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Idaho libraries seek sustained federal digital-access funding as summer-reading questions arise
Summary
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee heard a request to make federal 'Digital Access for All Idahoans' spending authority ongoing and to expand library broadband reimbursement, while lawmakers pressed officials about summer-reading materials and grant details.
Idaho Commission for Libraries Director Stephanie Bailey White told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Oct. 24, 2025, that the commission is requesting ongoing state spending authority tied to a federal Digital Access for All Idahoans grant and an increase in broadband reimbursement to cover more eligible libraries.
The request stems from a federal allocation made under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and administered through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). "We've launched subgrants... 80% of the funds are planned to go out through subgrants to Idaho organizations," Bailey White said, describing plans to fund digital navigators, tech support, device purchases and digital-skills training in communities across the state.
The request matters because committee members said making the federal funding "ongoing" in the state budget could create an expectation that state general funds will…
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