Bill Analyses and Ratings
Bill Information: H0952 – FY2027 Supplemental Appropriation: Secretary of State
Bill Summary
House Bill 952 provides a supplemental appropriation of $235,800 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 funds are divided between $20,000 for personnel costs and $215,800 for operating expenditures. The single legislative change in this bill is the insertion of the operating expenditure figure of $215,800, which completes the appropriation table.
The bill declares an emergency, meaning it takes effect immediately upon the start of the fiscal year on July 1, 2026, rather than following the standard 60-day waiting period after legislative passage. This emergency designation ensures the Secretary of State’s office has access to the additional funds at the precise moment the new fiscal year begins, preventing any gap in operational funding.
This is a narrow, administrative spending measure originating from the Appropriations Committee. It does not create new programs, change existing law, or alter the Secretary of State’s statutory duties — it simply provides additional financial resources for the office to carry out its existing functions.
Overall Assessment
This bill increases the Office of the Secretary of State’s operating budget by $235,800 for FY2027, drawn from the General Fund, with the bulk of the increase — $215,800 — directed toward operating expenditures. The appropriation expands state spending without an identified offset or reduction elsewhere in the budget, which raises a fiscal responsibility concern for taxpayers funding Idaho’s General Fund. Beyond the budget impact, the bill has no effect on policy, programs, or the rights of any specific group of Idaho residents.
Rating Breakdown
ARTICLE I. Responsibility in Government (-1)
The bill draws $235,800 from the General Fund — Idaho taxpayer dollars — as a supplemental appropriation on top of whatever the Secretary of State's office already received in its base budget. No offsetting cuts or revenue sources are identified, meaning this spending adds directly to the state's expenditures. While the amount is modest, the pattern of supplemental appropriations without corresponding fiscal offsets runs counter to principles of disciplined, limited government spending.
ARTICLE II. Citizen Involvement in Government (0)
The bill allocates administrative funding to the Secretary of State's office but does not modify election procedures, voting access, civic engagement programs, or any mechanism through which citizens participate in government. The appropriation neither expands nor restricts citizen involvement in any measurable way.
ARTICLE III. Education (0)
This appropriation funds the Secretary of State's personnel and operating costs and has no connection to education policy, school funding, curriculum, parental rights, or any other education-related matter.
ARTICLE IV. Agriculture (0)
The bill's funding is directed entirely to the Secretary of State's administrative operations and contains no provisions affecting farming, ranching, agricultural markets, or related policy.
ARTICLE V. Water (0)
Nothing in this appropriation bill touches water rights, water infrastructure, irrigation, or any aspect of Idaho's water law and policy.
ARTICLE VI. Natural Resources and Environment (0)
The bill funds general office operations for the Secretary of State and has no bearing on natural resource management, environmental regulation, or land stewardship.
ARTICLE VII. Energy (0)
This administrative appropriation has no connection to energy production, energy independence, utility regulation, or any energy-related policy in Idaho.
ARTICLE VIII. Idaho National Laboratories (0)
The bill directs funds to the Secretary of State's office and contains no provisions related to the Idaho National Laboratory, nuclear research, or technology development.
ARTICLE IX. Private Property Rights (0)
This appropriation does not involve property takings, land use regulation, eminent domain, or any other matter affecting private property rights in Idaho.
ARTICLE X. State and Federal Lands (0)
The bill funds the Secretary of State's administrative operations and makes no changes to land ownership, land management authority, or the balance of state versus federal land control.
ARTICLE XI. Wildlife Management (0)
Nothing in this bill relates to hunting, fishing, predator control, wildlife habitat, or any aspect of Idaho's wildlife management policy.
ARTICLE XII. Economy (0)
The bill increases government spending by $235,800 for administrative purposes, but does not create economic development programs, alter business regulations, affect tax policy, or otherwise directly impact Idaho's private-sector economy.
ARTICLE XIII. Health and Welfare (0)
This appropriation funds the Secretary of State's office and has no connection to healthcare delivery, public health programs, social services, or welfare policy.
ARTICLE XIV. American Family (0)
The bill is a narrow administrative spending measure with no provisions affecting family policy, marriage, child welfare, or related matters.
ARTICLE XV. Older Americans (0)
This appropriation to the Secretary of State's office contains no provisions affecting senior services, retirement security, elder care, or any policy relevant to older Idahoans.
ARTICLE XVI. Law and Order with Justice (0)
The bill funds general administrative operations for the Secretary of State and has no bearing on law enforcement, criminal justice, gun rights, or public safety policy.
ARTICLE XVII. National Defense - Securing the Border (0)
This appropriation is entirely domestic and administrative in nature, with no connection to military affairs, veterans' services, border security, or immigration policy.
ARTICLE XVIII. Election of Judges and Idaho Supreme Court Justices (0)
Although the Secretary of State plays a role in election administration, this bill does not modify judicial election procedures, selection criteria, or any aspect of how Idaho's judges are chosen or retained.
ARTICLE XIX. Religious Liberty (0)
The bill appropriates funds for the Secretary of State's administrative operations and contains no provisions affecting religious exercise, conscience protections, or church-state relations.