Rating: –1

Bill Summary:

Senate Bill 1174 adjusts appropriations for the Idaho Industrial Commission for fiscal years 2025 and 2026. For FY 2026, it allocates an additional $702,300 from the Industrial Administration Fund and the Crime Victims Compensation Fund across three divisions: $525,600 to the Compensation Program, $140,700 to the Rehabilitation Program, and $36,000 to the Crime Victims Compensation Program. For FY 2025, it adds $47,000 from the Peace Officer and Detention Officer Temporary Disability Fund for IT system improvements, while simultaneously reducing prior FY 2025 appropriations by $41,100 (Compensation) and $5,900 (Crime Victims). The bill includes an emergency clause for FY 2025 provisions and takes effect July 1, 2025, for FY 2026 allocations.

Reason for Rating:
S1174 increases funding for a state regulatory agency involved in administering compensation and victim services—functions that the Idaho Republican Party Platform suggests are better suited to private insurance markets or community-based restitution systems. While the bill includes minor internal fund offsets, it ultimately expands the size and funding of the Industrial Commission without introducing structural reforms, privatization, or performance accountability. The additional appropriation for the agency’s IT system also lacks oversight or measurable efficiency benchmarks. Because it deepens reliance on state-run administration of functions that fall outside the platform’s preferred limited-government model, this bill earns a negative rating.