Bill Analyses and Ratings
Bill Information: S1383 – FY2027 Supplemental Appropriation: Veterans Services
Bill Summary
Senate Bill 1383 makes a supplemental appropriation to Idaho’s Division of Veterans Services for fiscal year 2027. Section 1 adds $220,000 in capital outlay from the Federal Grant Fund, and Section 2 simultaneously reduces Federal Grant Fund operating expenditures by $51,000, resulting in a net Federal Grant Fund increase of $169,000 directed entirely toward capital outlay. Combined with an existing $743,600 appropriation from the Veterans Home Endowment Income Fund, the total supplemental appropriation reaches $963,600.
The bill grants reappropriation authority in Section 3, allowing any unexpended Federal Grant Fund balances from FY2026 to carry forward into FY2027 for nonrecurring expenditures tied to replacing the Boise state veterans home and renovating the Lewiston state veterans home. The Office of the State Controller must confirm reappropriation amounts with the Legislative Services Office before processing. Section 4 declares an emergency, making the act effective July 1, 2026, to align with the start of the fiscal year.
Overall Assessment
Senate Bill 1383 is a targeted supplemental appropriations measure focused on capital infrastructure improvements at Idaho’s state veterans homes. While the bill serves a worthy purpose in maintaining and modernizing residential care facilities for Idaho veterans, its evaluation against the nineteen policy metrics reveals only one area of meaningful impact. The bill’s primary policy effect is a modest negative mark under governmental responsibility, as it represents an increase in federal grant fund dependency for state capital projects rather than relying on state-generated resources.
The remaining eighteen metrics are unaffected by this legislation. The bill does not substantively engage with education, agriculture, water, natural resources, energy, private property, wildlife, the economy, health and welfare policy, family policy, elder care policy, law enforcement, national defense, judicial elections, or religious liberty in any way that would move the needle on those evaluative criteria. The bill’s narrow scope as a supplemental capital appropriation limits its policy footprint to the single dimension of fiscal responsibility in government.
Rating Breakdown
ARTICLE I. RESPONSIBILITY IN GOVERNMENT (-1)
This bill increases reliance on federal grant funds for state capital projects, directing $220,000 in new federal capital outlay to the Division of Veterans Services while only partially offsetting this with a $51,000 reduction in federal operating expenditures. The net effect is a greater dependency on federal dollars to fund state infrastructure obligations, which raises concerns about fiscal self-reliance and the state's long-term budgetary independence. This shift away from state-funded capital investment warrants a minor negative rating under governmental responsibility.
ARTICLE II. CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT (0)
This bill is a straightforward supplemental appropriation that does not alter mechanisms for citizen participation, public comment, or civic engagement in government processes. No provisions expand or restrict the public's ability to interact with or influence government, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE III. EDUCATION (0)
Senate Bill 1383 is exclusively focused on capital funding for state veterans homes and contains no provisions related to education policy, funding, or programs. This bill has no impact on Idaho's educational institutions or outcomes, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE IV. AGRICULTURE (0)
This bill addresses infrastructure at state veterans homes and has no connection to agricultural policy, farming operations, or rural land use. There are no provisions that affect Idaho's agricultural sector in any way, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE V. WATER (0)
Senate Bill 1383 contains no provisions related to water rights, water infrastructure, or water policy. The bill's exclusive focus on veterans home capital improvements has no bearing on Idaho's water resources or related regulatory frameworks, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE VI. NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT (0)
This bill does not address natural resource management, environmental regulation, or conservation policy. The capital appropriations directed toward veterans home facilities have no discernible impact on Idaho's natural resources or environmental conditions, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE VII. ENERGY (0)
Senate Bill 1383 makes no reference to energy policy, energy infrastructure, or energy regulation. The bill's focus on veterans home construction and renovation does not intersect with Idaho's energy sector in any policy-relevant way, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE VIII. IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORIES (0)
This bill contains no provisions related to the Idaho National Laboratories, nuclear research, or associated federal partnerships. The supplemental appropriation is entirely directed toward state veterans home facilities, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE IX. PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS (0)
Senate Bill 1383 does not affect private property rights, eminent domain, land use regulations, or any other policy area touching on the rights of property owners. The bill's scope is limited to public capital expenditures for state-owned veterans facilities, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE X. STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS (0)
This bill does not address the management, transfer, or use of state or federal lands. The capital projects funded by this appropriation involve existing state veterans home facilities and do not implicate broader land ownership or management policy, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE XI. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT (0)
Senate Bill 1383 contains no provisions related to wildlife management, hunting, fishing, or habitat conservation. The bill's exclusive focus on veterans home infrastructure has no bearing on Idaho's wildlife resources or management policies, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE XII. ECONOMY (0)
This bill is a narrow supplemental appropriation that does not establish economic policy, affect taxation, or create regulatory conditions that would meaningfully impact Idaho's broader economy. While capital construction projects may have minor local economic effects, the bill does not rise to the level of economic policy impact, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE XIII. HEALTH AND WELFARE (0)
Although the bill funds physical infrastructure at veterans homes that house elderly and disabled veterans, it does not alter health care policy, welfare program eligibility, or service delivery standards. The appropriation is strictly a capital outlay measure and does not substantively engage with health and welfare policy frameworks, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE XIV. AMERICAN FAMILY (0)
Senate Bill 1383 does not address family policy, parental rights, child welfare, or any other provisions directly affecting the American family. The bill's focus on veterans home capital improvements has no direct connection to family-oriented policy outcomes, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE XV. OLDER AMERICANS (0)
While the veterans homes funded by this bill may serve older Idahoans, the bill does not establish or modify policy affecting older Americans as a class. The appropriation is a capital infrastructure measure rather than a policy intervention in elder care, senior services, or retirement security, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE XVI. LAW AND ORDER WITH JUSTICE (0)
This bill contains no provisions related to law enforcement, criminal justice, public safety, or the judicial system. The supplemental appropriation for veterans home facilities has no impact on Idaho's law and order framework, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE XVII. NATIONAL DEFENSE – SECURING THE BORDER (0)
Although the bill serves veterans who have served in national defense, it does not address defense policy, military readiness, border security, or immigration enforcement. The bill's scope is limited to domestic capital infrastructure for residential care facilities, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE XVIII. ELECTION OF JUDGES AND IDAHO SUPREME COURT JUSTICES (0)
Senate Bill 1383 contains no provisions related to judicial elections, the selection of judges, or the composition of Idaho's courts. The bill's focus on veterans home appropriations has no bearing on the judiciary, resulting in a neutral rating.
ARTICLE XIX. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY (0)
This bill does not address religious liberty, freedom of conscience, or any policy area touching on the rights of religious individuals or institutions. The supplemental appropriation for veterans home capital projects has no connection to religious liberty concerns, resulting in a neutral rating.