Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approves technical corrections and program maintenance budgets, lists vote outcomes

The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee voted on a package of technical corrections and program maintenance budgets for Fiscal Year 2026 during a Jan. 17, 2025 session in Boise, approving reappropriation and transfer changes and adopting maintenance budgets for most state agencies while postponing decisions on cost‑of‑living (CEC) and some health‑insurance numbers.

The committee’s work addressed three immediate technical corrections early in the meeting — moving previously reappropriated broadband funds into the new Broadband Office inside the Department of Commerce, correcting a Department of Environmental Quality appropriation that should have been a general‑fund transfer, and reclassifying two Health and Welfare expenditures into operating categories — and then progressed through program maintenance budgets for branches of government, public safety, education, natural resources and other functional areas.

Why it matters: these votes set the baseline spending levels that the Legislature will use when it considers enhancements, replacements and policy changes during the 2025 session. Several of the decisions are transfers or reappropriations that are described by staff as net zero within the affected agency’s base but are intended to improve tracking and compliance with account and reporting rules.

Janet Jessup, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the committee the broadband correction was needed because last year’s reappropriation went into the Commerce program instead of the newly created broadband office. “The monies were reappropriated into the commerce program, not the broadband office,” she said, and added that “you can see from the tables that are on page 1 of your handout that these actions net to 0.” Mr. Bybee, a Legislative Services analyst, reviewed the program‑maintenance concept and said, “A base budget is really your ongoing operations for the entire state government, right, as authorized by previous legislatures.”

Most motions were procedural and passed by roll call. The committee approved the Commerce broadband fund corrections in two sequential motions (one to remove funds from Commerce’s Commerce Program and one to add the same amount to the Broadband Program), each carrying a 20‑0 recorded vote. The committee also approved a $2,000,000 correction for the Department of Environmental Quality (to change a line from a general‑fund appropriation into a transfer), and two Health and Welfare reclassifications: a $160,000 reclassification in the Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention Program and a $240,000 reclassification in the Physical Health Services Program, all by unanimous roll calls.

After the technical fixes, the committee set program maintenance budgets (base plus statewide cost allocation and selected decision units) across most functional areas. Among the votes recorded were: legislative branch maintenance, judicial branch maintenance, constitutional officers, public safety, general government, economic development, natural resources, the State Board of Education and public schools. In each of those cases the committee approved the maintenance budgets and related clear language or reappropriation authority by roll call; most passed unanimously. Health and Human Services budget realignment and its maintenance totals were also adopted, but those votes recorded a small number of nays on the larger appropriation motion (see "Votes at a glance").

