JFAC moves to reallocate emergency medical services budget to Idaho Military Division; transfers and new positions proposed

The committee took up the planned transfer of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) out of the Department of Health and Welfare and into the Idaho Military Division, where the office will sit alongside the Office of Emergency Management and other operational units within the Military Division.

Background: House Bill 206 (recently passed both chambers) establishes the administrative transfer of the EMS budgeted program to the Idaho Military Division. Committee action required the House-committee side to reduce DHW base appropriations and separately to add the program and funding into the Military Division’s budget.

Actions and votes - The committee considered a motion to reduce the DHW public-health appropriation for the EMS program and to transfer resources (including FTP) related to the preparedness and response portion of EMS into DHW’s physical-health budgeted program. That motion did not achieve a favorable Senate committee vote (Senate 5 ayes, 2 nays, 3 absent/excused; House 8 ayes, 1 nay, 1 absent/excused). Because the Senate majority did not affirm the motion, it was moved to the Senate for further handling. - The committee voted to create a new EMS budgeted program within the Idaho Military Division and approve appropriations described in the motion: an addition described in committee materials as $7,202,900 (split among general, dedicated and federal funds) and an added 30.84 FTPE or similar classification for FY2026. That motion passed the House side but did not obtain an affirmative Senate committee majority on record and therefore will be transmitted to the Senate. Combined vote totals recorded were 14 ayes, 3 nays, 3 absent/excused (with Senate not recording a majority in favor). - The committee separately approved one-time and ongoing appropriations to the Military Division to support the EMS transition, including a motion to fund a part-time medical director (a physician providing medical control/policy oversight) with $60,000 general fund and $150,000 one-time dedicated funds. The motion carried in the House but likewise will be sent to the Senate because the Senate committee did not produce an affirmative majority on the motion at the time of the hearing.

Why the Military Division: advocates argued the Military Division’s Office of Emergency Management already handles backup dispatch, HazMat programs and other field operations, and that EMS will gain a more operationally focused home under the Adjutant General with the potential for statutory/rule changes to increase workforce parity with neighboring states.

Next steps: Because several of the EMS-related motions did not get an affirmative Senate committee majority at this hearing, the motions are to be processed or addressed by the Senate side per the committee’s cross-chamber procedures. If the companion trailer bill (HB206) becomes law, the administration transition steps outlined in the motions and the $150,000 transition funding and the part-time medical director allocation will be used to operationalize the transfer and continue preparedness functions.

Sources: Legislative Services Office briefings (Frances Lippitt) and committee roll-call votes recorded in the March 12 JFAC transcript.