Idaho House Bill H0906

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 – STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION – COMMUNITY COLLEGES – Relates to the appropriation to the State Board of Education for community colleges for fiscal year 2027.

Summary

House Bill 906 is an appropriations measure for Idaho’s community colleges for fiscal year 2027. It provides additional General Fund money to the State Board of Education for distribution to the College of Eastern Idaho, College of Southern Idaho, College of Western Idaho, and North Idaho College, with a total new appropriation of $1,368,700. The bill allocates funds to both personnel costs and operating expenditures, with each college receiving a specified amount for the year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027. The bill also reduces a separate General Fund operating-expenditures appropriation by $245,500 across the same four colleges. In effect, the measure adjusts the community college funding package for fiscal year 2027 by adding money in some budget categories while offsetting part of that increase through reductions elsewhere. It includes an emergency clause and takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Impact

This bill amends the state’s fiscal year 2027 appropriations for the State Board of Education’s community college programs, changing how General Fund dollars are distributed among Idaho’s four community colleges. It directly affects the budgets of the College of Eastern Idaho, College of Southern Idaho, College of Western Idaho, and North Idaho College by increasing personnel and operating funding in some areas while reducing operating expenditures in others. Because it is an appropriations act with an emergency clause, it becomes effective at the start of the fiscal year and governs spending authority for that period.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have received mixed but ultimately sufficient support. It passed the House by a narrower margin, 37-27, suggesting more divided views in that chamber, while it passed the Senate more comfortably, 26-8. The final action—being signed by the Governor—indicates the appropriations changes were enacted despite some legislative opposition.

Contention

The main point of contention appears to have been the size and distribution of the community college appropriations, particularly the balance between additional funding and the offsetting reductions in operating expenditures. The closer House vote suggests some lawmakers may have questioned the need for the added spending, the reductions, or the overall budget structure. No committee transcript is available, so the specific objections are not documented in the provided materials.