Idaho Senate committee rejects bill creating task force to oversee federal rural health care money

Just days before the Idaho Legislature’s targeted day for adjournment, a Senate committee rejected a bill that would provide legislative oversight of the nearly $200 million in federal funds awarded to improve rural health care. 

Nearly $200M federal rural health grant in limbo in Idaho Legislature

The federal Rural Health Transformation Grant was awarded to Idaho as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, approved by Congress in July. The federal government awarded Idaho in December a total of around $930 million over five years, but state lawmakers are hoping to ensure oversight of how those funds are distributed for subgrants. 

State lawmakers are more than 70 days into the 2026 legislative session, and the exact model of legislative oversight of the funds has not yet been decided, nor have lawmakers provided the needed permission for the money to be spent. The subgrants must be awarded by the state by Oct. 30, or the state may need to return the funds.

What do the two bills do?  

There are two bills, originating on opposite sides of the Capitol rotunda, that would create legislative oversight task committees for the grant. 

Coeur d’Alene Republican Rep. Jordan Redman presented House Bill 916 to the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on Tuesday. The bill would create a nine-member task force with no requirements that legislators come from rural districts.

“Really, the thought of that is to have oversight over these dollars and better stewardship for the Legislature,” Redman said. 

The Senate committee previously approved Senate Bill 1264, which would create a seven-member task force that would require at least three legislators to represent rural districts. That bill has been held on the Senate’s calendar, postposing a debate and vote, since Feb. 23. 

New Plymouth Republican Sen. Brandon Shippy said at Tuesday’s hearing that he was concerned about the lack of requirement for rural representation on the committee. 

Redman said the idea was that legislative leaders could select people with the most relevant experience or knowledge, regardless of where they’re from. 

Caldwell Republican Sen. Camille Blaylock made a motion to hold Redman’s bill in committee, which halts it from going forward. 

She told the Idaho Capital Sun that she voted to hold it because she preferred the Senate bill. 

“It’s a smaller committee, and it requires that the members on that committee are from rural communities,” Blaylock said. 

Blaylock’s motion to reject the bill passed. Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, and Chairwoman Sen. Julie VanOrden, R-Pingree, voted against the motion.

Shortly after the Senate committee rejected HB 916, Senate sponsor of SB 1264, Idaho Falls Republican Kevin Cook, sent his bill to the “14th Order,” where it may be amended. 

Cook told the Sun later that he intended to change his bill to make a larger committee, similar to the House bill, with four legislators from each chamber. He said “80%” confident his bill will pass with the changes.