Adds to existing law to establish the Idaho Rural Health Transformation Fund and the Rural Health Transformation Committee.

LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO Sixty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2026 IN THE SENATE SENATE BILL NO. 1264 BY HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE AN ACT1 RELATING TO RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION; AMENDING TITLE 56, IDAHO CODE, BY2 THE ADDITION OF A NEW CHAPTER 25, TITLE 56, IDAHO CODE, TO ESTABLISH3 THE IDAHO RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION FUND AND TO ESTABLISH THE RURAL4 HEALTH TRANSFORMATION COMMITTEE; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.5

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

SECTION 1. That Title 56, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby amended7 by the addition thereto of a NEW CHAPTER, to be known and designated as Chap-8 ter 25, Title 56, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:9 CHAPTER 2510 IDAHO RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM11 56-2501. IDAHO RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION FUND. (1) There is hereby12 created and established in the state treasury the Idaho rural health trans-13 formation fund. The fund shall consist of moneys received by the state of14 Idaho from the federal rural health transformation program grant and such15 other moneys that may be provided by legislative appropriation. Moneys in16 the fund shall be used solely for federally approved rural health transfor-17 mation program purposes, subject to appropriation by the legislature upon18 recommendation from the rural health transformation committee as estab-19 lished in section 56-2502, Idaho Code.20 (2) The Idaho rural health transformation fund shall be subject to an-21 nual public reporting of all receipts and expenditures.22 56-2502. RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION COMMITTEE. (1) There is hereby23 created the rural health transformation committee, hereafter referred to as24 the committee. The committee shall consist of seven (7) members to be ap-25 pointed as follows: three (3) members of the senate shall be appointed by26 the president pro tempore of the senate, one (1) of whom shall be cochair of27 the committee; three (3) members of the house of representatives shall be ap-28 pointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, one (1) of whom shall29 be cochair of the committee; and one (1) nonvoting member shall be selected30 by the governor. At least three (3) of the legislative members shall be ap-31 pointed from a legislative district without a population center of twenty32 thousand (20,000) or more persons. The term of a legislative member of the33 committee shall coincide with the term of election to the legislature. A va-34 cancy during the term of a member of the committee shall be filled by the ap-35 pointing authority of that member, and members may be reappointed to a subse-36 quent term.37 (2) The committee shall have the following powers and duties:38 (a) To establish rules for governance and operation of committee pro-39 ceedings;40

2 (b) To establish any additional requirements for funding subawards,1 which shall include application scoring rubrics, no later than March2 15, 2026, for the first award year and by September 30 for the four (4)3 remaining award years;4 (c) To establish an expedited award review process with the department5 of health and welfare for funding subawards. The award review process6 shall align with federally approved timelines as outlined in Idaho's7 rural health transformation plan;8 (d) To receive no less than quarterly updates on progress toward funded9 projects, expenditures, and outcomes from the department of health and10 welfare;11 (e) To evaluate the potential and actual success of programs funded12 with moneys from the Idaho rural health transformation fund;13 (f) To retain oversight of moneys in the Idaho rural health transforma-14 tion fund;15 (g) To require a sustainability plan for any initiative funded by Idaho16 rural health transformation moneys; and17 (h) To make any recommendations to the legislature on the use of funds,18 as long as recommendations are within the parameters of the federally19 approved Idaho plan.20 (3) The committee shall remain active until all moneys in the Idaho ru-21 ral transformation fund have been appropriated and expended.22

SECTION 2. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby23 declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its24 passage and approval.25