Bill Analyses and Ratings

Rating: –1

Bill Summary:

House Bill 333 appropriates an additional $954,500 from the Idaho General Fund to the State Board of Education and the Board of Regents of the University of Idaho for Health Education Programs in Fiscal Year 2026. It provides increased funding to several residency and professional medical training programs, including family medicine, internal medicine, and dental education. The bill also allocates $623,600 to the University of Utah to support Idaho students attending medical school there.

In addition to funding, the bill authorizes two new full-time state positions and introduces a directive prioritizing OB/GYN fellowship training within Idaho’s graduate medical education system. It requires a progress report to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee and includes an emergency clause to make the law effective July 1, 2025.

Reason for Rating:

Although framed as an investment in healthcare training, H0333 represents an expansion of state government without corresponding reforms or cost offsets. It increases public payroll, deepens Idaho’s reliance on subsidized medical education, and opens the door to legislative micromanagement of academic programs by prioritizing OB/GYN fellowships—setting a precedent that could politicize future educational directives.

The use of an emergency clause is unjustified and continues a pattern of bypassing normal legislative scrutiny. Overall, the bill conflicts with Idaho Republican Party Platform values of fiscal responsibility, limited government, decentralization of education policy, and procedural transparency. For these reasons, House Bill 333 is appropriately rated at –1.