JFAC approves program maintenance budgets across agencies; roll-call votes recorded

The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee on Jan. 17 reviewed and approved program maintenance budgets and standard appropriation language for multiple functional areas and agencies. Committee members completed roll-call votes on individual budgets and on the standard language sections that typically accompany these maintenance appropriations.

Committee staff framed the program maintenance package as setting each agency’s ongoing base budget (the ‘‘base’’) plus agreed statewide decision units such as contract inflation and statewide cost allocation. The action generally does not create new ongoing programs; it sets continuing operating budgets derived from prior legislative authorizations, adjusted to remove one-time items and to add standard statewide changes.

Key approvals included (motions and totals reflect the committee motion language recorded at the Jan. 17 session): legislative branch program maintenance ($12,546,100 total); judicial branch program maintenance (total recorded in motion: $96,696,300); constitutional officers (total recorded in motion: $73,630,300, FTP cap 431.91); public safety program maintenance (total recorded in motion: $528,074,000, FTP cap 3,322.1); general government program maintenance (total recorded in motion: $479,688,000); economic development functional area (total recorded in motion: $1,380,100,600, FTP cap 4,165.28); natural resources (total recorded in motion: $513,855,000, FTP cap 1,632.4); State Board of Education package (total recorded in motion: $1,099,940,000 with specified FTP caps and carve-outs); public schools program maintenance (motion recorded total: $3,166,900,700, no FTP caps for public schools); and health and human services (massive program maintenance motion with totals recorded and a cap of 3,008.44 FTPs after internal realignment).

The committee also approved the standard sections of language attached to these appropriation bills — exemptions from expense-class and program transfer limitations for certain agencies, reappropriation authority for funds that require carryover, continuous appropriation for specific agency funds (for example Idaho Public Television, Lottery prize payouts, and others), and reporting or accountability requirements. In several cases staff flagged that the language preserves historical exceptions (for example transfers within corrections and judicial branches) intended to provide program flexibility while maintaining specified caps and restrictions.

Most motions were passed on unanimous roll calls recorded in the transcript. A few votes recorded one or two committee members switching votes on later items; the transcript records the final roll-call tallies for each motion in the committee proceeding.

Because these are maintenance appropriations rather than policy enactments, staff and members said the next steps are bookkeeping and bill drafting. Committee staff indicated a follow-up review session will occur after the bills are drafted to check technical language and make any necessary corrections before introduction.