Bill Analyses and Ratings
Bill Information: H0919 – FY2027 Division of Public Works Appropriation
Bill Summary
House Bill 919 appropriates $72,507,300 from Idaho’s Permanent Building Fund to the Department of Administration’s Division of Public Works for fiscal year 2027. The funds are allocated primarily to maintenance projects totaling $71,617,200, which include alteration and repair ($31,422,500), building maintenance ($34,028,700), statewide ADA compliance ($4,666,000), and facilities maintenance ($1,500,000). A single capital project is also funded: $890,100 for the design of the Bonneville County Readiness Center.
The bill grants the Permanent Building Fund Advisory Council authority to anticipate revenues and prioritize construction without delay, and permits the Division of Public Works to reallocate savings between funded projects with Advisory Council approval. State appropriations may also be used to match federal funds or private donations for eligible public works projects. The bill requires a comprehensive status report to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee by November 15, 2026, covering capital projects, deferred maintenance, ADA compliance, and asbestos abatement, and establishes mechanisms to recapture funds from projects where construction has not begun within four years or where balances remain unexpended after five years.
Overall Assessment
House Bill 919 is primarily a routine public works appropriations bill, with its single legislative change being the addition of $1,500,000 to the facilities maintenance line within the broader $72.5 million appropriation. Most of the evaluation metrics are unaffected by this bill, as it does not address education, agriculture, water, natural resources, energy, health, family policy, law enforcement, national defense, or other substantive policy areas — resulting in neutral scores across those categories.
The bill receives a negative score under Responsibility in Government due to concerns about the expansion of government spending and the broad discretionary authority granted to the Division of Public Works and the Advisory Council to reallocate funds between projects. While the bill does include fiscal accountability provisions such as mandatory reporting and fund recapture mechanisms, the overall effect is an increase in government expenditure and administrative discretion over a large pool of public funds, which weighs against principles of limited and fiscally restrained government.
Rating Breakdown
ARTICLE I. Responsibility in Government (-1)
The bill's sole textual change inserts '$1,500,000' into the facilities maintenance line of an appropriations table. While the broader bill includes reporting requirements (Section 5) and fund recapture provisions (Sections 6–7) that promote fiscal accountability, these are existing appropriations framework elements. The single-word addition itself is a budget figure with no independent policy effect on government accountability structures.
ARTICLE II. Citizen Involvement in Government (0)
This bill allocates funds for state building maintenance and capital construction projects. It contains no provisions affecting citizen participation in government, public comment processes, elections, or political engagement.
ARTICLE III. Education (0)
The appropriation covers maintenance of state government facilities and design of a military readiness center. No funds are directed to schools, and the bill contains no provisions touching education policy, curriculum, or parental rights in education.
ARTICLE IV. Agriculture (0)
The bill funds public works building maintenance and one military facility design project. It contains no provisions related to farming, ranching, agricultural water rights, or rural land use.
ARTICLE V. Water (0)
The bill's appropriations are directed entirely toward building maintenance and capital construction. It contains no provisions addressing water rights, water management, irrigation infrastructure, or state jurisdiction over water resources.
ARTICLE VI. Natural Resources and Environment (0)
Funds are allocated for interior building maintenance, ADA compliance, and facility repairs. The bill contains no provisions affecting natural resource extraction, environmental regulation, federal land management, or forest policy.
ARTICLE VII. Energy (0)
This is a building maintenance appropriations bill with no provisions addressing energy production, energy independence, utility regulation, or energy research and development.
ARTICLE VIII. Idaho National Laboratories (0)
The bill funds state government building maintenance and a county readiness center design. It contains no provisions referencing the Idaho National Laboratory, nuclear energy research, or related technology development.
ARTICLE IX. Private Property Rights (0)
The bill appropriates funds for maintenance of existing state-owned public facilities. It contains no provisions affecting private property rights, eminent domain authority, or regulatory takings.
ARTICLE X. State and Federal Lands (0)
The bill funds maintenance of state government buildings and does not address the management, transfer, or disposition of federal or state lands in Idaho.
ARTICLE XI. Wildlife Management (0)
This public works appropriations bill contains no provisions related to wildlife management, hunting and fishing regulations, predator control, or federal designations affecting land access.
ARTICLE XII. Economy (0)
The bill directs $72.5 million in state spending toward building maintenance and construction, which generates contractor and labor activity. However, the single legislative change — adding $1,500,000 to facilities maintenance — does not alter commerce regulation, business policy, or labor law in any way that constitutes a policy impact on Idaho's economy.
ARTICLE XIII. Health and Welfare (0)
The bill funds state building maintenance and capital projects. It contains no provisions affecting healthcare delivery, health insurance markets, Medicaid, or welfare program administration.
ARTICLE XIV. American Family (0)
This appropriations bill for public works facilities has no bearing on family policy, marriage law, right-to-life issues, parental rights, or child welfare programs.
ARTICLE XV. Older Americans (0)
The bill funds maintenance of state government buildings and one military facility design. It contains no provisions affecting services, benefits, or policies directed at older Idahoans.
ARTICLE XVI. Law and Order with Justice (0)
The bill is a public works appropriations measure with no provisions touching criminal justice, firearms law, law enforcement funding, drug policy, or judicial processes.
ARTICLE XVII. National Defense - Securing the Border (0)
The bill includes $890,100 for design of the Bonneville County Readiness Center, which supports National Guard infrastructure. However, this line item is part of the existing appropriations structure of the bill, not the single word being added by this amendment. The actual change — inserting '$1,500,000' for facilities maintenance — has no connection to military readiness, border security, or veterans' services.
ARTICLE XVIII. Election of Judges and Idaho Supreme Court Justices (0)
This bill appropriates funds for building maintenance and capital construction. It contains no provisions related to judicial elections, court selection processes, or constitutional interpretation.
ARTICLE XIX. Religious Liberty (0)
The bill funds state government building maintenance and has no provisions affecting religious freedom, free exercise rights, conscience protections, or faith-based organizations.