Bill Analyses and Ratings

Rating: -1

Bill Summary:

House Bill 346 provides a supplemental appropriation of $25,000 to the Office of the State Treasurer for Fiscal Year 2026. The funds are drawn from four sources: $7,500 from the General Fund, $2,500 from the State Treasurer LGIP Fund, $5,000 from the Professional Services Fund, and $10,000 from the Unclaimed Property Fund. The bill includes an emergency clause and becomes effective on July 1, 2025.

Reason for Rating:

Although modest in size, H0346 represents an increase in government spending without any stated justification or performance accountability. The bill offers no explanation for the need, use, or urgency of the additional funds—undermining principles of transparency and fiscal responsibility outlined in the Idaho Republican Party Platform. Additionally, the emergency clause is misused once again to bypass the standard legislative review process, despite no emergency being evident. By quietly expanding the baseline budget without oversight, H0346 fails to uphold conservative values of limited government, spending restraint, and constitutional integrity. It is therefore rated at –1.