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JFAC approves military-division supplements, communications upgrades and hazmat grants
Summary
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved a package of supplemental appropriations and FY2026 enhancements for the Idaho Military Division including hazardous-material reimbursements, public-safety communications funding, IT upgrades and a $8.6 million transfer to equip regional hazmat teams.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Feb. 14 approved multiple supplemental appropriations and fiscal 2026 budget enhancements for the Idaho Military Division, including reimbursements for hazardous-material cleanup, funding to expand public-safety communications installations, and a one-time transfer to equip regional hazardous-materials response teams.
The committee voted unanimously to approve a one-time general-fund payment of $34,200 to reimburse the Military Division for remaining fiscal year 2024 hazardous-material cleanup costs. The committee also approved a $540,001 one-time appropriation from the general fund to allow public-safety communications to contract for installation of communications systems and to expand installation capacity so vehicles awaiting system installation can be deployed by calendar year end.
A separate one-time appropriation of $759,200 from the general fund was approved to upgrade the division’s IT infrastructure and create an independent network for public-safety communications. That motion passed on a 19–1 combined vote (Senate 9–1; House unanimous). The committee later approved several FY2026 enhancements for the Military Division that included small staffing and equipment adjustments and a larger initiative to support hazmat regional response teams.
As part of the FY2026 package, JFAC approved adding $8.6 million by transferring funds from the continuously appropriated State Emergency Relief Fund into the Military Division’s miscellaneous revenue fund to provide equipment for hazardous-materials regional response teams housed at local fire departments across Idaho. That transfer was approved on the committee floor (final tally reported as 19 ayes, 1 nay). Committee materials show replacement items, vehicles, radio network test equipment and microwave battery banks among requested purchases.
The committee record shows Representative Petzke declared a conflict of interest on the public-safety communications item and noted service on a board of a supplier; the declaration was entered into the record before the vote.
No new policy language or statutory changes were adopted; these actions were appropriation and transfer votes tied to the division’s FY2025 supplemental needs and FY2026 enhancement requests.
Details of each motion, vote tallies and funding sources are listed below.
