Commission on Aging seeks one-time ARPA spending and modest inflation funding to sustain meals and caregiver programs

The Idaho Commission on Aging asked the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Feb. 24 to approve a combination of one-time and modest ongoing funding to draw down remaining federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money and cover inflationary increases to services for older Idahoans.

Colin McGurkin, budget and policy analyst with Legislative Services, told the committee the commission “implements the Federal Older Americans Act and Idaho Senior Services Act” and that the agency’s network of six local area agencies on aging (AAAs) delivers services such as meals, transportation and caregiver assistance.

The request centers on one-time federal and state spending to use remaining ARPA balances before the federal deadline of Sept. 30, 2025. McGurkin said the commission requested $1.8 million (federal) to use remaining ARPA balances and a separate $500,000 one-time federal appropriation to pay final invoices and draw down remaining ARPA funds. Of that $500,000, $450,000 was described as payments to AAAs for supportive services, meal programs, modernization projects, caregiver assistance, adult protective services and a pilot to expand the public health workforce; the remaining $50,000 would cover staff time and operating costs for contract processing, training materials and website updates.

Why it matters: The commission has relied on federal grants, including recurring Older Americans Act funding and multiple one-time ARPA awards, to expand services. Committee members pressed whether programs funded by one-time money would continue when ARPA ends.

Director Judy Taylor, representing the Commission on Aging, said the agency followed guidance to spend one-time ARPA funds on one-time needs and enhancements. She said some ARPA-funded activities will end when funds expire — for example, paid memberships for adult protective services workers — but other uses, such as community health workers placed with AAAs as part of a caregiver pilot, are funded through remaining balances long enough to sustain roles in the near term. “Those workers will stay,” Taylor said of community health workers embedded in AAAs to support high‑risk caregivers.

Taylor summarized the agency’s FY2024 spending and FY2026 request: the commission expended roughly $16.7 million in FY2024, with just under 88% in trustee and benefit payments (about $10.4 million federal and $4.2 million general fund to AAAs). The governor’s recommendation and the agency align on a modest ongoing general‑fund request of $162,600 to cover inflationary increases — $155,000 of that to increase trustee and benefit payments (a 3% increase targeted at AAAs to account for higher labor, insurance and fuel costs) and $7,600 for a 2% inflation adjustment for commission operating costs.

Committee members asked for clarification about ARPA-funded staffing and what happens when one-time funds end. Taylor said personnel obligations are covered in the base budget and that the agency tried to avoid building ARPA-funded positions into ongoing costs. On administrative costs, Taylor’s staff explained the commission would use $25,000 of a one-time allocation to direct‑bill staff time to the appropriate federal grants rather than to other federal sources, which staff said is standard practice for grant administration.

On nutrition, Taylor told the committee the commission used funds appropriated last session to raise meal rates by 25 cents per meal for congregate and home‑delivered meals and to eliminate wait lists for home‑delivered meals. “As of today we have no waiting lists in Idaho,” she reported.

The commission described several ARPA‑supported initiatives: targeted caregiver education and outreach, increased COVID‑related services, enhancements to adult protective services, a pilot for unpaid caregivers of persons with dementia, modernization projects at AAAs and workforce‑expansion pilots (community health workers funded in part with ARPA tied to public‑health workforce expansion).

The commission also requested one-time replacement cycle funding recommended by ITS and a one-time federal appropriation of $500,000 to draw final ARPA invoices. Taylor told the committee the agency believes the one-time ARPA spending “does not result in ongoing obligations or loss of expected services” because funds were used for modernization and one-time enhancements.

Members asked for follow-up details by email on items such as the composition of the base budget for Meals on Wheels and the amount of ARPA money directly supporting Alzheimer’s/dementia services. McGurkin said he did not have a specific Alzheimer’s dollar amount on hand and would follow up.

The commission concluded by asking the committee to support the budget request while promising monitored outcomes and transparent reporting.

Ending: The committee did not take immediate action; members requested follow-up information on several line items prior to final appropriations.