing fee-based recreation sites on Idaho state endowment lands, which are lands held in trust to generate revenue for public institutions like schools. It establishes a formal process where the Idaho Department of Lands and the Department of Parks and Recreation must collaborate to identify, plan, and approve specific recreation opportunities such as campsites, bike parks, and hiking trails. The legislation requires that these developments protect existing land leases and public access rights while allowing agencies to charge fees for managed recreation sites to generate additional revenue.
This bill appropriates $14.18 million to Idaho's Department of Fish and Game for fiscal year 2027, covering administration, fisheries, and wildlife programs from state and federal funds. It authorizes the department to use unspent money from the previous year for new, one-time expenses and designates $200,000 specifically for enhancing wolf trapping to manage predation. The bill requires the department to report how the wolf trapping funds are used by June 30, 2027, and takes effect on July 1, 2026.
This bill updates how money collected from Idaho's liquor sales is distributed among state agencies, counties, and cities. It adjusts the percentage of funds allocated to various programs over time, including substance abuse treatment, education, and law enforcement, while also modifying how remaining balances are shared between counties and cities. The legislation establishes specific formulas for distributing funds to local governments based on liquor sales volume and population, with some allocations decreasing gradually until 2023. Additionally, it corrects a reference to an existing code section and sets an emergency provision for the changes to take effect immediately.
This bill appropriates $25,800 from the Idaho State Lottery Fund for capital improvements during fiscal year 2027. The funds are designated for capital outlay purposes, meaning they will be used for physical infrastructure or equipment upgrades rather than operational expenses. The legislation declares an emergency to allow the appropriation to take effect immediately on July 1, 2026, without waiting for the regular budget cycle. Once enacted, the money becomes available for the Idaho State Lottery to use for approved capital projects within the specified fiscal year.
This bill appropriates $30.7 million to the Department of Health and Welfare and $250,000 to the Judicial Branch for fiscal year 2027 to fund assertive community treatment and peer support services. The funding comes from multiple sources, including the State-Directed Opioid Settlement Fund, the Idaho Millennium Income Fund, and federal cooperative welfare funds. The bill also allows the Department of Health and Welfare to transfer money freely between programs to support these services and permits up to $5.8 million of opioid settlement funds to be used for individuals with substance use or mental health issues who do not have opioid use disorder. These changes take effect on July 1, 2026, and the bill was signed into law by the Governor.
This bill establishes the Idaho Personnel Reduction Act and requires state agencies to report employee travel expenses, aiming to reduce government waste and improve transparency. Under the new law, state departments must identify and eliminate full-time equivalent positions that have remained vacant for more than 180 days, with budget reductions applied to those eliminated roles. Additionally, departments must submit detailed annual reports on travel costs, including destinations, purposes, and expense breakdowns for all state employees. The bill also directs that funds from eliminated positions in 2026 and 2027 be partially transferred to the legislative account for district support staff, while allowing departments to retain vacant positions if they can be fully funded from existing resources.
This bill allocates $13.1 million in funding to Idaho's Legislative Branch for fiscal year 2027, covering the Legislative Services Office and the Office of Performance Evaluations. The money comes from various state funds, including the General Fund, and is designated for personnel costs and operating expenses. The bill also allows these offices to transfer funds between expense categories without restrictions, while prohibiting transfers between different state funds unless the Legislature approves them. Additionally, it permits unused money from the American Rescue Plan Act recovery fund to be reused for nonrecurring technology expenses. The funding becomes effective on July 1, 2026.
