S13602026 Regular Session

Amends existing law to revise a provision regarding the Project Choice program fee and the transfer of those funds to the General Fund in certain instances.

PROJECT CHOICE PROGRAM FEE -- Amends existing law to revise a provision regarding the Project Choice program fee and the transfer of those funds to the General Fund in certain instances.

PROJECT CHOICE PROGRAM FEE

IntroducedIn CommitteeFloor VoteEnacted

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

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This proposal makes changes to Idaho Code 49-454 - PROJECT CHOICE and IC 67-2914 - Idaho Law Enforcement Fund Established. The Idaho State Police (ISP) has had difficulty recruiting and retaining commissioned peace officers, and one of the cited concerns for our troopers leaving has been pay. Almost 20 years ago, the legislature created the PROJECT CHOICE program fee of $3.00 on vehicle registration in Idaho Code 49-454. These funds are deposited into the Idaho Law Enforcement Fund, as outlined in Idaho Code Section 67-2914. It is proposed that the project choice program fee in IC 49-454 be increased from $3.00 to $12.00, allowing the ISP to fund adjustments to commissioned personnel salaries to remain competitive with law enforcement agencies that offer higher pay and attract/take our troopers. The PROJECT CHOICE FEE was created to assist ISP in recruiting and retaining staff. IC 67-2914 - Law Enforcement Fund Established, will dictate that when the CHOICE fund exceeds 200% of the current year's appropriation, those funds will be transferred to the general fund.

FISCAL NOTE

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The law enforcement fund is a dedicated funding source. This $5.00 registration fee increase is projected to generate $10 million per year for the Project CHOICE to be used to recruit and retain Idaho State Police Troopers. The statutory language will dictate that when the CHOICE fund exceeds 200% of the current year's appropriation, those funds will be transferred to the general fund.

SOP revised: 03/03/2026, 1:48 PM

BILL TEXT

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LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO Sixty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2026 IN THE SENATE SENATE BILL NO. 1360 BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AN ACT1 RELATING TO THE PROJECT CHOICE PROGRAM FEE; AMENDING SECTION 49-454, IDAHO2 CODE, TO REVISE A PROVISION REGARDING THE PROJECT CHOICE PROGRAM FEE;3 AMENDING SECTION 67-2914, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN MONEYS IN4 THE IDAHO LAW ENFORCEMENT FUND SHALL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE GENERAL FUND;5 PROVIDING SEVERABILITY; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING AN EF-6 FECTIVE DATE.7

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:8

SECTION 1. That Section 49-454, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby9 amended to read as follows:10 49-454. PROJECT CHOICE FEE. (1) A project choice program fee of three11 dollars ($3.00) eight dollars ($8.00) shall be collected in addition to each12 registration fee assessed pursuant to section 49-402(1), (2) or (3), 49-411,13 49-412 or 49-434(1), Idaho Code. Such fees shall be deposited to the Idaho14 law enforcement fund established in section 67-2914, Idaho Code.15 (2) The project choice program fee shall be collected and deposited16 pursuant to subsection (1) of this section for registrations for calendar17 year 2007 and thereafter.18 (3) The project choice fee shall be used, subject to appropriation,19 exclusively for the purposes of creating a career ladder within the Idaho20 state police and to provide salaries to encourage the hiring and retention21 of trained and qualified employees for Idaho state police positions. Idaho22 state police personnel who have participated in and benefited from the use of23 the project choice fee, as of July 1, 2010, shall continue to participate in24 and benefit from the project choice fee while employed by the Idaho state po-25 lice. Provided however, that beginning July 1, 2010, the use of the project26 choice fee shall be restricted in the following manner: the project choice27 fee shall be used exclusively for the purposes of creating a career ladder28 for commissioned officers, dispatch personnel and forensic personnel within29 the Idaho state police; and to provide salaries to encourage the hiring and30 retention of trained and qualified commissioned officers, dispatch person-31 nel and forensic personnel.32

SECTION 2. That Section 67-2914, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby33 amended to read as follows:34 67-2914. IDAHO LAW ENFORCEMENT FUND ESTABLISHED. (1) For the purposes35 of the Idaho state police, there is established in the state treasury of the36 state of Idaho the Idaho law enforcement fund, to which shall be deposited37 funds as provided by law.38 (2) At the beginning of each fiscal year, moneys derived from the39 project choice program fee, as provided in section 49-454, Idaho Code, that40

2 are in the Idaho law enforcement fund and that exceed two hundred percent1 (200%) of that fiscal year's appropriation, as certified by the state trea-2 surer, shall be transferred to the general fund.3

SECTION 3. SEVERABILITY. The provisions of this act are hereby declared4 to be severable and if any provision of this act or the application of such5 provision to any person or circumstance is declared invalid for any reason,6 such declaration shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of7 this act.8

SECTION 4. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby9 declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after10 July 1, 2026.11