JFAC approves Idaho Millennium Fund recommendations for youth programs, recovery centers

The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee approved the Joint Millennium Fund Committee’s recommended uses of Idaho Millennium Fund dollars for FY2026, including after‑school programming, funding for Idaho State Police public awareness work, and appropriations for youth assessment centers.

Jared Tetroult, deputy division manager of budget and policy analysis for Legislative Services, told the committee Idaho receives about $25 million a year from the Master Settlement Agreement; those monies are managed through three millennium funds, with statutory and constitutional transfer rules directing how funds move among the accounts. The Joint Millennium Fund Committee’s recommendations presented to JFAC included: a fentanyl awareness campaign with Idaho State Police (from the opioid settlement fund), a dedicated after‑school program allocation for the State Department of Education, support for school resource officers and vape detector programs in schools, and one‑time funding for juvenile‑justice youth assessment centers.

Representative Gallavey moved the fiscal motion that allocated a total of $6,710,000 from dedicated funds for the identified agencies, including $2,500,000 one time for the Department of Juvenile Corrections for youth assessment centers and $1,500,000 for after‑school programs. The motion passed on a joint roll call (19 ayes, 1 nay).

Committee members discussed program specifics and conservative adjustments to earlier proposals. The current proposal removed the youth assessment survey and cut Idaho Public Television program operation support after the agency said it could cover those costs internally. Committee language requires after‑school funds to be used by school districts and public charter schools to provide education on prevention and cessation of tobacco, alcohol and other substances and to comply with statutory age requirements. For recovery centers, the adopted language clarifies that recipients must be nonprofit entities, establishes quarterly disbursement rules, requires additional reporting to the department of health and welfare and the governor’s office if perceived misuse occurs, and states that any newly proposed recovery centers must request funding through a standard line‑item enhancement in the budget process.

The committee also recommended prioritizing income fund uses toward Idahoans under 18 and adults with higher risk factors, and stated a committee preference to cease using Millennium Income Fund dollars for Medicaid and focus those dollars on youth programs instead.

Votes and next steps: the motion to allocate $6,710,000 (and associated reappropriations) passed on the joint committee roll call, and the language adopted on program definitions and distribution rules will be included with the committee’s recommendation to the full Legislature.