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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho Legislature passes fiscal year 2026 budget bill cutting $192.6 million in state agency appropriations and reducing staff positions
Last action · March 18, 2026: Signed by Governor on 03/16/26 Session Law Chapter 45 Effective: 03/16/2026
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What This Bill Does
Senate Bill 1331 reduces state agency appropriations by $192,656,100, cuts authorized full-time equivalent (FTP) positions across multiple departments, and transfers $22,366,500 from the Public School Income Fund to the General Fund for 2026, taking effect immediately upon enactment on March 16, 2026.
State agencies, public schools, and healthcare programs face a reduction of $192.6 million in funding and the removal of staff positions for the remainder of 2026, altering agency operating budgets and staffing levels.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
State agencies and departments
State agencies experience reductions in their fiscal year 2026 funding appropriations and authorized full-time equivalent staff positions.
Public school support programs
Funding allocations from the Public School Income Fund are reduced, and $22,366,500 is transferred out to the General Fund.
State employees and personnel
Authorized full-TME equivalent position caps are lowered across multiple state departments for the remainder of fiscal year 2026.
Key Facts
- Grand Total Reductions: Appropriations from all funds are reduced by $192,656,100, consisting of $48,608,700 in personnel costs, $20,539,000 in operating expenditures, $1,919,700 in capital outlay, and $121,588,700 in trustee and benefit payments.
- Public School Support Transfer: A total of $22,366,500 is transferred from the Public School Income Fund to the General Fund.
- Full-Time Equivalent (FTP) Reductions: Staff position authorizations are reduced across various programs, including 12.00 positions in Youth Safety and Permanency, 11.50 in the Department of Correction, 12.13 in Children's Mental Health, and 7.00 in the Department of Commerce, among others.
- Higher Education Adjustments: Higher education institutions including Boise State University, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College, and the University of Idaho experience specific reductions from General and Unrestricted funds.
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- Department of Health and Welfare: Substantial cuts are applied across Medicaid plans, basic and expansion medicaid programs, and behavioral health divisions.
- Effective Date: The act takes effect immediately on and after its passage and approval on March 16, 2026, due to a declared emergency.
Frequently Asked Questions
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
16 actions- Mar 18, 2026EnrolledSigned by Governor on 03/16/26 Session Law Chapter 45 Effective: 03/16/2026
- Mar 11, 2026Reported delivered to Governor at 8:15 a.m. on 03/11/26
- Mar 10, 2026Reported signed by the Speaker & ordered delivered to Governor
- Mar 10, 2026Received from Senate; Signed by Speaker; Returned to Senate
- Mar 9, 2026Reported enrolled; signed by President; to House for signature of Speaker
- Mar 9, 2026CommitteeReturned From House Passed; referred to enrolling
Show 10 earlier actions
- Mar 6, 2026FloorRead Third Time in Full – PASSED - 48-22-0 AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cheatum, Cornilles, Crane(12), Dygert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson, Furniss, Hall(Stone), Handy, Harris, Hawkins, Healey, Hill, Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Manwaring, Marmon, Mendive, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Palmer, Pickett, Price, Rasor, Raymond, Redman, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Vander Woude, Veile, Wisniewski, Mr. Speaker NAYS – Berch, Bingham, Church, Crane(13), Egbert, Fuhriman, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Green, Haws, Mathias, McCann, Mickelsen(Athay), Nelsen, Petzke, Pohanka, Raybould, Rubel, Sauter, Weber, Wheeler Absent – None Floor Sponsor - Mitchell Title apvd - to Senate
- Mar 5, 2026U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar one legislative day
- Mar 4, 2026Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
- Mar 3, 2026IntroducedRead First Time, Filed for Second Reading
- Mar 3, 2026Received from the Senate, Filed for First Reading
- Mar 2, 2026FloorRead third time in full – PASSED - 18-17-0 AYES – Bjerke(Bjerke), Carlson, Den Hartog, Foreman, Galloway, Grow, Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lakey, Lenney, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Ricks, Shippy, Toews, Zito, Zuiderveld NAYS – Anthon, Bernt, Blaylock, Bruner(Adams), Burtenshaw, Cook, Guthrie, Harris, Lent, Rabe, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Taylor, VanOrden, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow, Woodward Absent and excused – None Floor Sponsor - Grow Title apvd - to House
- Feb 25, 2026Read second time; filed for Third Reading
- Feb 24, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
- Feb 23, 2026CommitteeReported Printed; referred to Finance
- Feb 20, 2026IntroducedIntroduced; read first time; referred to JR for Printing
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Broad Mid-Year Budget Rescissions
The legislature enacted widespread spending rollbacks across virtually all state functions late in fiscal year 2026 rather than targeting isolated programs.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.idaho.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance90How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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