This bill allocates $200,000 from the state's General Fund to the Idaho Legislature for fiscal year 2026 to support the operations of the Medicaid Review Panel. The funding covers operating expenses from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, and includes authority to carry forward any unused funds for nonrecurring expenses in the following fiscal year. The legislation also declares an emergency to allow the appropriation to take effect immediately upon passage, ensuring the panel can continue its work without interruption.
This bill appropriates specific funding amounts to Idaho's Medicaid program for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, affecting the Department of Health and Welfare's Division of Medicaid. It allocates money from various state and federal funds to support different Medicaid plans, including Basic, Enhanced, Coordinated, and Expansion plans, as well as administrative costs and hospital assessments. The legislation also reduces certain appropriations from the Hospital Assessment Fund and other sources for these same programs during the covered periods. Once signed into law, the bill directs how these funds will be distributed and spent to cover Medicaid benefits and operational expenses for eligible Idaho residents.
This bill appropriates $30.7 million to the Department of Health and Welfare and $250,000 to the Judicial Branch for fiscal year 2027 to fund assertive community treatment and peer support services. The funding comes from multiple sources, including the State-Directed Opioid Settlement Fund, the Idaho Millennium Income Fund, and federal cooperative welfare funds. The bill also allows the Department of Health and Welfare to transfer money freely between programs to support these services and permits up to $5.8 million of opioid settlement funds to be used for individuals with substance use or mental health issues who do not have opioid use disorder. These changes take effect on July 1, 2026, and the bill was signed into law by the Governor.
This bill amends Idaho law to revise how Community Infrastructure Districts can be formed, allowing cities and counties to create special zones for planning infrastructure before development begins. The key provision requires that any district be approved by local government bodies and must follow existing land use planning rules, while also specifying that only publicly owned infrastructure can be financed through these districts. The legislation creates a legal framework for advance payment of development impact fees and provides additional financing tools to help new growth pay for itself more quickly.
This bill directs the Idaho State Controller to transfer specific funds between various state accounts for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, primarily moving money from specialized funds into the General Fund and limiting legislative spending. For fiscal year 2026, it transfers $5.8 million from the Permanent Building Fund to the Legislative Account while capping legislative spending at $8.17 million, and moves $13 million from the Idaho Broadband Fund and remaining School District Building Account balances to the General Fund. The bill also authorizes transfers from the Twenty-seventh Payroll Fund to cover potential budget shortfalls and directs interest earnings from multiple funds to the Strategic Initiatives and Fire Suppression Deficiency Warrant Funds. For fiscal year 2027, the legislation reduces the legislative spending cap to $8.09 million and requires transfers of interest earnings from the Budget Stabilization, Public Education Stabilization, and Water Pollution Control Funds to the General Fund to maintain a minimum cash balance of $150 million.
This bill appropriates and adjusts funding for Idaho's Division of Welfare for fiscal year 2027, covering the period from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. It allocates $6.9 million total from two Cooperative Welfare funds, with $3 million designated for personnel costs and $3.8 million for operating expenses, while also setting aside $98,300 for benefit payments. The legislation simultaneously reduces the overall appropriation by $3.1 million from the Federal Fund, specifically cutting $3 million for personnel and $98,300 for benefit payments. The bill includes a declaration of emergency and takes effect immediately upon signing.
Idaho's H 730 strengthens SNAP program integrity by requiring the Department of Health and Welfare to verify household eligibility using multiple data sources. It mandates monthly reviews of vital records, corrections data, and federal databases (like death records, incarceration status, and tax filings), and quarterly checks of employment and tax information. The bill also requires the department to disenroll households with lottery winnings exceeding $3,000 or asset limits for elderly/disabled households, and to publish annual reports on fraud investigations and improper payments. Additionally, it prohibits Idaho from applying income or asset standards higher than federal limits without federal approval. This directly affects SNAP recipients whose circumstances (like income changes, incarceration, or lottery winnings) trigger verification reviews.
H 765 amends Idaho law to simplify how fire protection districts can transfer territory between districts and exempts certain fire and library districts from specific budget limitations. It revises annexation rules (Section 31-1411) to allow territory moves via owner petitions (with service improvement proof) or mutual board consent, and updates budget rules (Section 63-802) to remove spending caps for eligible districts. These changes directly affect fire and library districts, their taxpayers, and property owners in areas seeking to join or leave districts. The bill makes procedural updates to property tax assessments (Section 63-301A) but focuses on enabling district flexibility in territory management and budgeting.
This bill allocates $46.1 million to Idaho's Office of Species, Minerals, and Energy Coordination for fiscal year 2027 while simultaneously reducing funding and staffing for two related offices. It sets a maximum of 23 full-time positions for the main office, cuts 11 positions from the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources, and reduces 16 positions from the Office of Species Conservation. The legislation also lowers operating budgets for the energy and minerals office and the species conservation office, while maintaining or increasing funding for the main coordination office from various state and federal sources.
This bill eliminates the proration of Idaho's homestead property tax exemption, allowing homeowners to receive the full exemption amount for the entire tax year if they qualify. It applies to owners who use their primary residence as their main dwelling and meet specific eligibility requirements, including uniform property appraisal certification by the state tax commission. Under the new rules, the exemption is calculated based on the full market value reduction rather than being divided by the number of days the property is occupied, and applications must be submitted by the end of the county's business year to receive the full benefit. The law also clarifies that if a homeowner's eligibility status changes during the year, taxes will be prorated only for the period after the status change occurs.
