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Senate State Affairs advances campaign finance, procurement measures; refers non‑cognizable funds bill
Summary
The Senate State Affairs Committee on March 27 recommended H 930 (campaign finance rules) and S 1436 (procurement flexibility) be sent to the Senate floor and referred H 835 (limits on non‑cognizable funds) for later amendment; committee members also approved two RS items and recognized Idaho Olympic athletes.
The Senate State Affairs Committee met March 27 and moved several measures forward while referring a proposed budget amendment on so‑called non‑cognizable funds for later action. Representative Jason Monks introduced H 835, saying the bill would regulate money received by state agencies after the legislative session from non‑state sources and "proposed a $10 million annual cap on non‑cognizable fund spending." Senator Den Hartog moved to send H 835 to the 14th Order of Business for possible amendment; Senator Adams seconded and the motion carried by voice vote.
The committee recommended H 930, a campaign finance bill that would require candidates to keep campaign money in a designated checking account and bar co‑mingling with personal funds. Senator Harris described the measure as adding clarity on how campaign accounts must be maintained and how candidate loans are reported. Representative Lori McCann, who shepherded the bill, said she worked with the Idaho Secretary of State's Office to align the bill with existing law and reporting requirements and clarified that "if a candidate provided personal loans to their campaign that the money must actually be transferred into a designated campaign account for accurate reporting purposes." Secretary of State Phil McGrane told the committee that interest earned on invested campaign funds "would stay within the campaign account" and confirmed that the seven‑day requirement to keep accounts current was already part of current law.
Senator Bernt moved that H 930 be sent to the Senate floor with a do‑pass recommendation; Senator Adams seconded. The motion carried by voice vote with Senators Den Hartog, Toews and Shippy recorded as voting nay.
The committee also advanced S 1436, legislation to confirm that Idaho agencies may use existing competitive bids from other governments and allow reasonable contract modifications while retaining safeguards against abuse. Senator Anthon said the bill does not circumvent the competitive bidding process and that local governments define timelines and terms for using such bids. Senator Den Hartog moved to send S 1436 to the floor with a do‑pass recommendation; Vice Chairman Bernt seconded and the motion carried by voice vote with Senator Ruchti recorded as nay.
Other business included RS 33834, a measure introduced by Representative John Gannon to give counties and cities explicit authority to address a growing rat infestation in the Treasure Valley; the committee voted to send that RS to print. Senators also approved RS 33839, a concurrent resolution approving pending administrative rules, and adopted HCR 35, a concurrent resolution recognizing Idaho athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
Chairman Guthrie adjourned the committee at 8:52 a.m. The committee's sign‑in sheet, testimonies and other related materials will be retained in the committee office until the end of session and then filed with the Legislative Services Library.
