Commission on Aging seeks small ongoing inflation bump, outlines ARPA spending before federal deadline

The Idaho Commission on Aging asked the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Feb. 24 for modest ongoing general‑fund inflationary increases and described how federal one‑time funds have been used to expand meal service, caregiver supports and adult protective services.

Colin McGurkin, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the committee the commission’s FY 2024 expenditures totaled about $16.7 million, with roughly 88% of spending classified as trustee and benefit payments to local Area Agencies on Aging (about $10.4 million in federal funds and $4.2 million in state general funds). The commission has historically combined federal grants and state general‑fund dollars to pay for services such as meal delivery, caregiver assistance, transportation and legal/ information services.

McGurkin said the commission has used a pattern of requesting one‑time federal appropriations from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) balances for modernization projects and service enhancements in FY 2022–FY 2025, with about $7.4 million in ARPA‑related expenditures to date and a FY 2025 request for $1.8 million to draw remaining ARPA balances before they expire on Sept. 30, 2025.

Why it matters: the commission’s base budget is tied to implementation of the federal Older Americans Act and the Idaho Senior Services Act; changes in federal award timing and one‑time ARPA drawdowns have produced year‑to‑year swings in available funding for local nutrition, caregiver and adult protective services. The committee pressed agency staff on which services are sustained with ongoing money versus those funded by one‑time federal awards.

Director Judy Taylor, who said she leads the commission and introduced fiscal staff, told members the agency followed direction from the governor’s office to use one‑time federal funds for one‑time needs and enhancements rather than for base operations. She described several programs funded or expanded with ARPA and other federal CARES/Coronavirus‑related dollars: caregiver education and outreach, an expansion of a high‑risk caregiver pilot (including community health workers embedded in local service areas), enhanced adult protective services, targeted COVID‑related services, and meal program modernization. Taylor said some items funded by ARPA will end when the grants expire — for example, paid professional association memberships for adult protective services staff and some expanded respite hours — and the commission has planned to cover core personnel obligations from its base budget first.

Key budget requests and recent changes described to the committee included: - A governor‑aligned FY 2026 request for $162,600 ongoing from the general fund to cover inflationary increases; McGurkin said about $155,000 of that would be a 3% increase in trustee and benefit payments to local AAAs and $7,600 would cover a 2% operating increase for the commission itself. - FY 2025 ongoing additions the commission received: 1.0 FTP and $76,700 from the general fund for a financial specialist, and $805,000 from the general fund for direct nutrition program funding to AAAs aimed at reducing wait lists and increasing meals served. - One‑time federal funding in FY 2024 and FY 2025, including a $5.2 million one‑time federal ARPA appropriation and a FY 2024 $150,000 CARES Act increase for adult protective services work. - A FY 2025 one‑time federal request of $500,000 intended to pay final invoices and draw down remaining ARPA funds before the 9/30/2025 deadline; McGurkin said about $450,000 of that would go to AAAs and approximately $50,000 would cover staff time for invoice processing, training materials and minor operating costs.

Committee members asked for detail on several items. Senator Cook asked whether there is a specific Alzheimer’s/dementia line item; McGurkin said he did not have a precise dollar amount and offered to follow up. Senator Zetterfeld and others asked which services would end when ARPA funds expire; Taylor replied that some professional memberships and additional respite hours funded by ARPA will stop, but the agency prioritized paying staff salaries first so core services would continue. Representative Mitchell and others sought clarification about the $25,000 of the one‑time $50,000 earmarked to cover personnel costs for invoice/contract processing; Vicki Janzick, project manager and fiscal lead for the commission, explained staff currently direct‑bill federal grants for hours worked and that the $25,000 is requested so administrative staff time can be charged to the appropriate federal grant rather than to other federal funding sources.

Taylor described the caregiver programs in detail, saying caregiver support — along with adult protective services and nutrition — ranks among the commission’s top priorities. The commission runs two caregiver programs: a federal Older Americans Act caregiver program that serves caregivers age 60+ (and caregivers of people with dementia regardless of caregiver age) and a state‑funded high‑risk caregiver program that targets caregivers of people with memory issues. The high‑risk caregiver pilot places community health workers in each Area Agency on Aging to provide in‑home assessments, planning, telephonic case management and limited respite; Taylor said the pilot will continue as funded through remaining ARPA money, though respite hours may fluctuate with future funding.

Taylor closed by saying the commission is focused on preventing unnecessary institutionalization and will report outcomes; she requested the committee’s support for the budget as presented.

What’s next: committee members requested follow‑up information by email on program specifics (including the base components of Meals on Wheels funding and the staff‑time breakdown for ARPA personnel charges). The commission’s FY 2026 ongoing request stood as a modest inflationary ask and the commission emphasized that one‑time federal funds were used for modernization and temporary program expansions rather than added base obligations.