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 appropriates $18.1 million to Idaho's Department of Parks and Recreation for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, funding park operations, capital development, and personnel costs from various state and federal funds. It authorizes an increase of 2.95 full-time equivalent positions for the department and exempts certain trustee and benefit payments from program transfer limitations for fiscal year 2026. The legislation declares an emergency to take effect immediately upon signing, with most provisions becoming active on July 1, 2026.
This bill appropriates funding for the Idaho Transportation Department for fiscal year 2027, covering personnel costs, operating expenses, and capital projects across transportation services, motor vehicle programs, and highway operations. It authorizes the department to use unspent funds from the previous fiscal year for specific purposes like airport development grants, construction contracts, and right-of-way acquisitions, with a reappropriation limit of $300 million for construction and acquisition activities. The legislation also allows for corrections of accounting errors from prior years and sets an effective date of July 1, 2026, when the funding becomes available for use.
This bill allocates funding to the Idaho Department of Lands for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, directing specific amounts to support personnel costs, capital projects, and trustee benefit payments across various programs including business services, forest resources, trust land management, fire protection, and minerals. The legislation provides $2.7 million for fiscal year 2027 and $285,000 for fiscal year 2026, while simultaneously reducing certain appropriations from previous budgets to balance the overall funding. It designates $145,000 specifically for the Idaho Geological Survey and allows the Forest and Range Fire Protection Program to receive unlimited transfers from other departmental funds for both fiscal years. Additionally, the bill limits General Fund bonuses to firefighters with incident qualification cards and requires a report on 2026 fire season bonus awards to be submitted by January 5, 2027.
This bill creates the Idaho High-Needs Student Fund to reimburse school districts and charter schools for special education costs exceeding $30,000 per student with a disability. It covers eligible expenses like therapy, specialized equipment, and nursing services directly tied to an individualized education program (IEP), excluding routine classroom costs. Reimbursement provides up to 100% of costs above $30,000 (capped at $80,000) and 80% above $80,000, with a maximum $100,000 per student annually. Funds are allocated 60% to non-rural and 40% to rural school districts, with annual reports required starting in 2028.
This bill appropriates $35.7 million to Idaho's Department of Health and Welfare for public health services in fiscal year 2027, while reducing the budget for laboratory services by $78,400 and cutting three full-time equivalent positions. The funding covers physical health services, immunization programs, and disease prevention efforts including suicide prevention, HIV surveillance, and hepatitis monitoring. The legislation requires the department to submit annual reports by December 31, 2026, detailing outcomes and return on investment for these programs. The bill also mandates a specific report on vaccine utilization rates and cost savings from the Immunization Assessment Fund.
This bill provides additional funding to Idaho's Department of Agriculture for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, directing money to specific programs like animal industries, plant industries, agricultural inspections, and market development. The legislation allocates approximately $830,000 for operating and capital expenses across various fee-based and grant-funded programs, while also transferring over $1.2 million from the state's General Fund to cover pest control costs for the Plant Industries Program. It includes provisions to reappropriate unused federal grant money for new nonrecurring expenses and sets effective dates for different sections of the funding. The bill was signed into law and establishes an emergency declaration to ensure immediate implementation of the pest control funding.
This bill updates Idaho Medicaid rules to increase transparency and oversight of payments to healthcare providers, particularly those serving people with disabilities. It establishes specific payment rates based on Medicare equivalents for most services, requires annual cost surveys with audits for residential habilitation providers, and mandates that providers spend allocated funds on direct care worker wages or face potential penalties. The legislation also introduces value-based payment options for certain providers, sets reimbursement percentages for different hospital types, and requires the state to reduce general fund spending on hospital payments by specified amounts. Additionally, it declares certain existing administrative rules null and void as of July 1, 2026, and requires all future provider rate changes to receive legislative approval through the budget process.
This bill allocates $1.23 million in state funding to Idaho's Department of Administration for fiscal year 2027, covering personnel, operations, and capital expenses across management services, public works, purchasing, insurance, and document services. It simultaneously reduces existing appropriations by $447,600 from specific funds, adjusts staffing authorizations by adding one full-time equivalent position, and sets the funding period from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The legislation declares an emergency to take effect immediately upon signing, allowing the state to implement these budget changes for the upcoming fiscal year.
This bill creates a Medical Education Fund in Idaho to support state-funded medical students by requiring them to sign contracts committing to four years of full-time medical practice in the state after completing their education or residency. The fund will be financed through reimbursements from physicians who leave the state, a one percent tax on health insurance premiums starting in 2028, legislative appropriations, donations, and interest earned on fund investments. If a physician does not fulfill their service commitment, they must repay the state's financial support according to an amortized schedule over eight years, with provisions for suspending or waiving repayment in cases of hardship, disability, or military service. The bill applies to medical students enrolling in state-supported programs beginning fall 2023 and establishes an effective date of July 1, 2026.
