Bill Analyses and Ratings
Bill Information: H0867 – FY2027 General Government Appropriations Act
Bill Summary
House Bill 867 appropriates approximately $507 million across 19 general government agencies and programs for Idaho’s fiscal year 2027, covering the period from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Funded entities include the Department of Administration, Commission on Aging, Military Division, State Tax Commission, Office of Drug Policy, Office of Energy and Mineral Resources, and the Workforce Development Council, among others. The bill establishes full-time equivalent position caps for each agency, authorizes inter-fund cash transfers, and carries forward unspent balances from fiscal year 2026 for specific programs including Energy Resiliency Grants, Idaho Launch grants, semiconductor grants, and workforce training and childcare infrastructure grants.
Beyond raw appropriations, the bill includes several operational directives. Sections 13 and 14 freeze state employee health insurance premiums, copays, and deductibles at fiscal year 2026 levels, directing the Department of Administration to draw on Employee Group Insurance Fund reserves rather than shift costs to workers. Section 15 directs the Legislative Audits Division to review the State Tax Commission’s tax collection and distribution records for fiscal years 2021 through 2025, evaluating whether distributions complied with Idaho Code. Section 16 reinforces that all appropriated funds must be used only for their designated statutory purposes and are subject to legislative audit. The bill’s new language consists primarily of inserting specific dollar amounts into previously blank or adjusted line items across existing agency budgets, formalizing funding levels for ongoing programs rather than creating new policy mandates.
Overall Assessment
This annual appropriations bill funds Idaho’s general government operations for fiscal year 2027, with the Military Division receiving the largest single allocation at over $116 million—primarily federal pass-through dollars supporting the National Guard, emergency management, and emergency medical services. The bill’s actual legislative changes are narrow numerical insertions into existing budget line items, meaning its policy footprint is largely administrative rather than transformative. As a result, the bill has minimal impact across nearly all evaluation metrics, as it does not substantively alter policy in areas such as education, agriculture, water, natural resources, energy, or law and order.
The bill receives a score of -1 solely due to its negative impact on the Responsibility in Government metric. By directing the Department of Administration to draw down Employee Group Insurance Fund reserves to hold health insurance costs flat for state employees, the bill prioritizes short-term benefit to a government workforce over sound fiscal stewardship of public funds. This approach depletes reserves rather than addressing underlying cost pressures, representing a fiscally irresponsible use of government resources. All other metrics score at zero, reflecting the bill’s narrow administrative scope and lack of substantive policy changes in those areas.
Rating Breakdown
ARTICLE I. RESPONSIBILITY IN GOVERNMENT (-1)
Sections 13 and 14 direct the Department of Administration to draw down Employee Group Insurance Fund reserves in order to hold state employee health insurance premiums, copays, and deductibles flat at fiscal year 2026 levels. While this benefits state employees in the short term, it depletes reserve funds rather than addressing the underlying cost drivers of the insurance program, representing a fiscally irresponsible approach to managing public resources. This use of reserves to avoid difficult fiscal decisions warrants a negative rating under the Responsibility in Government metric.
ARTICLE II. CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT (0)
This bill is a routine annual appropriations measure that does not alter the mechanisms by which citizens participate in or engage with their government. No provisions expand or restrict public access, transparency, or civic participation, resulting in a neutral score.
ARTICLE III. EDUCATION (0)
House Bill 867 does not include any appropriations or policy directives specifically targeting K-12 or higher education programs. The bill's funded agencies and programs do not substantively affect educational outcomes or institutions, resulting in a neutral score.
ARTICLE IV. AGRICULTURE (0)
The bill does not appropriate funds to or establish directives for any agricultural agencies or programs. No provisions affect Idaho's agricultural sector, resulting in a neutral score.
ARTICLE V. WATER (0)
House Bill 867 contains no appropriations or policy language related to water rights, water management, or water infrastructure. The bill has no impact on this metric, resulting in a neutral score.
ARTICLE VI. NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT (0)
The bill does not include provisions that meaningfully affect natural resource management or environmental policy in Idaho. While the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources receives funding, the appropriation maintains existing operations without introducing new policy direction, resulting in a neutral score.
ARTICLE VII. ENERGY (0)
Although the bill carries forward unspent balances for Energy Resiliency Grants and funds the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources, these actions continue existing programs without establishing new energy policy or altering the state's energy framework. The impact on this metric is neutral.
ARTICLE VIII. IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORIES (0)
House Bill 867 contains no provisions related to the Idaho National Laboratories or associated research and nuclear energy programs. The bill has no impact on this metric, resulting in a neutral score.
ARTICLE IX. PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS (0)
The bill does not include any provisions that affect private property rights in Idaho. Its scope is limited to government agency appropriations and operational directives, resulting in a neutral score.
ARTICLE X. STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS (0)
House Bill 867 does not address the management, transfer, or use of state or federal lands. No provisions in the bill affect this metric, resulting in a neutral score.
ARTICLE XI. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT (0)
The bill contains no appropriations or directives related to wildlife management agencies or programs. Its scope does not extend to this policy area, resulting in a neutral score.
ARTICLE XII. ECONOMY (0)
While the bill funds workforce development and carries forward grants related to semiconductor and workforce training programs, these actions continue existing economic development initiatives without introducing new economic policy. The net impact on Idaho's broader economic framework is neutral.
ARTICLE XIII. HEALTH AND WELFARE (0)
The bill funds the Office of Drug Policy and freezes state employee health insurance costs, but these actions do not substantively expand or contract health and welfare services for Idaho citizens broadly. The provisions are administrative in nature and do not alter the state's health and welfare policy landscape, resulting in a neutral score.
ARTICLE XIV. AMERICAN FAMILY (0)
House Bill 867 does not include provisions that directly affect family structure, parental rights, or family-oriented programs beyond routine agency funding. The bill's scope does not meaningfully impact this metric, resulting in a neutral score.
ARTICLE XV. OLDER AMERICANS (0)
Although the Commission on Aging receives an appropriation under this bill, the funding continues existing operations without expanding or reducing services for older Idahoans. No new policy affecting older Americans is introduced, resulting in a neutral score.
ARTICLE XVI. LAW AND ORDER WITH JUSTICE (0)
The bill does not appropriate funds to law enforcement, judicial, or corrections agencies, nor does it include provisions affecting public safety or the justice system. Its scope does not impact this metric, resulting in a neutral score.
ARTICLE XVII. NATIONAL DEFENSE – SECURING THE BORDER (0)
The Military Division receives the largest single allocation in the bill at over $116 million, primarily consisting of federal pass-through dollars supporting the National Guard and emergency management. However, this funding continues existing federal programs and does not represent a new state policy commitment to national defense or border security, resulting in a neutral score.
ARTICLE XVIII. ELECTION OF JUDGES AND IDAHO SUPREME COURT JUSTICES (0)
House Bill 867 contains no provisions related to the election, appointment, or retention of judges or Idaho Supreme Court justices. The bill has no impact on this metric, resulting in a neutral score.
ARTICLE XIX. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY (0)
The bill does not include any provisions that affect religious liberty, religious institutions, or conscience protections in Idaho. Its scope is limited to government agency appropriations and operational directives, resulting in a neutral score.