Bill Analyses and Ratings
Bill Information: H0906 – FY2027 Community College Supplemental Appropriation
Bill Summary
House Bill 906 makes supplemental appropriations to Idaho’s four community colleges for fiscal year 2027, drawing from the General Fund. Section 1 adds $1,368,700 in total new funding, split between personnel costs ($959,100) and operating expenditures ($409,600), with North Idaho College receiving $233,700 for personnel and $90,000 for operating expenses. Section 2 simultaneously reduces operating expenditures across the same four colleges by $245,500, with North Idaho College absorbing $46,200 of that reduction.
The net effect for North Idaho College is an increase of $277,500 in personnel funding offset by a $46,200 operating cut, yielding a net gain of $277,500. The other three colleges — College of Eastern Idaho, College of Southern Idaho, and College of Western Idaho — receive similar combinations of new appropriations and operating reductions. The bill declares an emergency and takes effect July 1, 2026, aligning with the start of the fiscal year.
The bill is a narrow fiscal adjustment rather than a policy reform, making targeted changes to existing appropriation levels for community college operations across Idaho.
Overall Assessment
This bill increases General Fund spending on Idaho’s four community colleges by a net $1,123,200 for FY2027, with the largest share directed toward personnel costs. While students and college employees benefit from additional institutional resources, the bill draws on taxpayer funds without offsetting revenue or demonstrating fiscal restraint, raising concerns about government spending discipline. The simultaneous appropriation and reduction structure obscures the true net fiscal impact for each institution.
Rating Breakdown
ARTICLE I. Responsibility in Government (-1)
The bill appropriates $1,368,700 in new General Fund spending (Section 1) while reducing appropriations by only $245,500 (Section 2), resulting in a net increase of over $1.1 million in state expenditures. The dual-action structure — adding funds in one section while cutting in another — makes the true fiscal impact less transparent to the public and legislators reviewing the budget.
ARTICLE II. Citizen Involvement in Government (0)
This bill makes no changes to voting procedures, public participation processes, elections, or citizen engagement mechanisms. It is a fiscal appropriations measure with no bearing on how citizens interact with their government.
ARTICLE III. Education (-1)
The bill directs $1,368,700 in new General Fund appropriations to community colleges, with the bulk — $959,100 — going to personnel costs. While this funds public post-secondary education, it increases reliance on taxpayer-funded state appropriations rather than encouraging institutional efficiency or alternative funding models, expanding the government's financial footprint in education.
ARTICLE IV. Agriculture (0)
This appropriations bill targets general community college operations and contains no provisions related to agricultural education, farm policy, water law, or rural economic programs.
ARTICLE V. Water (0)
The bill makes no changes to water rights, water appropriation law, dam operations, or federal water policy. It is limited in scope to community college funding.
ARTICLE VI. Natural Resources and Environment (0)
No provisions in this bill address natural resource management, environmental regulation, federal land policy, or wilderness designations. The bill is confined to community college appropriations.
ARTICLE VII. Energy (0)
This bill contains no provisions related to energy production, hydropower, oil and gas, utility rates, or energy research. It is a community college funding measure only.
ARTICLE VIII. Idaho National Laboratories (0)
The bill makes no reference to the Idaho National Laboratory, nuclear energy research, or technology transfer programs. Its scope is limited to community college appropriations.
ARTICLE IX. Private Property Rights (0)
No provisions in this bill affect private property rights, eminent domain, due process protections for property owners, or development regulations. It is a fiscal measure only.
ARTICLE X. State and Federal Lands (0)
This bill makes no changes to state or federal land ownership, management authority, or land transfer policy. It is limited to community college funding.
ARTICLE XI. Wildlife Management (0)
The bill contains no provisions related to fish and game management, hunting and fishing rights, predator control, or federal wildlife designations. It is a community college appropriations measure.
ARTICLE XII. Economy (-1)
The bill increases General Fund spending by a net $1,123,200, drawing additional taxpayer dollars into state-run post-secondary institutions. This expansion of government expenditure without a corresponding reduction elsewhere or a private-sector funding mechanism runs counter to fiscal conservatism and limited government spending principles.
ARTICLE XIII. Health and Welfare (0)
This bill makes no changes to health care delivery, insurance markets, welfare programs, or public health policy. It is confined to community college appropriations.
ARTICLE XIV. American Family (0)
The bill contains no provisions related to family structure, marriage policy, right to life, or child protection. It is a fiscal appropriations measure for community colleges.
ARTICLE XV. Older Americans (0)
No provisions in this bill address services, programs, or policies specifically affecting older Idahoans. The appropriations are directed to general community college operations.
ARTICLE XVI. Law and Order with Justice (0)
This bill makes no changes to criminal law, gun rights, drug policy, incarceration, or state sovereignty matters. It is limited in scope to community college funding.
ARTICLE XVII. National Defense - Securing the Border (0)
The bill contains no provisions related to veterans' services, the National Guard, border security, or national defense. It is a community college appropriations measure.
ARTICLE XVIII. Election of Judges and Idaho Supreme Court Justices (0)
This bill makes no changes to judicial selection, judicial elections, or constitutional interpretation standards. It is confined to community college funding.
ARTICLE XIX. Religious Liberty (0)
The bill contains no provisions affecting the free exercise of religion, religious freedom restoration protections, or conscience rights. It is a fiscal appropriations measure only.