Appropriates $23,366,800 to Special Programs under the State Board of Education for fiscal year 2019; limits the number of authorized full-time equivalent positions to 45.59; and provides legislative intent for the Opportunity Scholarship Program Account.

This is the FY 2019 original appropriation bill for the Special Programs Division. It appropriates $23,366,800 and caps the number of authorized full-time equivalent positions at 45.59. For benefit costs, the bill removes $1,450 per eligible FTP to bring the annual employer contribution for health insurance down to $11,650 by including a two-month employee and employer premium holiday, adds a 6.8% increase for life insurance, and adjusts funding for workers' compensation in amounts that vary by agency. The bill provides funding for a 3% ongoing merit-based salary increase for permanent employees, to be distributed at the discretion of the agency head or institution president. The bill funds three line items, which provide: 0.96 FTP and $53,500 from the General Fund to assist Idaho businesses with government contracting through the Procurement Technical Assistance Center; 1.50 FTP and $188,000 ongoing from the General Fund for manufacturing specialists in eastern and northern Idaho; and $3,500,000 ongoing from the General Fund to expand the Opportunity Scholarship.