House committee backs bill to end WWAMI slots and direct Idaho toward new medical-school partners

BOISE — The House Education Committee on Feb. 14 voted 9-5 to send House Bill 176 to the full House with a recommendation that it "do pass." The bill would phase out the WWAMI (University of Washington) arrangement that seats Idaho medical students and require the State Board of Education to designate at least two medical-education programs in Idaho or adjacent Mountain Time Zone states to replace the WWAMI seats over a multi‑year transition.

Proponents said the change is intended to keep more state-funded medical-education dollars and training in Idaho and to expand the state’s capacity to train and retain doctors. Representative Dustin Manwaring, R‑District 29, the bill sponsor, told the committee Idaho needs more Idaho‑trained physicians and that the legislation gives the State Board and universities direction to pursue partners, including the University of Utah.

"Our objective as a legislature is to give that direction to our universities and to the State Board and make sure that they know what the intent is," Representative Dustin Manwaring said during his presentation. He told the committee the bill would stop reserving further WWAMI slots after the 2026–27 academic year, allow current WWAMI students to finish their programs, and phase in new arrangements beginning with incoming students in 2027.

Why it matters: Idaho lawmakers and university officials told the committee the state faces a shortage of practicing physicians and that local clinical training and residency capacity are central to whether graduates remain in Idaho. Supporters said redirecting funds could flip the current distribution of state dollars — the sponsor said Idaho universities now receive about $4.45 million of the total spending on the current cohort while the University of Washington receives about $9.38 million — and keep a greater share of those dollars in Idaho under a new partnership.

What the bill would do: Representative Manwaring walked the committee through the bill language, saying it removes references to the WWAMI program in existing code and adds a new section that (1) prohibits reserving additional WWAMI slots after the 2026–27 academic year, (2) requires current students to be allowed to complete their training, (3) directs the State Board to designate at least two medical-education programs in Idaho or neighboring Mountain Time Zone states, and (4) caps program slots at not more than 60 for the Idaho campus relationship described in the bill. The bill also sets a target that, by the 2029–30 academic year, a majority of clinical rotations for the in‑state program be located in Idaho.

Support and opposition in committee: Supporters included physicians, University of Idaho administrators and a representative of the University of Utah. Dr. Rusty Baker, a University of Idaho faculty member who has helped run the WWAMI program locally, said Idaho delivers the first two preclinical years in Moscow and has done so for decades. "We now have 160 students in the program. 80 are in the first two years at the University of Idaho and 80 are in the clinical phase that is administered by the University of Washington," he said. Baker told the committee a planned transition to a University of Utah partnership could be implemented without reducing quality.

University of Utah associate dean Dr. Ben Chan, testifying by phone, described Utah’s clinical network and told the committee the Utah School of Medicine is prepared to expand capacity and already has ongoing programs that include Idaho trainees.

Opponents included University of Washington officials, students, and Idaho clinicians who said WWAMI is uniquely strong in rural training and has built a wide network of clinical preceptors in Idaho over 50 years. Suzanne Allen, vice dean for academic, rural and regional affairs at the University of Washington School of Medicine, told the committee that clinical training capacity in Idaho is the limiting factor for expansion and that WWAMI has repeatedly invested in Idaho sites and preceptors. "We are committed to that expansion," she said, and urged time to develop more clinical capacity.

Several student and recent‑graduate witnesses said WWAMI students are preferentially selected for Idaho residency positions and return to practice in Idaho at high rates. "Getting to stay in Idaho, the state I love and want to serve, has only been possible because of the WWAMI program," said Joseph Olmstead, a recent WWAMI graduate and family medicine resident in Caldwell.

Committee deliberations and outcome: Committee members debated whether to hold the bill for more information or send it forward. Opponents sought delay to allow more time for negotiation and to verify commitments from proposed partners. Supporters argued the legislation creates a clear transition and a path to expand Idaho‑based training. Representative Ehart moved that the committee send House Bill 176 to the floor with a "do pass" recommendation; the motion carried on a roll‑call vote, 9 in favor, 5 opposed.

What stays the same: The bill as drafted preserves due‑process protections for currently enrolled students and allows students already in WWAMI to complete their courses and clinicals before any changes take effect.

Next steps: With a committee "do pass" recommendation, House Bill 176 advances to the House floor for additional debate and potential amendment. The bill’s timeline would require multi‑year coordination among the State Board, the University of Idaho, and any out‑of‑state partners identified by the Board.

Votes at a glance: House Bill 176 — motion to send to the House with recommendation "do pass"; mover: Representative Ehart; committee vote: yes 9, no 5; outcome: approved.