JFAC approves emergency and ongoing funding for prisons, backs youth assessment one-time aid and U. of Idaho extension positions

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Feb. 28 in Boise accepted the Millennium Fund Committee report and approved a series of budget actions that included multiple one-time and ongoing appropriations for the Idaho Department of Correction and funding for the University of Idaho27s Agricultural Research and Extension Service.

The committee accepted the Millennium Fund Committee27s recommendations and one-time funds to keep youth assessment centers operating through 2026. "The funds that come to the Millennium Fund are from the tobacco settlement in 02/2007," said Senator Van Burtonshaw, co-chair of the legislative Millennium Fund Committee, explaining the fund27s purpose. Representative Jordan Redmond, a newly appointed Millennium Fund member, told JFAC the committee prioritized prevention, cessation and treatment programs targeted to Idahoans under 18 and recommended "one-time funds for the youth assessment centers" after testimony that some centers faced imminent closure.

Why it matters: The Millennium Fund appropriation is explicitly one-time. Committee members pressed for assurances about sustainability. Representative Jordan Redmond said the committee told providers "this is the last time, this is a one-time basis" and that centers should develop local revenue and community fundraising plans.

The committee also considered the University of Idaho27s Agricultural Research and Extension Service budget. Representative Don H. Miller moved an FY2026 package that combined funding for a viticulture faculty researcher (to support wine, table grapes and small-fruit research) and building maintenance for the CAF27s facility. Miller said the viticulture position would "help develop in terms of our particular soils, nutrition" and other local needs. Debate centered on scope and whether state funding should support viticulture research; Senator Ward Engelking emphasized the role of a land-grant institution doing research for table grapes and specialty berries unique to Idaho.

On the motion for the agricultural research and extension service, the committee approved an additional $408,000 from the General Fund and 1.43 full-time-equivalent positions after alternate and substitute motions were considered. The committee also adopted technical language by unanimous consent clarifying the appropriation and program expectations.

Department of Corrections: supplementals and FY2026 requests

Noah Peterson, Legislative Services budget analyst, walked the committee through a cluster of Department of Correction requests that the agency tied to recent security incidents and population pressures. Peterson described the agency27s supplemental and FY2026 requests as responses to capacity and safety issues, saying the advanced surveillance request "comes as a result of the shooting and escape attempt that came in March of 2024," and that the transport and placement supplementals are driven by population growth and a shortage of beds.

Key corrections and funding actions the committee approved for the Department of Correction included: - A $795,000 one-time fiscal year 2025 appropriation for advanced surveillance technology (digital mail scanning, drone detection and phone transcription/analysis) to address vulnerabilities found after the March 2024 incident. The motion passed both chambers of the committee and will be sent to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. - A $1,148,000 one-time FY2025 addition to expand the transport safety bureau to handle emergency inmate transport, including funding for 12 personnel and seven vehicles. - Supplemental funding to cover county and out-of-state inmate housing and medical services after population and cost updates; the committee approved multi-million-dollar one-time adjustments to the county/out-of-state placement and medical services divisions to cover expected expenditures for the remainder of FY2025. - A mixed set of FY2026 enhancement requests (management services, state prisons, community corrections and medical services) were considered; some passed in House and Senate committees and will be carried to the floor, while other FY2026 enhancement packages achieved a majority in the House Appropriations Committee but failed to achieve a majority in the Senate Finance Committee and thus will be taken up in the Senate.

Members repeatedly noted capacity constraints: Peterson told members county-jail stays were driven by "population growth and lack of space," and that a women27s prison under construction is not expected to open until 2028 or 2029.

What comes next: Most successful motions were reported out with a "due pass" recommendation to the full legislature. Several FY2026 enhancement packages that failed to reach a Senate majority will be reconsidered in subsequent Senate action or handled through committee negotiation.

Ending: The committee spent the morning and early afternoon on appropriations, adopted language corrections for some previously approved items, and recessed after passing the day27s motions to send to the Senate and House floors. The committee reconvened later for additional technical corrections and to consider smaller agency requests.