Bill Analyses and Ratings
Bill Information: H0909 – FY2027 Supplemental Appropriation: Secretary of State
Bill Summary
House Bill 909 provides a supplemental appropriation of $350,000 from Idaho’s General Fund to the Office of the Secretary of State for fiscal year 2027 (July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027). The appropriation is divided between $20,000 for personnel costs and $330,000 for operating expenditures. The single substantive change made by this bill is the insertion of the $330,000 operating expenditures figure.
The bill declares an emergency, meaning it bypasses the standard effective date and takes force immediately upon the start of the fiscal year on July 1, 2026. No conditions, restrictions, or reporting requirements are attached to how the operating expenditure funds must be spent.
This is a minor supplemental appropriations bill originating from the House Appropriations Committee, adding to whatever funding the Secretary of State’s office has already received through the regular appropriations process for the same fiscal year.
Overall Assessment
This bill draws an additional $330,000 in General Fund operating expenditures for the Office of the Secretary of State, increasing the state’s spending obligations without specifying what the funds will be used for or attaching any accountability measures. Idaho taxpayers bear the cost of this unitemized appropriation, and the absence of spending conditions or reporting requirements limits legislative oversight of how the money is deployed.
Rating Breakdown
ARTICLE I. Responsibility in Government (-1)
Section 1 adds $330,000 in operating expenditures to the Secretary of State's budget from the General Fund, increasing the size and cost of state government. No justification, performance benchmarks, or spending restrictions accompany the appropriation, undermining the principle that public funds should be appropriated with clear accountability and only to the extent constitutionally necessary.
ARTICLE II. Citizen Involvement in Government (0)
The bill transfers funds to the Secretary of State's operating budget but makes no changes to election procedures, voter participation mechanisms, primary election rules, or any process by which citizens engage with government.
ARTICLE III. Education (0)
This appropriation is directed solely to the Office of the Secretary of State and has no bearing on education funding, parental rights, curriculum standards, or school choice policy.
ARTICLE IV. Agriculture (0)
The bill funds administrative operations of the Secretary of State's office and contains no provisions affecting Idaho's agricultural industry, water access for farming, or agricultural trade.
ARTICLE V. Water (0)
Nothing in this bill touches water rights, inter-basin transfers, dam operations, or federal oversight of Idaho's water resources.
ARTICLE VI. Natural Resources and Environment (0)
The appropriation is confined to the Secretary of State's office operations and has no connection to natural resource management, environmental regulation, or land use policy.
ARTICLE VII. Energy (0)
This bill allocates administrative operating funds and does not address energy production, utility regulation, energy independence, or any related policy area.
ARTICLE VIII. Idaho National Laboratories (0)
The bill makes no reference to the Idaho National Laboratory, nuclear research, technology transfer, or defense-related energy programs.
ARTICLE IX. Private Property Rights (0)
This appropriations bill contains no provisions affecting eminent domain, regulatory takings, due process protections for property owners, or any other private property rights concern.
ARTICLE X. State and Federal Lands (0)
The bill funds the Secretary of State's office operations and makes no changes to land ownership, federal land management, or state sovereignty over public lands.
ARTICLE XI. Wildlife Management (0)
Nothing in this bill pertains to wildlife conservation, hunting and fishing access, predator management, or the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
ARTICLE XII. Economy (0)
While the $330,000 operating expenditure increase draws from the General Fund, the bill's scope is limited to a single administrative office and does not alter commerce regulations, small business policy, labor law, or other economic drivers that would produce a measurable effect on Idaho's broader economy.
ARTICLE XIII. Health and Welfare (0)
The bill is an administrative appropriation to the Secretary of State and has no effect on healthcare delivery, insurance markets, welfare programs, or public health policy.
ARTICLE XIV. American Family (0)
This bill funds office operations and contains no provisions related to family policy, parental rights, marriage, abortion, or child welfare.
ARTICLE XV. Older Americans (0)
The appropriation to the Secretary of State's office has no bearing on services, retirement security, employment policy, or any other matter affecting older Idahoans.
ARTICLE XVI. Law and Order with Justice (0)
The bill makes no changes to criminal justice policy, gun rights, law enforcement funding, sentencing, or any other public safety matter.
ARTICLE XVII. National Defense - Securing the Border (0)
This appropriations bill is directed at a state administrative office and contains no provisions related to border security, military readiness, the Idaho National Guard, or veterans' affairs.
ARTICLE XVIII. Election of Judges and Idaho Supreme Court Justices (0)
Although the Secretary of State administers elections, this bill only adds operating funds and makes no changes to judicial election processes, partisan ballot requirements, or judicial philosophy standards.
ARTICLE XIX. Religious Liberty (0)
The bill is a straightforward administrative appropriation with no provisions affecting religious exercise, conscience protections, or government interference with faith-based institutions.