Legislative Millennium Fund committee recommends one-time support for youth assessment centers

Senator Van Burtonshaw, co-chair of the legislative Millennium Fund Committee, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Feb. 28 that the committee prioritized prevention, cessation and treatment programs funded from the Millennium Fund, which derives from the state'wide tobacco settlement. "The funding should be prioritized for programs that benefit Idahoans less than 18 years of age," Van Burtonshaw said.

Representative Jordan Redmond, newly appointed to the committee, walked members through the specific recommendations. The package includes $2 million for a second cohort of school-focused programs (vape detectors, school-resource officers and after-school programs); one-time funds for youth assessment centers for fiscal years 2025 and 2026; additional personnel costs for Idaho Public Television to implement committee-recommended programs; and continued appropriation from the opioid settlement fund for Idaho State Police educational programs. Redmond said the committee intentionally left remaining Millennium Fund balances to roll over so the committee could "come up with a good option for 2027."

The youth assessment centers were the item that prompted most questions. Redmond said the committee recommended a one-time supplemental (the paperwork discussed at the hearing described a $1,290,000 supplemental) to allow the 12 assessment centers administered through the Department of Juvenile Corrections to continue operating while they seek sustainable funding. "Many of them essentially said that, due to some federal grants, that they were probably gonna have to close down their shops without this emergency funding," Redmond told the committee. He and other committee members said they made clear to the centers that the appropriation is a one-time bridge and that the expectation is centers will pursue local fundraising and other revenue to sustain operations.

Senator Ward Engelking and Representative Price asked whether centers have concrete plans to reach sustainability. Representative Redmond said centers were developing local fundraising plans and cited Children's Village as an example of local outreach efforts. The committee moved to accept the Millennium Fund Committee report by unanimous consent; no member objected.

Ending: The committee accepted the Millennium Fund Committee report and will take the recommendations into account during the JFAC budget work groups and upcoming appropriation decisions. The transcript records committee members emphasizing the intended one-time nature of the youth-assessment funding and the committee'level expectation that centers pursue sustainability after the bridge appropriation.