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House Health and Welfare committee introduces RS 31886 to join ABLE savings program
Summary
The Idaho House Health and Welfare Committee introduced RS 31886, a proposal to adopt ABLE accounts for eligible Idahoans, and approved an amendment striking the word "Idaho" from one line of the draft. The committee approved minutes from Jan. 14 and received administrative guidance on upcoming budget assignments.
The House Health and Welfare Committee introduced RS 31886, a proposal to make Idaho eligible to participate in ABLE accounts, during a short committee meeting that opened at 10:00 and included a voice vote to introduce the measure as amended.
Representative Scoggs, who presented the draft, said the proposal would allow Idaho residents to use Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts and said the state currently is one of only three that had not yet joined the program. "You see only three states not participating in it and Idaho is one of those," Scoggs said, urging the committee to move forward. Scoggs described learning about the program after receiving an email from a constituent and said he worked with national organizations and the treasurer's office while preparing the draft.
The committee approved a technical amendment requested by the treasurer's office to strike the word "Idaho" on line 31, page 1 of the draft RS. A motion was made to introduce RS 31886 as amended; the committee approved the motion by voice vote and the chair said the motion carried. The motion text recorded in the meeting was: "I move to introduce RS 31886 with striking on line 31, page 1, the word Idaho." The mover and seconder were not recorded by name in the transcript and the introduction passed by voice vote.
Committee members clarified that removing the word "Idaho" from line 31, page 1 was the specific change approved; Representative Bridal asked whether related occurrences of the word on lines 28 and 34 also needed removal and was told those could remain. The chair also noted that an RS hearing does not take public testimony and that testimony would be taken later if the proposal returns as a bill.
Before the ABLE discussion, the committee approved minutes from the Jan. 14, 2025 meeting after Representative Egbert moved to approve the minutes; the chair called for a voice vote and the minutes passed. Committee business concluded with administrative direction: members were reminded to review assigned budgets (contact listed as Misty Lawrence), and the chair said the committee will meet the following day to begin rules review related to IDOPL.
The discussion was brief and procedural; no fiscal note showing a direct cost to the state was reported in the committee exchange. Representative Scoggs said the treasurer's office had helped craft the draft and indicated the fiscal note does not show a fiscal impact in its current form. The committee did not take public testimony on RS 31886 at this meeting.
RS 31886 will return to the committee in bill form for further consideration and any opportunity for testimony and debate.
