Amends existing law to revise a provision regarding per diem costs of state prisoners in county jails.
Summary
House Bill 261 amends Idaho law governing the state’s payment to counties for housing state prisoners in county jails. The bill increases the minimum per diem rates the state board of correction must pay counties from $55 per day for the first seven days and $75 per day thereafter to $150 per day for the first seven days and $200 per day thereafter. It keeps in place the existing requirement that the state pay ordinary and necessary medical and dental expenses for these prisoners, and it preserves the current framework for allocating responsibility between the state and counties for property damage or personal injury claims arising from the housing of state-sentenced prisoners.
The bill also retains the billing and payment process under which county sheriffs submit bills to the Department of Correction at least every 60 days and the department must pay within 60 days of receipt. It continues the legislative requirement to appropriate sufficient funds for these payments and leaves unchanged the periodic legislative review of inmate housing costs. In addition, the bill includes an emergency clause and applies retroactively to January 1, 2025, meaning the revised payment rates take effect immediately upon passage and approval and apply back to the start of the year.
Impact
This bill directly amends Section 20-237A, Idaho Code, by substantially increasing the state’s statutory reimbursement rates for counties that house state prisoners in county jails. The change affects the Department of Correction, county sheriffs, county governments, and the state budget, because the legislature must appropriate enough funds to cover the higher per diem obligations. It does not alter the underlying duty of the state to pay for medical and dental expenses or the existing liability-sharing language, but it increases the financial compensation counties receive for detention services.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or recorded vote information was provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition in the supplied materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be a funding and reimbursement adjustment rather than a policy overhaul, and its emergency and retroactive provisions suggest an intent to address county jail costs promptly. The overall tone of the bill is administrative and fiscal, with a focus on increasing payments to counties.
Contention
The main likely point of contention is fiscal: the bill raises the state’s mandatory per diem payments to counties by a significant amount, which could increase correctional spending and require additional appropriations. Counties are likely to support the increase because it improves reimbursement for housing state prisoners, while state budget officials or fiscal conservatives may question the cost and retroactive application. No specific objections or supporters are identified in the provided discussion materials.