Committee approves House Bill 169 to align deaf and blind budget submission and payment timing

Representative Steve Miller, R‑District 24, presented House Bill 169 and asked Jared Tatro, deputy division manager with budget and policy, to summarize the changes.

Tatro said the bill amends Idaho Code to require that the Educational Services for the Deaf and Blind submit its budget to the superintendent exactly as approved by the school’s board of directors and receive appropriated funds on July 1 rather than split distributions. "This is a simple change and it just makes this particular budget consistent with all of the other budgets that come through," Miller told the committee.

According to Tatro, the bill clarifies a provision in Idaho Code 30‑34‑08 so that the deaf and blind program’s approved board budget is submitted unchanged to the state superintendent and that appropriations be provided on July 1 or soon thereafter rather than in an 80%/20% split used previously.

There was no public testimony. Representative Handy moved the committee to send House Bill 169 to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation; Representative Petzke seconded. The committee approved the motion by voice vote; the chair announced, "Any opposed, nay. The ayes have it, motion carries and it will be sent to the floor with a due pass." Representative Miller will carry the bill on the House floor.

The bill’s stated effect is procedural: it aligns the Educational Services for the Deaf and Blind with the submission and payment timing used for other state budgets and removes an internal superintendent override mechanism referenced in current code language.