Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the Public School Digital Content and Curriculum Fund.

LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO Sixty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2026 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HOUSE BILL NO. 599 BY EDUCATION COMMITTEE AN ACT1 RELATING TO EDUCATION; AMENDING SECTION 33-4804, IDAHO CODE, TO REVISE PRO-2 VISIONS REGARDING THE PUBLIC SCHOOL DIGITAL CONTENT AND CURRICULUM FUND3 AND TO MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PRO-4 VIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.5

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:6

SECTION 1. That Section 33-4804, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby7 amended to read as follows:8 33-4804. PUBLIC SCHOOL DIGITAL CONTENT AND CURRICULUM FUND. (1) There9 is hereby established in the state treasury the public school digital con-10 tent and curriculum fund, to be administered by the state department of edu-11 cation, which shall make available moneys in the fund, subject to appropri-12 ation, for schools to provide Idaho classrooms, including classrooms at the13 Idaho bureau of educational services for the deaf and the blind, with digi-14 tal content and curriculum that directly impact student achievement and im-15 prove performance. Curriculum programs shall be designed to enhance out-16 comes for students in career technical education, character education, en-17 richment activities, reading and mathematics, and activities that increase18 grade-to-grade promotion and enhance career and college readiness. Moneys19 from the fund may also be spent on academic text support systems that in-20 clude authentic fiction and nonfiction books, provide reader supports, pro-21 vide teaching tools, and promote parent engagement. Moneys in the fund shall22 consist of legislative appropriations and are continuously appropriated for23 the purposes identified in this section. Any interest earned on idle moneys24 in the fund shall be returned to the fund.25 (2) Subject to availability, moneys in the fund shall be distributed26 at the request of a local education agency (LEA) and shall be based on the27 amount requested. A single request must shall not exceed fifty thousand dol-28 lars ($50,000). Distributions from the fund shall be made on a first-come,29 first-served basis to LEAS that meet the criteria outlined in this subsec-30 tion. If an LEA meets such criteria but a distribution cannot be made due31 to lack of available moneys, such LEA's request shall be prioritized, in the32 order received, once moneys become available to LEAs that meet the require-33 ments as outlined in this subsection based on competitive, needs-based cri-34 teria established by the state department of education. If distributions35 cannot be made due to lack of available moneys, requests by eligible LEAs36 shall be prioritized according to the competitive, needs-based criteria es-37 tablished by the state department of education pursuant to this subsection38 once moneys become available. Two (2) or more LEAs may jointly request a dis-39 tribution. To qualify for funding, an LEA must shall:40 (a) Have technology infrastructure in place to facilitate usage of the41 digital content and curriculum; and42

2 (b) Submit an explanation for how the distribution will be used to1 improve performance and enhance student achievement. Explanations2 should include:3 (i) The amount of moneys requested;4 (ii) The type of content or curriculum to be purchased;5 (iii) How the purchase will assist the LEA in meeting its identi-6 fied measurable targets from its continuous improvement plan as7 described in section 33-320, Idaho Code; and8 (iv) How progress toward those targets will be measured.9 (3) Additional distributions shall be granted to an LEA only if, after10 the initial distribution, the LEA has met or is making demonstrable progress11 toward its measurable targets.12

SECTION 2. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby13 declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after14 July 1, 2026.15