[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6100082,"mediaKeyId","2814660-a4c173dfe56d740a8bf1582478ce147f","parentId",2814660,"title","Idaho House tightens oversight of Launch workforce grants, creates advisory board","audioSeconds",3358,"startMs",1681000,"endMs",5039000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2814660-a4c173dfe56d740a8bf1582478ce147f&start=1681&end=5039","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2814660-a4c173dfe56d740a8bf1582478ce147f/thumbnail_1681000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6100082/Idaho/Idaho-House-tightens-oversight-of-Launch-workforce-grants-creates-advisory-board","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100082-c9443d60f6c715d071fe3a7663f1ea82/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172673&Signature=SUJW5WqqP6d9feaNIpQDrK5KfkdcbbrOkrnySVXeHk8ifVc0ACc31YJF0ZDlzoef4nzHwEJie-3Q9H8QaSmGBZz6xDmm1Pm8pUvrYNg5GgH4sOIj0VJI1hqTim5Wk8nf5n0M6RsWrTRyvwxGkp6cdNBIVnG4tb22T86RoI62TggMxf-k7TdFGljVfq4Ne5E5CJ-nHhKXdXjR35HMkHF1JkQjx3~-Y1CFlTKnPYECv13nWVAUzFXwxTO-dMUS7zz2JlkpT6GpKOAtMkvYgVqx0425B~WYuFO6IH2yQfNbtfj2ucU8QINcike8KuC3z8rlhmfrFkFDFiHq9TcJfdPaCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Idaho House of Representatives","date","2025-03-28T00:00:00Z","article","BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho House passed House Bill 4-61 on March 28, advancing changes to the Launch workforce grant program that create a nine-member advisory board and narrow eligible uses to prioritize community‑college and other short-term, in‑demand career training.

The measure, as amended, directs the new advisory board to set a scoring matrix that will prioritize funding by factors such as local job openings, training length and financial need. The bill also creates a “waterfall” so remaining funds for two‑year programs can flow to other categories (including post‑baccalaureate health programs) only after higher‑priority uses are satisfied.

Supporters said the bill refocuses Launch on its original intent — to move recent high‑school graduates quickly into the workforce — and gives the Legislature more oversight of state funds. Representative, District 24 (state representative), a sponsor on the floor, said the advisory board will “refine that matrix to make sure it’s in‑demand careers,” and stressed protections for apprenticeships.

Opponents raised several concerns during more than an hour of floor debate. Representative, District 16 (state representative) said committee testimony lacked voices of program recipients and institutions, and warned the bill’s undefined use of \"full‑time equivalent\" language could exclude non‑credit training. Representative, District 24 (state representative) later explained the matrix will weight about nine measures and that apprenticeship language was added to protect trades.

Representative, District 28 (state representative) and other opponents said the bill shifts authority from the existing Workforce Development Council — a long‑standing, governor‑appointed body that includes business and education representatives — to an advisory board composed partly of legislators and gubernatorial appointees. They warned that could politicize grant decisions and remove some protections (for example, the council’s grant‑recipient solvency checks). Supporters responded that the advisory board will rely on data and retain input from the Workforce Development Council.

The bill specifies eligible recipients, prioritization rules, a sunset review and an advisory board consisting of three House members, three Senate members and three gubernatorial appointees. The bill also allows an overflow allocation to fund enhanced grants or eligible adult learners only after primary priorities are funded.

Floor managers said the executive director of the Workforce Development Council would continue to manage program implementation under the new scoring rules; the advisory board would set policy criteria, not manage individual awards. Sponsors said advisory members will not be paid for service.

The transcript records debate on technical points including whether the bill’s language unintentionally expands eligibility to advanced degrees in health fields and how the bill treats community colleges and state colleges that offer two‑year programs. Several speakers urged clarifying amendments to avoid excluding eligible programs offered at state colleges and the University of Idaho.

The House approved the bill and the title was ordered corrected; the bill will be transmitted to the Senate for further action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Legislative Session Day 82 March 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho House passed House Bill 4-61 on March 28, advancing changes to the Launch workforce grant program that create a nine-member advisory board and narrow eligible uses to prioritize community‑college and other short-term, in‑demand career training.","taxTitle","2025 House Legislative Sessions, 2025 Legislative Sessions, Idaho","taxId",77673,"location","Idaho","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6100066,"Votes at a glance: Key bills the Idaho House passed March 28, 2025",4980,213000,5193000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2814660-a4c173dfe56d740a8bf1582478ce147f&start=213&end=5193","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2814660-a4c173dfe56d740a8bf1582478ce147f/thumbnail_213000.jpg","/articles/6100066/Idaho/Votes-at-a-glance-Key-bills-the-Idaho-House-passed-March-28-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100066-9fb705498954e8dc221d666e8f9eb3a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172673&Signature=UCXI8Hce9iBdTD3SGtAyB3zJJjMKdCS4mw8NJ-5i~cDndADrmNm9HUysGlciFrMDd9UgF9YbWocQPoyrYfg2cGsivbnS1pod6OPzhlJb4Zw6t9J1okxpfKMDUBidGUg7GBfGV~PKWzNG2Mfc3OC9u9Yhd7fVQwzXnAZdVs4hU4FdIZSG5-109Q17WZZoeRLoaURWtxOlGZXiv7LwHmU1Vrot-RJaaz6jm6DTS-gtAxYHv~LHMUsSwqK6GP0i-1AQVPpJGOqlaMjX5UgLGTDAHPfywV1KQMTwOHGiPoZYKJwAlzdWCgv48PMNLEUQjp3Xdo89DVxjnJOmrWjYdLYpmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","BOISE, Idaho — During the March 28 floor session the Idaho House recorded votes or advanced multiple bills. Below are the motions and outcomes as reported on the House floor transcript. Where the transcript did not give a clear roll‑call tally, the entry notes that the tally was not specified in the audio record.

