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H 277

An Act relative to cueing and supervision in the PCA program

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Joan Lovely and 1 co-sponsor

The bill consolidates IT-related background checks for external-state IT staff into a single, fingerprint-based process overseen by OITS to meet state and federal requirements.

Reporting date extended to Friday, July 31, 2026
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Bill Summary · H 277

Summary: Idaho House Bill No. 277 (H 277)

Overview

H 277 proposes to streamline and standardize criminal background checks for the Idaho Office of Information Technology Services (OITS). The bill would authorize a single, consolidated criminal history check for prospective IT employees and contractors who provide IT services to external state agency customers. The check would satisfy both state and federal requirements, replacing the current practice of up to ten separate checks.

Purpose and Intent

  • Reduce duplication and administrative costs associated with multiple background checks.
  • Ensure consistent, comprehensive background clearance for IT personnel in critical disciplines.
  • Align IT staffing controls with state cybersecurity and information-security objectives managed by OITS.

Key Provisions

  • Amends Idaho Code § 67-827A to empower OITS to obtain criminal history checks for prospective employees and contractors who work in IT service roles for external state agency customers.
  • Affects individuals in one or more of these IT disciplines:
    • IT network engineering
    • IT operations and support
    • IT software engineering
    • Geographic information systems
    • IT information management
    • IT database administration
    • IT systems and infrastructure engineering
    • IT information security engineering
    • IT architecture
    • IT management
    • Remote sensing analysis
    • Data science
  • The criminal history check must use a completed ten-finger fingerprint card or scan and include searches of:
    • Idaho State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification database
    • Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history database
  • The term “information technology” follows the definition in Idaho Code § 67-831.
  • OITS retains authority to promulgate rules (with legislative approval) to implement the act.
  • The bill includes an emergency clause, making it effective on July 1, 2025.

Affected Parties

  • Prospective IT employees and contractors who provide IT services to external state agencies and work in any of the listed IT disciplines.
  • State agencies and institutions that rely on IT services from OITS-managed vendors.
  • The public benefits indirectly from streamlined staffing controls and enhanced cybersecurity oversight.

Fiscal Impact

  • Current anticipated savings: approximately $8,800 per year in dedicated fund background-check expenses.
  • Savings expected to grow to about $12,200 per year with ITS modernization.
  • No impact expected on federal, local funds, or public cost beyond the stated savings.

Timing and Process

  • Introduced February 19, 2025.
  • Status: Reported favorably by the committee and referred to the Health Care Financing committee (per bill status note).
  • Effective date: July 1, 2025 (due to the emergency clause).

Additional Context

  • The plan focuses on consolidating regulatory-compliant background checks into a single process administered by OITS, emphasizing IT security, risk management, and streamlined state government operations.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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