Votes at a glance (motion summary, mover, second, tally, outcome): - Commerce (Commerce Program reappropriation removal): motion to reduce reappropriated funds for Department of Commerce/Commerce Program by $291,737,000 (to correct where last year’s reappropriation landed). Mover: Representative Handy. Second: Senator Cook. Tally: 20 aye, 0 nay. Outcome: passed (due pass recommendation). - Commerce (Broadband Program reappropriation addition): motion to add $291,737,000 of reappropriated funds to the Department of Commerce Broadband Program (to place funds in the Broadband Office for tracking). Mover: Representative Handy. Second: Senator Cook. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Department of Environmental Quality correction: motion for FY2025 to reclassify $2,000,000 as a transfer (making the agency whole after an appropriation classification error). Mover: Senator Woodward. Second: Representative Manwaring. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Health & Welfare — Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention: motion to move $160,000 from trustee & benefit payments into operating expenditures (Idaho Millennium Income Fund). Mover: Representative Price. Second: Senator Bierke. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Health & Welfare — Physical Health Services (Central Tumor Registry): motion to move $240,000 from trustee & benefit payments into operating expenditures (Central Tumor Registry Fund). Mover: Representative Price. Second: Senator Bierke. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Legislative branch program maintenance: motion to set FY2026 base and include $41,700 for statewide cost allocation; totals and FTPs as shown in packet. Mover: Representative Miller. Second: Senator Ward‑Engelking. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Legislative branch language (expense‑class exemptions and reappropriation authority): motion to add the clear language and reappropriation authority shown on the screen. Mover: Representative Miller. Second: Senator Ward‑Engelking. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Judicial branch program maintenance (base + $116,400 statewide cost allocation): motion to set appropriations. Mover: Senator Carlson. Second: Representative Mitchell. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Judicial branch language (exemptions, judges’ retirement remittances, ARPA reappropriation): motion to include language and reappropriation authority. Mover: Senator Carlson. Second: Representative Mitchell. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Constitutional officers program maintenance (six statewide elected officials): motion to set FY2026 base and include CEC/swauctions shown in packet; FTP cap included. Mover: Representative Tanner. Second: Senator Bierke. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Constitutional officers language & reappropriations (data processing, behavioral health reporting, bank fees limits): motion to include language shown on the screen. Mover: Representative Tanner. Second: Senator Bierke. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Public safety program maintenance (corrections, juvenile corrections, state police, brand inspection, racing commission): motion to set FY2026 base and FTP cap. Mover: Senator Wintrow. Second: Representative Handy. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Public safety language (DOC transfer limits, other clarifications): motion to include language and reappropriation authority. Mover: Senator Wintrow. Second: Representative Handy. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - General government program maintenance (Administration, governor’s office, Tax Commission items): motion to set FY2026 base and program maintenance totals. Mover: Representative Miller. Second: Senator Galloway. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - General government FTP caps motion: motion to cap full‑time equivalent positions as shown on screen. Mover: Representative Biller. Second: Senator Galloway. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - General government language (multiple reappropriations, ARPA, energy resiliency, workforce grants, accountability): motion to include language and reappropriation authority. Mover: Representative Miller. Second: Senator Galloway. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Economic development program maintenance (many agencies: Ag, Commerce, Labor, Lottery, libraries, etc.): motion to set FY2026 base and maintenance totals and FTP cap. Mover: Senator Woodward. Second: Representative Furness. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Economic development language (watercraft inspection, broadband reappropriations, telehealth at libraries, continuous appropriation for lottery, etc.): motion to include language and reappropriation authority. Mover: Senator Woodward. Second: Representative Furness. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Natural resources program maintenance (DEQ, Fish & Game, Lands, Endowment, Parks, Water Resources): motion to set FY2026 base and FTP cap. Mover: Representative Manwaring. Second: Senator Ziderfeld. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Natural resources language (Bunker Hill reporting/cash transfer, Ag BMP, DEQ ARPA reappropriations, parks carryover, water resources transfers): motion to include language and reappropriation authority. Mover: Representative Manwaring. Second: Senator Ziderfeld. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - State Board of Education program maintenance (colleges, universities, community colleges, public TV, Career & Technical Ed, Dept. of Education items): motion to set FY2026 base, contract inflation and statewide cost allocation, FTP caps for certain programs (others not capped). Mover: Senator Ward‑Engelking. Second: Representative Petsky. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - State Board of Education language (expense‑class exemptions, tuition/fee reappropriation authority, community college language, health education reappropriations, continuous appropriation for IPTV): motion to include the language and reappropriation authority. Mover: Senator Ward‑Engelking. Second: Representative Petsky. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Public schools (program maintenance): motion to set FY2026 public school support base (statutorily driven allocations), adjust a $21,400 statewide cost allocation reduction for EDB risk management and set totals. Mover: Representative Miller. Second: Senator Woodward. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed (due pass recommendation). - Public schools language (24 sections: professional development, teacher allocations, discretionary funds, health benefits, classroom technology, English‑learner grants, advanced opportunities reporting, transfers to other agencies, definitions, acquisitions and conditions): motion to accept language as shown on the screen. Mover: Representative Miller. Second: Representative Woodward. Tally: 20‑0. Outcome: passed. - Health & Human Services — organization realignment: motion to accept the Department of Health and Welfare’s requested realignment of appropriation unit names and to add a new Idaho Childcare Program appropriation unit (realign base). Second: Representative Tanner. (Second recorded.) Roll calls: Senate 10‑0; House 8‑1 (one no). Outcome: passed (total 18 ayes, 1 nay, 1 absent/excused) — motion carried and will carry a due‑pass recommendation. - Health & Human Services program maintenance totals (FY2026 base, adjustments, totals and FTP cap): motion to set FY2026 totals and cap FTPs at 3,008.44. Mover: Representative Tanner. Second: Senator Cook. Recorded votes included two senators/representatives changing to nays; final total reported: 17 ayes, 2 nays, 1 absent/excused. Outcome: passed. - Health & Human Services language (many sections addressing Medicaid reporting, transfer limits, Medicaid managed‑care implementation reporting, specific transfers and program earmarks, behavioral health/community crisis centers, facility licensing reports, and accountability): motion to include the language as shown on the screen. Mover: Representative Tanner. Second: Representative Furness. Tally: 19 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent excused (final). Outcome: passed. - Technical correction (Idaho Public Television continuous appropriation wording correction): motion to correct previously adopted language for Idaho Public Television (clarify continuous appropriation for positions and funds from Millennium miscellaneous revenue fund). Mover: Senator Ward‑Engelking. Second: Representative Petsky. Tally: 19 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent/excused. Outcome: passed.

Discussion and next steps: committee staff and analysts repeatedly told members that most motions were technical, that reappropriation authority and clear language were being included to enable carryover or to route funds to the correct statutory accounts (for example ARPA or other dedicated accounts). Committee leaders postponed a separate decision on CEC (cost‑of‑living/cost‑of‑employment) and certain health‑insurance assumptions because the panel did not reach consensus; Chair Representative Horman said the committee will consider options (a multi‑agency bill or separate decisions) at a later date once staff and work groups can reconcile numbers.

Quotes and attributions in this report are drawn only from committee members and staff who spoke on the record during the meeting. An example of staff explanation: Janet Jessup, budget and policy analyst, said the broadband move was primarily an accounting correction and noted that the tables in the packet show the individual motions “net to 0.” Mr. Bybee, Legislative Services, summarized the maintenance‑budget approach: “A base budget is really your ongoing operations for the entire state government, right, as authorized by previous legislatures.”

What’s next: the committee scheduled a review hearing when bill text is drafted to confirm the language that the committee approved and to address any technical drafting adjustments. The unresolved CEC and health‑insurance decisions will be taken up later after work groups reconcile revenue and benefit assumptions.

Ending note: most actions in this session were procedural and designed to align appropriation accounting with statutory funds, reauthorize unspent ARPA and other dedicated funding where needed, and to confirm program maintenance baselines; members and staff emphasized that additional policy or enhancement decisions remain for later hearings.