Commission on Aging details ARPA spending, requests modest ongoing inflation increase

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee heard a briefing on the Idaho Commission on Aging’s budget Monday, focusing on how federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds were spent and on a small ongoing general-fund request for FY 2026.

Legislative Services budget analyst Colin McGurkin told the committee that “The Commission on Aging implements the Federal Older Americans Act and Idaho Senior Services Act.” He reviewed five years of appropriations and said the agency has relied on a pattern of one-time federal ARPA awards since FY 2022 for modernization projects and service enhancements.

The discussion mattered because federal ARPA drawdowns used for meal services, caregiver support and adult protective services will expire Sept. 30, 2025, and the committee wanted to understand whether those services would continue or require state funding. McGurkin said the commission had requested $1,800,000 one-time in FY 2025 to utilize remaining ARPA balances and that the agency’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 (AAAs).

Director Judy Taylor of the Idaho Commission on Aging told lawmakers the…