- House Bill 4-60 (Vocational Rehabilitation budget): Passed. The transcript reports a roll call of 49 ayes, 20 nays and 1 absent. The bill includes supplemental appropriations and repayment to the federal government as described on the floor and will be transmitted to the Senate.

- House Bill 4-59 (Department of Labor appropriation adjustments): Passed. Roll recorded in transcript as 68 ayes, 2 absent. The bill shifts funds, reduces 15.58 FTP and provides a $4.8 million cash transfer to correct an accounting error; it also includes $161,000 for IT hardware replacement.

- Senate Bill 11-49 (property process regarding foreign ownership, as amended): Passed. The sponsor described the bill as a process bill setting procedures for Attorney General investigation and possible receivership; the roll call was recorded as 68 ayes, 2 absent.

- House Bill 96 (flag restrictions on government property, as amended in the Senate): Passed. Transcript reports 54 ayes, 13 nays and 3 absent; the bill restricts which flags government entities may fly on government property, listing the U.S. flag, military flags, POW/MIA, official tribal flags, the governmental entity’s own official flag, official flags of other countries for certain occasions and official college/university flags.

- House Bill 2-64 (privacy protections for women in prisons, juvenile facilities, domestic violence centers and university dorms, as amended in the Senate): Passed. Roll call reported as 59 ayes, 9 nays and 2 absent. Sponsors framed the bill as protecting women’s private spaces in specified settings; proponents referenced a recent Ninth Circuit decision addressing K–12 restrooms.

- House Bill 4-61 (Launch program changes and advisory board): Passed. The transcript records passage and transfer to the Senate; portions of the roll‑call lines in the audio were garbled and the precise yes/no tally was not clearly captured in the transcript excerpt provided here. The bill creates an advisory board to set a prioritization matrix for Launch grants and narrows eligibility to prioritize short, in‑demand career pathways and apprenticeships.

- Senate Bill 11-64 (building permitting modernization, as amended): Passed. Sponsors said the bill requires local governments to publish permitting processes and give a 10‑day completeness notice for residential permits and a 20‑day notice for commercial; the transcript records final passage (tally reported on floor as recorded by clerk).

- Senate Bill 11-53 (USS Idaho commemorative license plate): Passed. Sponsor described the plate design and encouraged passage; the roll was recorded and the bill passed the House.

Other items: The House introduced multiple bills for first reading (including HB 4-67, HB 4-68, HB 4-69) and held the remaining third‑reading calendar items to the March 31 calendar as ordered on the floor.

All bills recorded above that passed the House will be transmitted to the Senate for further action; the roundup above summarizes outcomes as they were announced on the House floor transcript.","The House recorded final votes on several bills on March 28, including appropriations, procedural and policy measures; this roundup lists each bill, a brief description and the outcome as reported on the House floor",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6100072,"House passes small enhancement budget for Department of Labor; accounting shift corrects fund errors",194,948000,1142000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2814660-a4c173dfe56d740a8bf1582478ce147f&start=948&end=1142","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2814660-a4c173dfe56d740a8bf1582478ce147f/thumbnail_948000.jpg","/articles/6100072/Idaho/House-passes-small-enhancement-budget-for-Department-of-Labor-accounting-shift-corrects-fund-errors","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100072-695e30afd042ae0f832a7858670ddeb5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172673&Signature=R8kylIHIlpZIrLiYP8~eDQH8Kci1oIDqPsE9tRTNMtuz0XQuwYPM3BEiRcZ9bngT22zYfbN5IH7tK2Ab6hcV4tldjTCkf6qHdnMFM5yC0KxKBrfwsEc5qDmrhNHOiBVHjCaC5T5TPEGncxsFwR1flXb~jmDPDDce91dsfi-suoX0TReYQeCay5k-k0omOEM~SaBOhBWHYQI9P0x1YBNFTD5tsbPjr~cpzPAELjuQI15ccfXIxwZw3fIlc9WHBrIrjz82WNr6CFeA2pzB~aHxnheZo~iC5PLohaffh1Gn7wiJFeZ2vmebs5PPAvYm~Z~ttorqawJlAFItj-vHpbbzJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho House on March 28 passed House Bill 4-59, a minimal enhancement budget for the Idaho Department of Labor that makes accounting corrections and a modest technology investment while reducing full‑time equivalent positions.

