S 1252

                    LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO
 Sixty-eighth Legislature  Second Regular Session - 2026
                                 IN THE SENATE
                             SENATE BILL NO. 1252
                  BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TAXATION COMMITTEE
1AN ACT
2  RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS; AMENDING CHAPTER 35, TITLE 67, IDAHO CODE, BY THE
3      ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 67-3537, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE A SHORT TI-
4      TLE AND TO PROVIDE FOR A LIMITATION ON INCREASES IN STATE BUDGETS; AND
5      DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
6  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
7      SECTION 1. That Chapter 35, Title 67, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
8  hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and des-
9  ignated as Section 67-3537, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
10     67-3537. LIMITATION ON INCREASES IN STATE BUDGETS. (1) This section
11 shall be known and may be cited as the "Restraint of Government Uncontrolled
12 Expansion (ROGUE) Act."
13     (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the an-
14 nual maintenance budget of an entity of the state government of the state of
15 Idaho, including but not limited to any department, agency, office, officer,
16 board, commission, institution, or state college or university, shall not
17 increase by more than the average percentage increase in the consumer price
18 index for all urban consumers for the west region as determined by the United
19 States bureau of labor statistics for the twelve (12) calendar months pre-
20 ceding the month and year in which state entities submit maintenance budget
21 requests to the legislature and the governor. If such percentage reflects a
22 zero percent (0%) increase or a decrease, the state entity maintenance bud-
23 get request shall not exceed the dollar amount of the previous fiscal year
24 maintenance budget as approved by the legislature.
25     (3) Any annual increase of a maintenance budget of any entity of the
26 state government of the state of Idaho may be higher than the budget increase
27 restriction provided in subsection (2) of this section in the case of exigent
28 situations, federally mandated expenditures, or sustained difficulties in
29 keeping with such restriction as it relates to meeting operational objec-
30 tives.
31     SECTION 2. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby
32 declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after
33 July 1, 2026.