Bill Analyses and Ratings
Bill Information: H0964 – FY2027 Dept. of Fish and Game Supplemental Appropria…
Bill Summary
House Bill 964 appropriates additional federal funds to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game for fiscal year 2027, allocating $170,500 to Administration, $1,970,100 to Fisheries, and $3,750,000 to Wildlife, all drawn from the Fish and Game (Federal) Fund. These additions bring the total supplemental appropriation to $14,178,500 across operating expenditures and capital outlay. The bill also authorizes the Department to carry forward any unexpended and unencumbered balances from dedicated and federal funds across the Administration, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Communications programs from fiscal year 2026 into fiscal year 2027 for nonrecurring expenditures.
Section 4 of the bill directs $200,000 from the Fish and Game (Other) Fund specifically toward enhanced wolf trapping to manage wolf predation on elk, deer, and livestock. Any unspent balance from this earmark reverts to the fund, and the Department is required to report to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on the use of those funds by June 30, 2027. The State Controller is directed to confirm carryforward amounts with the Legislative Services Office before processing any such transfers.
Overall Assessment
House Bill 964 is primarily a budget and appropriations measure that channels federal funds into existing Fish and Game programs while adding a modest state-funded earmark for wolf predation management. Across most evaluation metrics, the bill has no meaningful impact, as it does not alter policy frameworks, affect citizen rights, change regulatory structures, or address areas such as education, energy, health, or family policy. The bill’s provisions are largely administrative in nature, adjusting funding levels within already-established departmental programs.
The bill receives a slight negative score under the Responsibility in Government metric due to the expansion of overall agency appropriations, which increases the size and spending of a state agency. While the federal funds do not directly burden Idaho taxpayers, the growth in appropriations and the addition of carryforward authority represent an incremental expansion of government operational capacity. The wolf trapping earmark, though targeted, does not rise to a level that meaningfully shifts scores in wildlife management or agriculture given its limited scope and temporary nature.
Rating Breakdown
ARTICLE I. Responsibility in Government (-1)
The bill adds $5,890,600 in new federal fund appropriations to the Department of Fish and Game — $170,500 for Administration, $1,970,100 for Fisheries, and $3,750,000 for Wildlife. Accepting and appropriating additional federal dollars expands the agency's budget and increases dependence on federal funding streams, running counter to principles favoring smaller government and reduced federal financial entanglement.
ARTICLE II. Citizen Involvement in Government (0)
This bill makes no changes to elections, voting procedures, public participation processes, or any mechanism by which citizens engage with their government.
ARTICLE III. Education (0)
This bill concerns Department of Fish and Game appropriations exclusively and has no bearing on education policy, school funding, curriculum, or parental rights in education.
ARTICLE IV. Agriculture (0)
The bill funds fish and game programs and does not directly address agricultural policy, farm markets, water law for agriculture, or livestock regulation, even though wolf predation management may incidentally benefit ranchers.
ARTICLE V. Water (0)
Although the Fisheries program receives additional federal funding, the bill makes no changes to water rights, water appropriation law, reservoir management, or state-federal water policy.
ARTICLE VI. Natural Resources and Environment (0)
The bill funds state fish and game operations but does not alter land use policy, multiple-use management frameworks, federal environmental regulations, or state oversight authority over natural resources.
ARTICLE VII. Energy (0)
This appropriations bill has no connection to energy production, electrical rates, hydroelectric power, or energy independence policy.
ARTICLE VIII. Idaho National Laboratories (0)
This bill concerns the Department of Fish and Game and has no connection to the Idaho National Laboratory, nuclear research, or technology transfer.
ARTICLE IX. Private Property Rights (0)
The bill makes no changes involving property takings, regulatory burdens on private landowners, due process protections, or development rights.
ARTICLE X. State and Federal Lands (0)
The bill does not address the transfer of federal lands to state control, management authority over federal lands, or any change in the state-federal land ownership balance.
ARTICLE XI. Wildlife Management (0)
Section 4 dedicates $200,000 from the Fish and Game (Other) Fund specifically to enhance wolf trapping for predation management, with unspent funds reverting to the fund and a required accountability report to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee by June 30, 2027. This directly funds active management of wolf populations, supporting hunting opportunity and reducing predation pressure on game herds and livestock in affected regions.
ARTICLE XII. Economy (0)
The bill appropriates funds to a state agency for fish and game operations and does not address commerce regulation, small business policy, labor law, or transportation infrastructure.
ARTICLE XIII. Health and Welfare (0)
This bill has no connection to healthcare delivery, insurance markets, Medicaid, or welfare program policy.
ARTICLE XIV. American Family (0)
The bill makes no changes related to marriage, right to life, child welfare, or family policy as defined under this metric.
ARTICLE XV. Older Americans (0)
This bill contains no provisions affecting services, benefits, or policies for older Idahoans.
ARTICLE XVI. Law and Order with Justice (0)
The bill makes no changes to criminal justice, firearms rights, law enforcement funding, or judicial processes.
ARTICLE XVII. National Defense - Securing the Border (0)
This bill concerns state fish and game appropriations and has no connection to military readiness, border security, veterans' services, or National Guard deployment.
ARTICLE XVIII. Election of Judges and Idaho Supreme Court Justices (0)
The bill makes no changes to judicial selection, retention elections, or constitutional interpretation standards.
ARTICLE XIX. Religious Liberty (0)
This bill contains no provisions touching the free exercise of religion, religious exemptions, or government interference with religious practice.