Rating: 0

Bill Summary:

Senate Bill 1172 reallocates personnel funding within the Idaho Department of Commerce for fiscal year 2026. It transfers $140,900 from the Commerce Program to the Broadband Office Program, both within the same department, with no net change to the department’s overall General Fund appropriation. The funds are designated specifically for personnel costs in each program. The bill includes an emergency clause and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Reason for Rating:
S1172 does not increase total government spending or expand the size of the Department of Commerce; it simply reallocates funds between two existing programs. While the Idaho Republican Party Platform opposes government expansion into areas like broadband infrastructure, this bill neither increases funding for broadband nor expands its authority. It represents a routine internal personnel adjustment without structural reform or policy impact. Since it neither advances nor violates core platform principles in a meaningful way, the bill receives a neutral rating.