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JFAC accepts CEC compensation recommendations, including targeted trooper pay increase
Summary
The committee accepted the Change in Employee Compensation committee's recommendations to shift salary schedules and fund targeted increases for troopers, IT, nursing and a $1.55-per-hour-per-FTP increase (or 3% where greater). Acceptance was by unanimous consent.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee accepted the Change in Employee Compensation (CEC) committees report and recommendations for fiscal 2026 compensation adjustments, the committee co-chair said.
Senator Dan Foreman, co-chair of the CEC committee, presented the recommendations. Foreman said the committee recommends shifting the primary compensation schedule upward by an average of 3.2 percent, with pay-grade exceptions for specific classifications. The committee recommended shifting specialized schedules by an average of 3.2 percent for public safety, 3.0 percent for IT and engineering, and 3.5 percent for nursing and health care. "With respect to salary increases, we recommend the legislature fund a salary increase for state employees of a dollar 55 per hour per FTP with flexibility allowed for the agency heads and institution presidents to distribute those funds as they see fit," Foreman said.
On troopers, Foreman told the committee the Idaho State Police have critical manning shortfalls in some districts and that pay appears to be a primary driver of departures. The CEC recommended funding an increase for Idaho State Police troopers in pay grade L of up to 8 percent. "It was our unanimous decision really that we needed to try to address this issue," Foreman said, citing concerns that low staffing could affect continuous patrol coverage.
For IT and engineering, CEC recommended a 4.5 percent salary increase for employees on the IT and engineering schedule. For nursing and health care positions, the recommendation was a $1.55-per-hour-per-FTP increase or 3 percent, whichever is greater. Appropriation guidance in the CEC report calls for health-insurance and benefit funding at the levels identified by the Division of Human Resources and raises the per-FTP appropriation level referenced in the report from 13,000 to 13,960 for fiscal 2026.
Representative James Holsclaw, CEC co-member, thanked staff for their work. Several legislators asked questions about the trooper pay recommendation and retention data; Foreman said the committee based the trooper recommendation on recruitment and retention information and concerns about public safety coverage.
Co-chair Horman asked unanimous consent to accept the CEC report; Senator Woodward seconded. The committee approved the report by unanimous consent with no roll-call vote recorded.
Why it matters: The CEC recommendations will be incorporated into upcoming maintenance and enhancement budget decisions. Lawmakers noted the recommendations are guidance for appropriation drafting and said agency heads will retain flexibility to distribute the funded increases within agencies.
Provenance: The CEC report presentation and discussion are recorded in the meeting transcript during the CEC report segment beginning with Senator Dan Foremans presentation and ending with the unanimous-consent acceptance.
