Relates to the maintenance appropriation to Public Safety for fiscal year 2026.
Senate Bill 1107 is Idaho’s fiscal year 2026 maintenance appropriation for the Public Safety budget. It appropriates funds to the Department of Correction, the Department of Juvenile Corrections, and the Idaho State Police for the period July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, with detailed allocations by division, program, fund source, and expense class. The bill also sets the maximum number of full-time equivalent positions for each agency, including 2,254.85 for Correction, 409.00 for Juvenile Corrections, and 658.76 for State Police.
The bill includes several budget-management provisions. It exempts the Department of Correction from certain program transfer limits, while restricting transfers involving the County and Out-of-State Placement Program and Medical Services Program. It also requires accountability reports and management reviews for funds designated for specific purposes, and it directs agencies to submit outside audit reports to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee when available. The act is declared an emergency measure and takes effect on July 1, 2025.
This bill primarily affects state budget law rather than substantive criminal justice statutes. It authorizes a total Public Safety appropriation of $546,223,200 and distributes that funding across correctional institutions, community corrections, juvenile facilities and services, police operations, forensic services, training, and the racing commission. It also governs how appropriated funds may be transferred, how many positions agencies may fill, and how legislative oversight will be conducted through accountability reporting and audit submission requirements.
The available voting history indicates strong legislative support for the bill. It passed the Senate 34-0 and the House 67-1, suggesting broad agreement on the need to fund public safety operations for fiscal year 2026. No committee transcripts were provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate organized opposition or major concern in the available materials.
The main points of potential contention are budget size, staffing authority, and flexibility in moving funds between programs. The bill gives the Department of Correction broad transfer authority within its appropriation, but preserves limits on certain programs and prohibits transfers between funds without express legislative approval. Another possible issue is oversight, since the bill conditions accountability reporting on auditor resources and relies on outside audit reports being submitted to JFAC. However, the recorded votes show little visible resistance, with only one dissenting vote in the House.