BOISE, ID – The Idaho Legislature has approved the use of a five-year, nearly $930 million federal grant for rural health care.
Members of the Idaho House of Representative voted 46-20, with four people absent, to approve Senate Bill 1453, a budget bill that provided the needed permission to spend the grant money and created a legislative oversight committee to determine how to do so.
The Senate narrowly approved the bill on Wednesday evening, with some expressing frustration that it did not include the requirement sought by some senators that the majority of the committee established by the bill comprise legislators who represent rural districts, Idaho Education News reported.
Twin Falls Republican David Leavitt said on the floor that he was frustrated that the budget-writing committee, Joint Finance-Appropriation Committee, had created a new policy creating the committee in its budget — which goes against tradition for the appropriating committee.
He also said the state should reject the money because it adds to the federal debt.
The state will have around $186 million to spend in the first year on subgrants meant to improve rural health care access. The money was awarded as part of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act approved by Congress in July.
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