Bill Description: House Bill 470 would require state agencies to identify long-vacant positions; it would also require agencies to report reimbursed travel costs.

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NOTE: House Bill 470 is a substantially weakened version of House Bill 413 (2025). Compared to its predecessor, House Bill 470 gives an agency one year rather than six months to fill a vacant FTP without requiring it to inform the Legislature of the vacancy. It also changes a "shall" to "may" relative to eliminating vacant positions.

Does it in any way restrict public access to information related to government activity or otherwise compromise government transparency, accountability, or election integrity? Conversely, does it increase public access to information related to government activity or increase government transparency, accountability, or election integrity?

House Bill 470 would create sections 67-3520 and 67-3520A, Idaho Code. According to the bill, its purpose is to discover and eliminate government waste.

Under this bill, each state department and agency would be required to "identify the number of currently vacant appropriated FTP, including portions of FTP, within such department that were vacant for more than one (1) calendar year as of the date of the budget submission." 

The bill says, "Vacant FTP … and their associated salaries and fringe benefits may be eliminated by the legislature." [Emphasis added] This is different than House Bill 413, which said vacant FTPs "shall be eliminated."

It further says, "A department may request to retain the identified FTP if funds are available within the department's existing appropriation for personnel costs and shall fill the vacancy as soon as practicable."

House Bill 470 does not require any reductions in government hiring and spending. It only requires departments and agencies to identify long-vacant positions. The bill notes that the Legislature has the authority to eliminate vacant positions, but this statement is unnecessary as legislators already have this power.

The bill would also require state departments and agencies to report to the Legislature "all travel expenses from the preceding fiscal year," which means "costs associated with reimbursement of travel or subsistence pursuant to the standard travel pay and allowance act of 1949, chapter 20, title 67, Idaho Code."

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