Idaho House Bill H0905

Idaho 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/16/26
• Engrossed: 3/18/26
• Refer: 3/19/26
• Report Pass: 3/19/26
• Enrolled: 3/25/26
• Chaptered: 3/26/26
• Passed: 3/26/26

Caption

APPROPRIATIONS – OFFICE OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION – Relates to the appropriation to the Office of the State Board of Education for fiscal year 2027.

Summary

House Bill 905 is an appropriations measure for the Idaho Office of the State Board of Education for fiscal year 2027. It provides a total appropriation of $4,998,400 for the OSBE Administration Program, including $998,400 from the General Fund and $4,000,000 from the Federal Grant Fund. Of the federal grant amount, $2,909,600 is designated for trustee and benefit payments and $1,090,400 for operating expenditures. The bill also reduces the existing General Fund appropriation to the Office of the State Board of Education by $510,500 for fiscal year 2027, with reductions split between personnel costs and operating expenditures. In addition, it lowers the agency’s full-time equivalent authorization by 4.00 positions for the same period. The act includes an emergency clause and takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Impact

This bill directly affects the budget and staffing authority of the Office of the State Board of Education, changing the amount of state and federal money available for administration and reducing the agency’s General Fund spending authority and personnel cap. It does not create new education policy or amend substantive school law; instead, it adjusts appropriations, expense-class allocations, and authorized staffing levels for FY 2027.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have received generally favorable but not unanimous support. It passed the House 39-24 and the Senate 23-11, indicating meaningful support from both chambers while also drawing a notable minority of opposition. The final gubernatorial approval and enactment suggest the measure was accepted as part of the state budget process.

Contention

The main points of contention likely centered on the reduction in General Fund support and the elimination of four authorized positions, which can raise concerns about administrative capacity, staffing, and service delivery within the State Board of Education. Supporters likely viewed the bill as a routine budget adjustment and a necessary alignment of appropriations with available funding, while opponents may have objected to the cuts or the reduced personnel authorization. No committee transcript is available, so the specific arguments for or against the bill are not documented in the provided materials.