Bill Analyses and Ratings

Rating: -1

Bill Summary:

House Bill 347 provides an additional appropriation of $468,300 to the Idaho Secretary of State for Fiscal Year 2026. The funding includes $36,500 for personnel costs, $402,800 for operating expenses, and $29,000 for capital outlay. An additional $6,700 is designated for the Commission on Uniform State Laws. The bill also allows unspent funds from FY2025—related to election integrity audits and election system upgrades—to be carried forward into FY2026. It includes an emergency clause, making the bill effective July 1, 2025.

Reason for Rating:

H0347 significantly increases spending without offering any justification for the additional funds or how they will be used. It also permits the rollover of unspent prior-year funds without specifying restrictions, effectively authorizing open-ended spending. The bill invokes an emergency clause despite lacking any urgent circumstances, continuing a pattern of procedural abuse. These actions violate core Republican principles of transparency, fiscal responsibility, and limited government. For these reasons, House Bill 347 is appropriately rated at –1.