BOISE, ID – The Idaho Legislature’s budget-writing committee added a condition on HIV surveillance and prevention funding that the state health agency issue a report with immigration status of everyone who uses the services.
Federal judge blocks Idaho from verifying immigration status for HIV program
State budget writers on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, JFAC, on Tuesday voted to approve $478,700 of federal funds for the state public health HIV surveillance and prevention program as part of a larger public health budget.
However, the intent language on the budget bill added a new requirement that the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare create a report with the immigration status of individuals using the HIV prevention services.
JFAC Co-Chair Rep. Josh Tanner, an Eagle Republican, referenced a federal judge’s decision that required Idaho to continue to provide HIV treatment to unauthorized immigrants in response to a previous bill that prevented unauthorized residents from accessing public assistance programs.
Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, a Boise Democrat, asked what the plan was for for the immigration status data in the program.
Tanner said the state is seeing an uptick in HIV cases, and he wanted the report to help determine whether illegal immigration was driving the increase.
“It is concerning when we have seen from the illegal population within our state,” Tanner said.
Wintrow tried to comment on the motion to approve the new reporting requirement and to respond to Tanner’s comments on unauthorized immigrants, but Tanner didn’t recognize her to speak. When she continued to try and comment, he gaveled her down and called for the vote.
“I need to say, I think it’s really important that we are not discriminating against people based on a disease and an infection. And disease knows no immigration status,” Wintrow said just ahead of the vote.
The committee voted 14-4 with two committee members absent to approve the reporting requirement. The budget, which includes other state public health programs, will next be up for a vote on the House and Senate floors.
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