Joint Finance Committee approves program maintenance budgets and technical corrections; most votes unanimous

BOISE — The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee on Friday, Jan. 17 approved a package of technical corrections and program maintenance budgets covering dozens of state agencies and programs, voting to carry multiple bills with recommendations to the full legislature.

The committee voted on a sequence of motions to correct prior appropriations, set base (FY2026) program maintenance budgets and authorize reappropriations or language sections for multiple functional areas — including commerce and broadband, environmental quality, health and welfare corrections, legislative and judicial branches, constitutional officers, public safety, general government, economic development, natural resources, education, and public schools. Most motions passed unanimously in both chambers; a handful of later votes on large appropriations produced one or two dissenting votes in the House or Senate.

Why it matters: These motions set the baseline funding and statutory authorization the legislature will use this session as it considers enhancements, policy changes and supplemental requests. Program maintenance actions typically reconfirm or realign ongoing operations, authorize limited reappropriations (carryover) and add standard conditions, reporting requirements and exemptions the legislature uses to manage state programs.

Votes at a glance

- Commerce broadband correction (remove reappropriated funds from Department of Commerce commerce program): Motion by Representative Handy; second Senator Cook. Result: 20 ayes, 0 nays; motion passed (due pass recommendation). Note: procedural step to move reappropriated funds out of the wrong expenditure category.

- Commerce broadband correction (add same amount to Broadband Office): Motion by Representative Handy; second Senator Cook. Result: 20 ayes, 0 nays; motion passed (due pass recommendation).

- Department of Environmental Quality correction (transfer $2,000,000 from the general fund to DEQ general fund / Water Quality Program): Motion by Senator Woodward; second Representative Manwaring. Result: 20 ayes, 0 nays; motion passed (2-pass recommendation).

- Department of Health and Welfare corrections — Substance Abuse Treatment & Prevention (move $160,000 from trustee and benefit payments to operating expenditures): Motion by Representative Price; second Senator Bierke. Result: 20 ayes, 0 nays; motion passed (due pass recommendation).

- Department of Health and Welfare corrections — Physical Health Services (reduce $240,000 from central tumor registry fund for operating expenditures): Motion by Representative Price; second Senator Bierke. Result: 20 ayes, 0 nays; motion passed (due pass recommendation).

- Legislative Branch program maintenance (FY2026 base and cost-allocation adjustments; no FTP cap for legislative staffing): Motion by Representative Miller; second Senator Ward Engelking. Result: 20 ayes, 0 nays; motion passed (due pass recommendation). Language and reappropriation authority also adopted on roll call 20–0.

- Judicial Branch program maintenance and associated language (including reappropriation authority for ARPA court technology funds): Motion by Senator Carlson; second Representative Mitchell. Result: 20 ayes, 0 nays; motion passed (due pass recommendation).

- Constitutional officers program maintenance (six elected officers): Motion by Representative Tanner; second Senator Bierke. Result: 20 ayes, 0 nays; motion passed (due pass recommendation). Associated language and reappropriation authority adopted by roll call 20–0.

- Public Safety program maintenance and associated language (Dept. of Correction, Juvenile Corrections, State Police, etc.): Motion by Senator Wintrow; second Representative Handy. Result: 20 ayes, 0 nays; motion passed (due pass recommendation).

- General Government program maintenance, FTP caps and language (includes Dept. of Administration, Office of the Governor, Tax Commission items): Motions by Representative Miller and Representative Biller (FTP cap); second(s) as recorded. Result: 20 ayes, 0 nays; motion(s) passed (due pass recommendation).

- Economic Development program maintenance and language (multiple agencies including Commerce, Labor, State Lottery, libraries, etc.): Motion by Senator Woodward; second Representative Furness. Result: 20 ayes, 0 nays; motion passed (due pass recommendation).

- Natural Resources program maintenance and language (DEQ, Fish & Game, Lands, Parks, Water Resources, Endowment Fund): Motion by Representative Manwaring; second Senator Ziderfeld. Result: 20 ayes, 0 nays; motion passed (due pass recommendation).

- State Board of Education program maintenance (includes colleges, universities, community colleges, special programs): Motion by Senator Ward Engelking; second Representative Petzke. Result: 20 ayes, 0 nays; motion passed (due pass recommendation). Associated reappropriation and statutory language adopted on roll call 20–0. A subsequent technical correction to Idaho Public Television language was approved on roll call (19–0 House; Senate unanimous in committee).

- Public School Support (program maintenance; statutory allocations and many sections of clarifying language): Motion by Representative Miller; second Senator Woodward. Result: 20 ayes, 0 nays; motion passed (due pass recommendation). The packet included multiple statutory sections and a crosswalk to consolidated “student support” divisions to clarify distribution and reporting duties.

- Health and Human Services realignment and program maintenance: The committee approved the Department of Health and Welfare’s requested realignment of appropriation-unit names and base realignment and added a new budget appropriation unit for the Idaho Child Care Program. Motion moved by Representative Tanner; second by Representative Tanner (second recorded by Representative Tanner and Senator Cook on other motions). Result: initial committee roll call produced 18 ayes, 1 nay, 1 absent (House dissent: Representative Petzke explained she would vote no, citing unresolved questions about moving large numbers of FTPs and dollars while many enhancement requests remain). The committee carried the measure with a due pass recommendation.

- Full Health and Human Services maintenance appropriation (FY2026 base and program maintenance totals): Motion by Representative Tanner; second Senator Cook. Result: final committee roll included a changed vote by Senator Ziederfeld converting an earlier aye to a nay; the recorded result was 17 ayes, 2 nays, 1 absent excused. The HHS package sets the department’s FY2026 program maintenance totals and an FTE cap and also includes multiple program-specific reporting and transfer restrictions in the clear language section.

Other business and next steps

- For each program maintenance bill the committee also approved standardized accountability language, conditions, limitations and reappropriation authority where requested. Many sections require reports to the legislature or to Legislative Services.

- The chair said the committee will reconvene to review drafted bills and any technical corrections before they are introduced on the floor; CEC (cost-of-living/compensation) and health-insurance decisions remain unresolved and will be considered later.

Ending

Committee staff said the next review hearing will consider bill drafts and any needed technical adjustments before bills go to the floor. Lawmakers will still need to take separate action on CEC and health-insurance decisions before final appropriations are completed for the session.