Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Health and Welfare seeks federal authority and transfer exemptions to stabilize Idaho Behavioral Health Plan funding
Summary
Department of Health and Welfare officials asked the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee to approve supplemental federal authority and transfer exemptions to access delayed grants for the Idaho Behavioral Health Plan and to allow internal fund transfers to cover unforeseen mental‑health costs.
Alex Williamson, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee that the Department of Health and Welfare is asking for a federal supplemental and an ongoing federal operating increase tied to the Idaho Behavioral Health Plan (IBHP).
The request includes a $6,700,000 one-time federal supplemental to allow the department to access grants issued when IBHP went live and $261,400 in ongoing federal operating authority for grants administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Williamson said the appropriation tied to the original grant year (2022) is no longer usable and the supplemental would give the agency authority to claim those federal dollars now.
The request also included transfer-exemption language. The department asked the committee to approve exemptions to the 10% program-transfer limitations in Idaho Code 67-35-11 for fiscal year 2025 — language that would permit broader internal transfers department-wide to cover adult and…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