Floor presenters said HB 4-59 includes no new general funds, trims 15.58 full‑time positions (FTP) for unemployment insurance, and shifts $5 million from federal funds to dedicated funds in anticipation of a reduced federal award. The bill also authorizes a $4.8 million cash transfer to correct an accounting error between the Employment Security Administration and the Employment Security Fund and adds approximately $161,000 in time‑funds for IT hardware (70 laptops and 70 desktops).

Supporters thanked the Appropriations Committee for lengthy work on the budget and said the adjustments preserve baseline operations amid declining federal awards. Representative, District 10 (state representative), who presented the item, described the package as a “maintenance plus” request largely intended to align funding sources with anticipated federal awards.

The House suspended rules for immediate consideration and passed HB 4-59 on a roll call recorded in the transcript; the clerk recorded the roll as 68 ayes and 2 absent. The bill’s title was approved and the bill will be transferred to the Senate for enrollment.","The Idaho House passed House Bill 4-59, a minimal enhancement budget for the Department of Labor for FY2026 that reduces full‑time positions, shifts federal to dedicated funds, transfers cash to correct an accounting error and adds a small IT hardware allocation",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6100077,"House approves $2.7M supplemental and maintenance budget for vocational rehabilitation amid federal review",229,686000,915000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2814660-a4c173dfe56d740a8bf1582478ce147f&start=686&end=915","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2814660-a4c173dfe56d740a8bf1582478ce147f/thumbnail_686000.jpg","/articles/6100077/Idaho/House-approves-27M-supplemental-and-maintenance-budget-for-vocational-rehabilitation-amid-federal-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100077-847a5115b90709a8010dd346d5d2fc77/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172673&Signature=CzKDC3O-kJdrX7~Hkf2CR1oASMeNMqkPWvgiuAcFfXfU~X147XjNqRV0qASjT3Ps5AEBEQfgqPUPbRkya68Jd~4sYSLyG4Yrnb~8PZbwVDLLQcOSsbtegG63r1ziZgsPv4YyI4XUqovMBoCH55HKcrBn5bbyBY07eWwYh9wsV~kNEHKF9R4h1NIy9eFvPuzv8-mx-ojj4EpA4QUnHN7RMZULuVtqEHqU-yOl2HNm05f5wDJ4eB8Pb177snBSY45mreS91WY07HR2dGoUTqQueFLKcM1IHV3qLckagjH~CVNbJsgz3W2Tek-kzYbODyH2erDolp2Jnq1nA8P5h2FMQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho House passed House Bill 4-60 on March 28, advancing a maintenance and supplemental appropriation package for the state vocational rehabilitation agency amid an ongoing federal review.

House floor remarks said the agency underwent what was described as a federal forensic audit after federal authorities flagged some ineligible payments. Speakers on the floor said the federal government supplied about $10 million to cover immediate bills last year, and the state must match part of that amount to remain compliant.

Floor managers described components of the package: a $2.7 million supplemental appropriation to cover state matching for federal payments, a $1.7 million supplemental appropriation to repay the federal government for ineligible payments, and a maintenance budget for the coming fiscal year. The bill also includes $35,000 to provide an interpreter for the council for the deaf and hard of hearing, which is administratively housed within the rehabilitation agency.

Supporters praised the interim director’s work to stabilize the agency during a complex review. Representative, District 9 (state representative), who presented the budget on the floor, said the supplement and maintenance request are intended to close out outstanding bills and allow the agency to continue operations while documentation is gathered for the audit.

The House approved suspension of the rules for immediate consideration and then passed the bill on a roll call recorded in the transcript. The roll call recorded 49 ayes, 20 nays and 1 absent (as reported on the House floor); the House approved the title and ordered the bill transmitted to the Senate.

The transcript shows floor managers and members asked questions and raised concerns about the accuracy of previous supplemental numbers and about how the audit’s findings could affect future budgets. The passed measure provides short‑term fiscal stability while the agency and federal auditors complete their review.","The Idaho House on March 28 passed House Bill 4-60, a maintenance and supplemental budget for the state vocational rehabilitation agency that includes payback to the federal government and funding for deaf/hard‑of‑hearing interpreter services while the agency undergoes a federal review","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Idaho House tightens oversight of Launch workforce grants, creates advisory board

Votes at a glance: Key bills the Idaho House passed March 28, 2025

House passes small enhancement budget for Department of Labor; accounting shift corrects fund errors

House approves $2.7M supplemental and maintenance budget for vocational rehabilitation amid federal review