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Veterans services seeks temporary nursing pool, cites Build America Buy America hold on home reconstruction
Summary
The Division of Veterans Services requested authority to shift operating dollars into personnel to create a temporary nursing pool, described recruitment and turnover challenges, and reported delays to Boise veterans‑home construction tied to a Build America Buy America waiver dispute with the federal VA.
Mark Chample, administrator of the Idaho Division of Veterans Services, told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee the division plans a pilot staffing approach to reduce reliance on high‑cost contract nurses and to support operations at the state veterans homes.
What was presented: The division asked to transfer approximately $1.2 million of operating appropriation to personnel to create a pool of 22 temporary, benefited state employees who could fill shifts across homes. Administrator Chample said the change is aimed at replacing higher‑cost contract labor with a mix of temporary state staff. "We think this temporary pool will help us push over the edge," Chample said, describing previous hiring and retention efforts.
Why it matters: The division said FY2024 turnover of skilled nursing staff was 34–35% and that state homes have relied on contract nurses — which the administrator estimated cost roughly three times more than state staff. The division also said all four state veterans homes were near capacity and that occupancy has not been negatively affected by staffing pressures because contract staff have been used to fill gaps.
Construction and federal funding: Frances Lippert, the budget analyst, told the committee the division received $43,100,000 in federal State Home Grant funding to rebuild the Boise home and renovate the Lewiston home, but the projects have been delayed while the division seeks a Build America Buy America waiver from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Chample said the waiver process has slowed access to federal funds: "We've been fighting with them for over the last year to try and get a waiver. We've done our diligence... but we have not received the waiver as of today."
Other details presented: - The division operates state veterans homes in Boise, Lewiston, Post Falls and Pocatello, and veterans cemeteries in Boise and Blackfoot. It reported authorized staffing around 439.5 FTE across homes and support services. - The division requested one‑time replacement items and federal re‑appropriation authority for construction grants; the governor recommended all requested enhancements. - Lippert said the division expended about $50.2 million in FY2024, with personnel accounting for 62.4% of spending; the division noted it expended federal grant funds only after receiving corresponding federal approvals.
Committee questions focused on the temporary nursing proposal, the competitiveness of pay and whether a temporary pool of 22 employees is feasible. Chample and staff said past applicant feedback indicated many nurses would accept shift work even if they would not take full‑time positions; the division expects to identify enough candidates for the pilot but will return with more data if scaling is needed.
Ending: Chample thanked the committee and highlighted a summary of results from the division’s advocacy work, including filing about 13,000 benefit claims that returned more than $1,000,000,000 to Idaho veterans. The division committed to provide additional pay‑comparison details and to supply further documentation about the Build America Buy America waiver effort as requested by the committee.
