This bill reduces the state funding for Idaho's Digital Learning Academy by $13.5 million for fiscal year 2027 and adjusts related financial transfers between state funds. The legislation requires the academy to limit course offerings and deny new enrollments if necessary to maintain a positive cash balance, while prohibiting withdrawals from the Public Education Stabilization Fund for this program. Additionally, the bill mandates that the academy verify compliance with state nondiscrimination standards for diversity, equity, and inclusion courses and submit a compliance report by December 2026. The law also requires detailed reporting on course costs, enrollment data, and budget information to the Legislative Services Office by August 2026 to improve transparency in how state funds are used.
This bill appropriates approximately $3.1 billion in state and federal funds to Idaho's Public Schools Educational Support Program for fiscal year 2027, covering teacher salaries, student support services, facilities, and special education programs. It directs specific uses for the money, including professional development for educators, additional compensation for instructional staff, technology infrastructure purchases, and targeted funding for English language learners and students with disabilities. The legislation also establishes reporting requirements for how districts allocate funds and clarifies the original funding sources for these expenditures.
Topics
✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $3.1 billion to fund public schools, including teacher salaries, student services, and facilities, directly strengthening state education budget.95% confidence
✓ EducationSupports EducationBill appropriates $3.1 billion for public schools, covering teacher salaries, student services, facilities, and special education programs.95% confidence
✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationBill provides funding for English language learners and students with disabilities, which includes immigrant students accessing educational services.75% confidence
✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill explicitly allocates funding for technology infrastructure purchases in public schools, directly advancing technology access and digital infrastructure in education.85% confidence
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Rep's Stance
✗ Voted No
✗ Opposes Technology
This bill adjusts funding for Idaho's Division of Student Support for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, allocating $11.9 million from specific funds while reducing overall appropriations by nearly $10 million. The legislation lowers per-student funding for fully virtual schools, cuts $7.5 million in transportation reimbursements, and requires schools offering online classes to report enrollment and attendance data. It also modifies how English learner funds are distributed, establishes new requirements for technology education programs, and mandates a report on special education spending.
H 674 revises Idaho's rules for when telephone companies can stop providing service in a community. It requires companies to either provide equivalent service from another provider or follow federal FCC procedures before discontinuing service. The bill also adds a new section requiring Idaho's utility commission to accept the FCC's findings on service discontinuation under federal law. This directly affects telephone corporations operating in Idaho and their customers in areas where service might be withdrawn, with the law taking effect on July 1, 2026.
The Conversational AI Safety Act (S 1297) requires operators of public conversational AI services - like chatbots - to clearly disclose when users interact with artificial intelligence, especially for minors under 18. It mandates operators to provide crisis resources for users expressing suicidal thoughts, prevent AI from claiming to offer professional mental health care, and block harmful content such as sexually explicit material or simulated romantic interactions with minors. For minors, the law requires persistent disclosure at session start and every three hours, prohibits engagement rewards targeting youth, and mandates privacy tools for minors and their guardians. Violations could trigger civil penalties up to $500,000 per operator, enforced by Idaho’s Attorney General, with the law taking effect July 1, 2027.
Idaho's H 750 defines "programmable money" (a digital asset that can be programmed for specific uses) and explicitly excludes it from the legal definition of "money." The bill establishes new rules limiting its use, provides legal remedies for violations, and creates criminal penalties for unauthorized or harmful transactions involving programmable money. It directly affects businesses, financial institutions, and individuals using or issuing programmable money within Idaho. The law aims to clarify legal boundaries and protections for this emerging financial tool while addressing potential risks.
This Idaho bill establishes the Financial Accountability Stablecoin Transaction (FAST) Act to authorize the state government to use privately issued payment stablecoins for paying vendors and contractors. The legislation defines eligible stablecoins as those backed one-to-one by U.S. dollars or Treasury obligations, meeting specific criteria including at least $2 billion in annual transaction volume and being issued by U.S.-based entities with U.S. citizen founders and shareholders. The state treasurer will maintain an annual list of approved stablecoins and submit reports to the legislature on transaction volumes, cost savings, and fiscal benefits, while vendors may voluntarily choose to receive payments in these digital currencies.
This bill allocates funding and authorizes new positions for Idaho's Office of Information Technology Services for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. It provides approximately $10.7 million in total funding across personnel, operating, and capital costs from the General Fund, Administration and Accounting Services Fund, and Federal Grant Fund. The legislation also increases the office's authorized workforce by 59.5 full-time equivalent positions for 2027 and an additional 0.5 position for 2026 to support the E-CORE Federal Grant program.
