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Panel advances bill to make bureau chiefs appointed positions under Health and Welfare director with board concurrence
Summary
Senate Bill 52, which would change appointment rules so bureau chiefs in the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare serve at the pleasure of the director with board concurrence, was recommended to the Senate floor by the Health and Welfare Committee.
Senate Bill 52, which would change appointment rules so bureau chiefs in the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare serve at the pleasure of the director with board concurrence, was recommended to the Senate floor by the Health and Welfare Committee.
Senator Lenny, who identified himself as the senator for Nampa (District 13), said the bill “does two simple things” and explained it aligns bureau staffing with existing division standards. He said many bureaus oversee large staffs and millions in expenditures and that the change would make bureau chiefs easier to hire and fire and increase accountability for taxpayer dollars.
Adam Jones of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare told the committee the department’s board meets quarterly and that division administrators currently may be hired before the board’s concurrence and can serve until the next quarterly board meeting. Committee members asked about the board meeting frequency and whether temporary appointments could serve pending board action.
Senator Blaylock moved to send Senate Bill 52 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; Senator Wintrow seconded. The committee approved the motion by voice vote; the transcript does not show a roll-call tally.
Key details
- The bill would change the status of bureau chiefs so they are appointed by the director with the board’s concurrence, aligning them with division heads. - Senator Lenny said the state’s child support bureau and benefit field operations bureau have large staffs (examples cited: “101 full time employees” for child support bureau; “418 FTEs” for benefit field operations). Those figures were presented by Senator Lenny as examples during the hearing.
Votes at a glance
- Motion: “Send Senate Bill 52 to the floor with the due pass recommendation.” Mover: Senator Blaylock. Second: Senator Wintrow. Outcome: approved by voice vote (no roll-call recorded in the transcript).
Provenance
The discussion begins with Senator Lenny’s presentation and concludes with the committee’s motion and voice vote to advance the bill.
