Committee advances bill to align budget process for Idaho Education Services for the Deaf and Blind

Representative Steve Miller presented House Bill 169 to the Senate Finance Committee, saying the measure would align the Idaho Education Services for the Deaf and Blind budget process with other state agency budgets.

"This bill has to do with the budget process for the Idaho Education Services for the deaf and blind," Miller said. "The way this currently works is the board gets together, they have to do public hearings, then they make a recommendation that goes to the superintendent of education. It's the only one of the budgets that happens that way. What this does is make the process consistent with all of the other budgets." Miller added the board would still hold hearings but would submit its recommended budget to the Legislature and the governor.

Senators asked clarifying questions about the impetus and broader implications. Senator Wintrow asked whether the change could prompt similar treatment of other units that have layered governance; legislative staff said they had heard that discussion in the past but it had not advanced. Committee members asked whether the state superintendent sits on the agency's board; a staff member on the record answered that the superintendent does sit on the board.

Jared Tacher of the Legislative Services Office told the committee the bill already had passed House corporations and the House floor and that, if the Senate approves it, it would go to the governor for signature or veto.

A senator moved to send House Bill 169 to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation; the motion (moved by Senator Woodward, seconded by Senator January, King) passed by voice vote.

Committee members described the change as a procedural alignment and said they were not aware of any opposition on the record during the hearing.