JFAC votes: funding adjustments, replacements and language packages advance; several measures split

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) took a series of votes on replacement items, supplemental appropriations and budget language during a multi-hour session that ranged across public television, conservation grants, behavioral health, psychiatric hospitalization, the Department of Labor and multiple constitutional officers. Most motions carried; a few drew divided tallies or procedural questions and will move to further consideration.

The committee approved a routine replacement and small enhancement package for Idaho Public Television, including a network operations center request, with the motion passing on a roll call (16 ayes, 4 nays). The Soil and Water Conservation Commission received a one-time $1,040,500 package for a vehicle and $1,000,000 in water-quality grants; that motion carried (18 ayes, 2 nays).

Several behavioral-health and psychiatric-hospitalization requests were approved. The committee gave a due-pass recommendation to the Department of Health and Welfare for a $6.74 million federal appropriation to implement the Idaho Behavioral Health Plan (IBHP) contract (motion passed, committee tally recorded as 15 ayes, 5 nays). Separately, the panel approved FY2026 federal grant increases tied to IBHP and multiple forecast and fund-shift adjustments for State Hospital East/West/South; most of those motions carried on recorded votes or by unanimous consent.

The Division of Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention received an appropriation realignment between dedicated and federal funds; the motion passed after roll-call (15 ayes, 5 nays). The committee also adopted language addressing limits and conditions on federal behavioral-health funds by unanimous consent; the language requires reporting if federal funding is reduced or rescinded.

The Department of Labor initially proposed $7.33 million for unemployment-insurance operations in FY2026. That motion failed on a roll call; the committee then accepted an accounting correction and transfer of $4,868,000 between Labor funds to resolve closing-period fund-balance issues and approved language for required reporting. The corrected transfer motion carried (18 ayes, 0 nays).

Other agency motions that passed included: Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired hardware replacement (unanimous), Commission on the Arts grant increase (passed), Idaho State Liquor Division replacement and enhancements (passed, committee tally 14 ayes, 6 nays), Idaho Lottery ITS hardware replacement (passed), brand-inspection vehicle replacements (passed), the Commission of Pardons and Parole ITS replacement request (passed unanimously), and a technical correction for the Division of Veterans Services (passed unanimously).

The Office of Energy and Mineral Resources' request to administer federal home-energy rebates and to create the governor's proposed Speed Council produced extended debate and multiple motions. The committee recorded split votes and procedural uncertainty on an original motion that would have accepted significant federal spending authority for home-energy rebates; the final status in committee was ambiguous on the floor because the House side did not produce a majority on a final tally. Committee chairs indicated the package will be sent forward to the House for consideration; the committee adopted related language to govern federal fund restrictions and reporting.

Several items were approved by unanimous consent as budget language to accompany appropriations and to clarify transfer authority between expense classes. Where recorded roll-call totals were read aloud, those totals are reported here as given at the meeting.

What happens next: motions that received due-pass recommendations are scheduled to move to the next stage of legislative processing; items that lacked a clear committee majority or that generated requests for further clarification will be transmitted or refiled for additional consideration by the originating chamber or the full Legislature.

Votes at a glance (selected motions and outcomes reported during the meeting): - Idaho Public Television — replacement items + network operations center: passed, 16 ayes, 4 nays. - Soil and Water Conservation Commission — vehicle and $1,000,000 water-quality grants: passed, 18 ayes, 2 nays. - Department of Health and Welfare (IBHP federal contract appropriation FY2025) — $6,743,800 cooperative-welfare federal fund: passed, 15 ayes, 5 nays. - Mental Health Services FY2026 federal grant increase — $261,400: passed (committee recorded 18 ayes total). - Psychiatric hospitalization (community hospitalization civil-commitment FY2025) — $2,663,500 general fund: passed, roll-call recorded as 19 ayes, 1 nay. - State Hospital forecast/fund-shift adjustments (West/South) — multiple fund shifts and forecast corrections: motions passed on recorded votes or unanimous consent (various tallies reported on the record). - Division of Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention — dedicated/federal fund realignment: passed, 15 ayes, 5 nays. - Department of Labor — original UI operations motion failed on roll call; subsequent accounting transfer of $4,868,000 to correct FY2024 balances passed, 18 ayes, 0 nays; accompanying language passed by unanimous consent. - Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired — ITS hardware replacement: passed by unanimous vote. - Secretary of State — package of enhancements reduced to remove a policy-dependent voter-guide request and to provide partial double-fill for a deputy position: passed on the record with a majority; committee recommended due-pass. - Idaho State Liquor Division — replacement items and enhancements: passed, committee vote 14 ayes, 6 nays. - Office of Energy and Mineral Resources — home energy rebates/Federal funds and Speed Council: committee recorded divided votes and procedural uncertainty; related language on federal-fund restrictions was adopted and chairs indicated the package will be transmitted to the House for action. - Commission on the Arts — arts and education grant increase: passed on recorded vote and recommended due-pass. - Idaho Lottery — ITS hardware replacement: passed, recorded as passed. - Brand Inspection Division — vehicle replacement items: passed on recorded vote. - Commission of Pardons and Parole — ITS replacement items: passed unanimously. - Division of Veteran Services — technical correction to align personnel and operating in grant and miscellaneous funds: passed unanimously.

Provenance (selected evidence spans): topicintro — Senator Julie VanOrden remarks on Medicaid and foster-care concerns (transcript excerpt at start of the session); topfinish — committee adjournment and final votes near the end of the transcript. The meeting record contains roll-call counts and the verbatim motions adopted, which support the outcomes listed above.