What to Watch: Week 10

This week, keep an eye on the Senate Floor. House Bill 556 (Reimbursement for State Inmates in County Jails) is a 2026 IAC Legislative Priority. It is on the 3rd reading calendar in the Senate. The other issue to keep an eye on this week is whether state budgets pass or fail on the floors of the House and Senate. The Health and Welfare budget failed in the Senate on a 25-10 vote. Will other budget bills face a similar fate?

IAC Supports: House Bill 556-Reimbursement for State Inmates in County Jails

House Bill 556 is currently sitting on the 3rd Reading Calendar of the Senate. We are hopeful that the bill will pass this week. If you have not reached out to your Senators yet, please do so early this week. 

Talking Points for House Bill 556

The current tiered system ($55 for the first 7 days / $75 thereafter) was a starting point. Today, we have the opportunity to improve this model for better administrative and fiscal health:

• Eliminating Complexity: Moving to a single, flat rate removes the “two-tiered” accounting burden from both State and County staff, streamlining the billing process and reducing errors.
• A Shared Contribution: While the actual cost to house an inmate is $106 per day, the IAC’s proposal of $80 per day acknowledges the State’s current budget constraints.
• Improves Safety for Inmates & Law Enforcement: Stable funding ensures that county jails can manage inmate populations safely and effectively, which is the primary factor in passing jail inspections, maintaining Idaho Sheriffs Association standards, and reducing liability.

 This change is a strategic, incremental improvement that:

• Simplifies the System: Moves Idaho to a modern, one-rate billing structure.
• Protects Taxpayers: Reduces the disproportionate burden currently placed on local property tax funds for state inmates in county jails.
• Strengthens Jails: Provides a new baseline of support needed to help keep county and state inmates safe while reducing liability placed on the counties due to overcrowding

Quick Facts on State-Committed Inmates in County Jails

• As of December 2025, there were 1,275 state-committed inmates in county jails.
• The average length of stay for a state-committed inmate in county jails is 85 days.
• State-committed inmates are overcrowding county jails (25% of county jails were at capacity last year), increasing the strain on county sheriffs to maintain and operate county jails, and creating greater legal liability with county property taxpayers left to foot the bill.
• On average, a county pays $114.25 per day (including jail medical) to house a state-committed inmate.
• Excluding jail medical, the average cost is $106.37 per day.
• IDOC pays over $85 per day to house inmates out of state, but only pays counties a maximum of $75 per day.
• Counties spend an average of $49.5 million a year to house state-committed inmates but only receive $34.1 million a year from IDOC to house those inmates.
• County property taxpayers must pay over $15 million a year to make up the difference.

State Maintenance Budgets Pass or Fail?

As the legislature looks to wind down the 2026 legislative session over the next few weeks, a constitutional obligation remains. Pass a balanced budget. This year, there has been a lot of disagreement about the state budget. One maintenance budget failed the Senate last week.

There is potential that more maintenance budgets will also fail. Until the House and Senate pass all the maintenance budget bills, they will remain in Boise. Keep an eye on the appropriations bills as the week goes on. They are a clear signal regarding how much longer the legislature will be in session.