Bill Analyses and Ratings
Bill Information: H0877 – FY2027 Supplemental: Deaf & Hard of Hearing Program
Bill Summary
House Bill 877 appropriates an additional $2,100 from Idaho’s General Fund to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, specifically for the Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program. These funds are designated exclusively for operating expenditures during fiscal year 2027, covering July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
The bill carries an emergency declaration, ensuring the appropriation takes effect immediately on July 1, 2026, the start of the fiscal year, so program operations are not interrupted by any funding gap. The appropriation is supplemental, meaning it adds to whatever funding the program already receives through the standard appropriations process.
While the bill serves a targeted population — Idahoans who are deaf or hard of hearing — the $2,100 amount is minimal and covers only operating costs rather than expanded services or new program initiatives.
Overall Assessment
This bill draws $2,100 from Idaho’s General Fund to cover operating costs for the Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program within the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. The primary concern is fiscal: the bill increases General Fund spending, however modestly, rather than directing the agency to find efficiencies or use existing appropriations. Idahoans who are deaf or hard of hearing see marginal benefit in continued program operations, but the dollar amount is too small to represent meaningful service expansion.
Rating Breakdown
ARTICLE I. Responsibility in Government (-1)
Section 1 of the bill draws directly from the General Fund — taxpayer dollars — to supplement an existing program's operating budget. Rather than requiring the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to operate within its current appropriation or identify internal savings, the legislature adds new General Fund spending, however small, without demonstrated accountability for how existing funds are being used or why additional operating dollars are necessary.
ARTICLE II. Citizen Involvement in Government (0)
The bill is a narrow fiscal appropriation with no provisions touching elections, public participation, voter processes, or civic engagement. It neither expands nor restricts citizens' ability to participate in government.
ARTICLE III. Education (0)
Although vocational rehabilitation can intersect with workforce training, this bill funds only operating expenditures for the Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program and contains no provisions related to school curriculum, parental rights, school choice, or educational policy.
ARTICLE IV. Agriculture (0)
The bill appropriates funds for a vocational rehabilitation program and has no connection to farming, ranching, agricultural markets, or rural land use. Nothing in the bill text touches agricultural policy.
ARTICLE V. Water (0)
The bill contains no provisions related to water rights, water management, irrigation, or Idaho's water sovereignty. The appropriation is entirely unrelated to water policy.
ARTICLE VI. Natural Resources and Environment (0)
Nothing in the bill addresses natural resource management, environmental regulation, wilderness, forests, or land use. The appropriation is confined to a vocational rehabilitation program's operating budget.
ARTICLE VII. Energy (0)
The bill has no connection to energy production, energy independence, hydroelectric power, or utility regulation. The $2,100 appropriation is directed solely to a deaf and hard of hearing services program.
ARTICLE VIII. Idaho National Laboratories (0)
The bill makes no reference to the Idaho National Laboratory, nuclear research, or energy technology development. The appropriation is unrelated to INL's mission or funding.
ARTICLE IX. Private Property Rights (0)
The bill contains no language affecting private property rights, regulatory takings, or eminent domain. It is a straightforward operating appropriation with no property rights implications.
ARTICLE X. State and Federal Lands (0)
The bill does not address federal land ownership, state land management, or the transfer of federal lands to Idaho. Its scope is limited to a single program's operating expenditures.
ARTICLE XI. Wildlife Management (0)
The bill has no provisions related to wildlife, hunting, fishing, predator control, or recreational land access. It is entirely unrelated to wildlife management policy.
ARTICLE XII. Economy (0)
While vocational rehabilitation broadly supports workforce participation, this bill funds only operating expenditures for one program and contains no provisions addressing commerce, small business regulation, labor markets, or transportation infrastructure.
ARTICLE XIII. Health and Welfare (0)
The Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program serves a vulnerable population, but the bill funds only operating costs and does not address healthcare delivery systems, insurance markets, Medicaid structure, or welfare program administration. The appropriation is too narrow to constitute a meaningful health and welfare policy change.
ARTICLE XIV. American Family (0)
The bill contains no provisions related to marriage, parental rights, abortion, child welfare policy, or family structure. The appropriation has no direct bearing on family policy.
ARTICLE XV. Older Americans (0)
The Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program serves Idahoans across all age groups, and the bill includes no provisions specifically targeting older Americans, retirement security, or age-related workforce policies.
ARTICLE XVI. Law and Order with Justice (0)
The bill has no connection to criminal justice, firearms rights, law enforcement, sentencing, or state sovereignty over legal matters. It is a vocational rehabilitation funding bill with no law and order implications.
ARTICLE XVII. National Defense - Securing the Border (0)
The bill contains no provisions related to military affairs, veterans' services, border security, or national defense. The appropriation is directed to a state vocational rehabilitation program with no defense or immigration nexus.
ARTICLE XVIII. Election of Judges and Idaho Supreme Court Justices (0)
The bill makes no reference to judicial selection, court processes, constitutional interpretation, or the election of judges. It is a fiscal appropriation with no judicial policy implications.
ARTICLE XIX. Religious Liberty (0)
The bill contains no provisions affecting religious exercise, conscience protections, or government interference with religious institutions. The appropriation has no religious liberty implications.