JFAC advances multiple supplemental appropriations, trailer bills and year‑end transfers

The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee (JFAC) on March 12, 2025 approved a slate of supplemental appropriations, trailer‑bill‑linked appropriations and year‑end cash transfers that together reallocate state resources for education, transportation, utilities oversight and other state programs.

The committee approved a $200,000 one‑time appropriation from the general fund for the Military Division as the customary naming‑state contribution for the commissioning of the USS Idaho; a $420,500 ongoing appropriation to extend foster care support to age 23; a $330 million one‑time cash transfer into the public school income fund; and a $5 million literacy‑intervention appropriation for early grades, among other actions. Several transfers moved leftover balances from sunset funds into the general fund or other dedicated funds.

Why it matters: Those votes adjust near‑term spending and program funding across multiple state agencies and finalize several items tied to policy bills already passed. The actions restore or allocate resources for school support, transportation distributions, literacy interventions and utilities oversight while moving several legacy fund balances into the general fund for accounting and allocation purposes.

Votes at a glance

- Technical correction to university reductions (Kevin Campbell, Legislative Services): committee accepted language changing prior Boise State/University of Idaho reductions from ongoing to one‑time by unanimous consent. Outcome: approved (unanimous consent).

- Military Division supplemental (Frances Lippitt, LSO): $200,000 one‑time from the general fund to support commissioning/naming contributions and crew scholarships for the USS Idaho. Mover: Senator Woodward. Tally: total 19 ayes, 1 nay, 0 absent excused. Outcome: passed; due‑pass recommendation.

- Executive Office of the Governor enhancements (Christopher Hossett, LSO): $45,000 one‑time for IT hardware and $250,000 one‑time for the America250 initiative (total $295,000 from the general fund). Mover: Representative Tanner. Tally: total 19 ayes, 1 nay, 0 absent excused. Outcome: passed; due‑pass recommendation.

- Industrial Commission (Noah Peterson, LSO): multiple agency requests including a net‑zero internal transfer of $47,000 and FY‑2026 enhancements funded from dedicated Industrial Commission funds totaling $570,300 (IT/IRIS maintenance, reclassification, referee position, IT replacement, contingency). Mover (enhancements): Representative Furness. Tally (FY‑2026 enhancements): total 13 ayes, 7 nays, 0 absent excused. Outcome: passed; due‑pass recommendation.

- Commission on the Arts enhancement (Kellen McGurkin, LSO): requested $18,400 ongoing from the general fund to match federal NEA funds for additional arts‑in‑education grants. Committee motion: no additional appropriation. Tally: total 15 ayes, 5 nays, 0 absent excused. Outcome: enhancement not advanced.

- House Bill 25 trailer (sales tax distribution to Idaho Transportation Department): $20,000,000 ongoing from the Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation Fund to ITD for contract construction/right‑of‑way (motion tied to trailer language). Mover: Representative Petzke. Tally: total 19 ayes, 1 nay, 0 absent excused. Outcome: passed; due‑pass recommendation.

- House Bill 245 (foster care extended age): $420,500 ongoing (GF $222,900; federal $197,600) to extend foster care support up to age 23 for qualifying youth. Mover: Senator Berke. Tally: total 16 ayes, 3 nays, 1 absent excused. Outcome: passed; due‑pass recommendation.

- School facilities / House Bill 304 & related trailers (Jared Tetrault and staff): made the school district facilities fund continuously appropriated and approved related reductions/allocations, and a 1‑time cash transfer of $330,000,000 from the general fund into the public school income fund to align cash accounting. Motion to transfer $330,000,000: Mover Senator Woodward. Tally: total 17 ayes, 2 nays, 1 absent excused. Outcome: passed; due‑pass recommendation.

- Literacy intervention (Senate Bill 1069 trailer): $5,000,000 general‑fund appropriation for K–3 literacy coaching and development targeted at districts/charters in the bottom 25% on the Idaho Reading Indicator. Mover: Representative Petzke. Tally: total 14 ayes, 4 nays, 2 absent excused. Outcome: passed; due‑pass recommendation.

- Wildfire Standard of Care Act / Public Utilities Commission (Kellen McGurkin, LSO): two FTP and $187,000 (dedicated fund) to the PUC to support wildfire mitigation plan oversight and rulemaking required by the act. Mover: Senator Woodward. Tally: total 15 ayes, 4 nays, 1 absent excused. Outcome: passed; due‑pass recommendation.

- Year‑end cash transfers and fund housekeeping (Keith Bybee, LSO): motions included preserving the budget stabilization fund balance (unanimous consent language), transferring the remaining bond levy equalization balance to the general fund (net ~$37M after prior action for a rural loan fund), transferring the constitutional defense fund balance into the legislative legal defense fund (~$1.13M), and moving the governor’s emergency fund balance (~$652,527) to the general fund. All were approved by roll call as recorded and will be carried as due‑pass recommendations.

What the committee did not change

The committee declined the Arts Commission enhancement request for ongoing general‑fund matching dollars; other requests were either approved as requested, approved with adjustments to funding source or timing, or handled by unanimous consent.

Ending

Most of the appropriations and transfers approved are trailer or supplemental actions tied to policy bills already passed by the Legislature or to administrative housekeeping for the fiscal year. Committee members and staff asked clarifying questions about cash balances in dedicated funds and the structure of transfers; several members stressed monitoring dedicated‑fund balances before appropriating future ongoing expenditures.