JFAC approves wide-ranging budget actions; several Idaho Department of Correction requests advance, body-worn camera pilot fails to clear Senate side

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted on dozens of supplemental and fiscal year 2026 budget requests on Friday, Feb. 28, advancing most items to the floors of the two chambers with “due pass” recommendations and rejecting or splitting a few items along chamber lines.

The committee approved multiple Department of Correction (IDOC) supplementals to cover costs tied to an escape/shooting incident last year and population pressures, including one-time requests for advanced surveillance technology ($795,000), transport safety expansion ($1,148,000), county and out-of-state inmate placements ($5,939,400), and medical-services pressures ($5,957,200). A separate supplemental to begin a body-worn camera pilot — $1,051,000 total, of which $1,024,000 was general fund in year one — received a majority of votes in the House Appropriations side but failed to achieve a majority in the Senate Finance side and therefore did not carry as a joint committee approval.

Beyond the corrections requests, the panel approved a slate of FY2026 maintenance and enhancement items across state agencies: agricultural research and extension funding (including a viticulture faculty position and facility costs), an adjustment to the Endowment Fund Investment Board budget, a small dedicated-fund increase for the Office of Species Conservation to accept non-federal grants, replacement and ITS requests for the Public Utilities Commission, and technical cash-transfer and language corrections for multiple agencies. Several items required rollbacks or clarifications after committee members flagged numeric or drafting errors; staff corrected a transposition in a Department of Correction medical supplemental before a second roll call.

Votes at a glance - Millennium Fund Committee report: accepted by unanimous consent (see separate article). (unanimous) - Agricultural Research & Extension (FY2026): Add $408,000 from the General Fund and 1.43 FTE (motion carried; committee recorded total 15 ayes, 5 nays). (due pass recommendation) - Endowment Fund Investment Board (FY2026): Add $86,100 from dedicated funds (motion carried; committee recorded total 15 ayes, 5 nays). (due pass recommendation) - Office of Species Conservation (FY2026): Add $30,000 from dedicated funds to receive non‑federal grants (motion carried; recorded total 16 ayes, 14 nays stated as 16/14 in transcript summary and transmitted with due pass). (due pass recommendation) - Department of Correction — Supplemental: Advanced surveillance technology (FY2025 one‑time) $795,000 general fund (motion carried; recorded total 17 ayes, 3 nays). (due pass recommendation) - Department of Correction — Supplemental: Transport safety expansion (FY2025 one‑time) $1,148,000 general fund (motion carried; recorded total 15 ayes, 5 nays). (due pass recommendation) - Department of Correction — Supplemental: Body-worn camera pilot (FY2025 one‑time) $1,051,000 total ($1,024,000 GF); House majority but failed Senate Finance (Senate 5–5; House 7–3; joint total 12 ayes, 8 nays) — did not clear both committees. (failed joint approval) - Department of Correction — Supplemental: County & out-of-state placements (FY2025 one‑time) $5,939,400 GF (motion carried; total 14 ayes, 6 nays). (due pass recommendation) - Department of Correction — Supplemental: Medical services (FY2025 one‑time) $5,957,200 GF (motion carried after corrected roll call; final totals reported as 16 ayes, 3 nays with one absent/excused). (due pass recommendation) - Multiple FY2026 IDOC enhancements (case management, transport annualization, population adjustments, replacement/IT items): motions carried in committee with varying chamber majorities; several items will be sent to the Senate where the joint committee did not carry a Senate Finance majority. - Industrial Commission technical fund shift (FY2025 net-zero): motion carried unanimously (20–0). (due pass recommendation) - Public Utilities Commission (FY2026): add $114,100 from dedicated funds for replacement items and ITS hardware (motion carried unanimously). (due pass recommendation) - State Appellate Public Defender (FY2026): add 1 FTE and $139,800 GF and reappropriation authority up to $1,209,400 for capital/conflict representation (motion carried; total 18 ayes, 2 nays). (due pass recommendation) - Division of Financial Management technical reduction to enforce 3% cap and small ITS request (FY2026): motion carried unanimously (20–0). (due pass recommendation) - Public Employee Retirement System (PERSI) enhancements (software upgrade, board travel, ITS hardware): motion carried (18 ayes, 2 nays). (due pass recommendation)

What the committee said and why it matters Committee members and analysts repeatedly framed many of the IDOC supplemental requests as responses to either an operational incident (the March 2024 shooting/escape attempt) or population growth and capacity constraints — particularly on the women’s side — that are driving county-jail stays and out-of-state placements. Noah Peterson, the Legislative Services analyst for corrections, described transports, staffing and vehicle needs, and projected licensing and operating costs for multi-year pilot programs.

Committee debate frequently focused on (1) whether requests were emergent and therefore appropriate for a FY2025 supplemental, (2) how ongoing FY2026 costs should be budgeted (one-time versus continuing), and (3) whether agencies could manage some enhancements within existing appropriations. For several line items staff and members asked for clearer business plans, particularly for facility maintenance requests tied to agricultural extension and for IDOC items the committee framed as transitional until longer-term space solutions are available.

Remaining questions and next steps - Several items will now move to the floors of the House and Senate for separate chamber action. Items that did not secure joint committee majorities will be handled in the Senate or House as noted during roll calls. - The committee asked agencies to provide more detailed business plans for facilities or program changes it funded on a one-time basis.

Speakers [{"name":"Keith Bybee","role_title":"Division Manager, Budget and Policy Analysis","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Legislative Services Office"},{"name":"Kevin Campbell","role_title":"Budget and Policy Analyst","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Legislative Services Office"},{"name":"Noah Peterson","role_title":"Budget and Policy Analyst","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Legislative Services Office"},{"name":"Representative Miller","role_title":"Representative","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Idaho House of Representatives"},{"name":"Representative Sandra Carlson","role_title":"Representative","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Idaho House of Representatives"},{"name":"Senator Ward Engelking","role_title":"Senator","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Idaho Senate"},{"name":"Representative Handy","role_title":"Representative","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Idaho House of Representatives"},{"name":"Senator Wintrow","role_title":"Senator","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Idaho Senate"},{"name":"Representative Manwaring","role_title":"Representative","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Idaho House of Representatives"},{"name":"Ms. Figueroa","role_title":"Committee Staff (roll call)","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Legislative Services Office"}]