Bill Analyses and Ratings

Rating: 0

Bill Summary:

House Bill 341 appropriates over $1.13 billion from the General Fund and other sources to the State Board of Education and related education programs for Fiscal Year 2026. It funds Idaho’s four public universities, community colleges, Career Technical Education programs, scholarships and grants, Idaho Public Television, and a range of special programs such as WWAMI and WIMU. The bill includes funding for tuition and fee adjustments and grants flexibility in fund transfers within agencies. It also includes an emergency clause, making the legislation effective July 1, 2025.

Reason for Rating:

While H0341 makes important investments in Idaho’s workforce development and higher education infrastructure—particularly through community colleges, CTE, and scholarship programs—it also raises concerns about centralized control, lack of outcome-based funding accountability, and continued taxpayer support for non-essential services like public television. The bill does not expand government in a drastic way, but it also does not reflect meaningful reform or adherence to core conservative principles of local control, fiscal restraint, and performance-driven governance. For these reasons, House Bill 341 is appropriately rated as neutral (0).