Idaho Bills

This bill allocates $1.23 million in state funding to Idaho's Department of Administration for fiscal year 2027, covering personnel, operations, and capital expenses across management services, public works, purchasing, insurance, and document services. It simultaneously reduces existing appropriations by $447,600 from specific funds, adjusts staffing authorizations by adding one full-time equivalent position, and sets the funding period from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The legislation declares an emergency to take effect immediately upon signing, allowing the state to implement these budget changes for the upcoming fiscal year.

This bill updates Idaho's rules for determining where civil lawsuits can be filed, directly affecting plaintiffs and defendants in state courts. It establishes that cases generally must be brought in the county where the legal dispute originated or where a defendant lives, with specific exceptions for insurance claims and out-of-state defendants. The law also allows courts to transfer cases to different locations when necessary, ensuring flexibility while maintaining clear venue standards. These changes take effect on July 1, 2026.

This bill updates Idaho's Transportation Support Program to clarify which costs school districts and transportation providers can claim for reimbursement when moving students to and from school. It defines allowable expenses such as vehicle maintenance, driver salaries, and contracted transportation services, while excluding costs for optional vehicle features not essential for safety or disability transport. The state will typically cover 50% of reimbursable costs, with higher reimbursement rates for training, fees, and bus maintenance, and includes a cap based on statewide average costs per mile or per student rider. The law also extends reimbursement eligibility to home-based public virtual schools for internet, equipment, and face-to-face visit costs, and establishes specific criteria for hardship bus runs that may qualify for higher reimbursement limits.

This bill updates Idaho's rules for counting student enrollment numbers, which directly affects school districts, public charter schools, and the state Board of Education. It establishes specific guidelines for calculating full-time enrollment, including limits on how many students can be counted based on their attendance patterns, such as restricting students with 11 or more consecutive unexcused absences from being counted on official enrollment dates. The law also sets clear rules for counting kindergarten students at half enrollment and summer or night school students at one-quarter enrollment, while requiring schools to conduct official enrollment counts on specific dates throughout the school year. These changes will take effect on July 1, 2026, and aim to standardize how student enrollment data is collected and reported across the state.

This bill provides additional funding and staffing to Idaho's Office of the State Public Defender for fiscal year 2027. It allocates $505,100 total from state funds, including $250,900 for personnel costs and $250,500 for operating expenses, while also authorizing six additional full-time equivalent positions. The legislation includes an emergency declaration to take effect on July 1, 2026, ensuring the office has necessary resources to support public defense services during the fiscal year.

This bill updates how Idaho public school districts calculate salary allocations for instructional and pupil service staff based on their career ladder progression. It establishes specific rules for placing new teachers on the career ladder, including provisions for those with prior teaching experience in private or parochial schools and career technical education instructors with industry experience. The law also sets performance criteria that staff must meet to advance to higher compensation levels, with allocations remaining at previous levels if performance requirements are not satisfied. These changes affect how school districts determine funding for employee compensation starting July 1, 2026.

This bill updates Idaho state laws to allow manufactured homes to be placed on single-family residential lots, in addition to existing mobile home parks and subdivisions. It clarifies definitions for manufactured homes versus mobile homes and requires local governments to revise their comprehensive plans and zoning regulations to permit this siting option. The legislation also establishes specific placement standards for manufactured homes outside of parks, including minimum square footage, foundation requirements, roof design, and exterior appearance guidelines that must match surrounding homes. Local governments retain the ability to apply additional development standards that would apply to conventional single-family homes on the same lots, while the bill prohibits standards that unreasonably discourage needed housing.

This bill allocates approximately $4.1 million in funding to Idaho's Judicial Branch for fiscal year 2027, covering court operations, trustee and benefit payments, and specific programs like drug courts and guardian ad litem services. The money comes from various existing funds, including the Court Technology Fund, Drug Court and Mental Health Court Fund, and the General Fund, and is designated for specific expense categories within district courts, magistrate divisions, and community-based substance use treatment services. The legislation includes an emergency declaration to ensure the funding takes effect immediately on July 1, 2026, allowing the Judicial Branch to access these resources without delay.

This bill appropriates $4.89 million to the Idaho State Police for fiscal year 2027, covering operating expenses and capital outlays for various programs and divisions. The funding is allocated across specific areas including brand inspection, investigations, patrol operations, law enforcement programs, support services, and the post academy, with money drawn from multiple state and federal funds. The legislation declares an emergency to allow the appropriation to take effect immediately on July 1, 2026, ensuring the Idaho State Police have the necessary resources for that fiscal year.

This bill appropriates $2,011,700 to Idaho's Department of Environmental Quality for fiscal year 2027 to fund water quality, waste management, and remediation programs. It also authorizes four additional full-time equivalent positions within the department and consolidates several fee accounts by transferring money between them to streamline financial management. The legislation reduces a specific federal fund allocation for water quality personnel costs while moving money from the hazardous waste emergency fund to the solid waste regulatory fund. Once signed into law, these changes will take effect on July 1, 2026.

This bill allocates state funding to four Idaho higher education institutions - Boise State University, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College, and the University of Idaho - for fiscal year 2027. It provides new money from various funds for personnel and operating costs while simultaneously reducing operating expenditure amounts from the General Fund by a total of $752,900. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2026, and applies to the State Board of Education and the Board of Regents of the University of Idaho.

This bill provides additional funding to Idaho's Department of Juvenile Corrections for fiscal year 2027, covering personnel costs, operating expenses, and capital outlays from various state funds. It authorizes the department to hire six additional full-time equivalent positions and adjusts specific appropriation amounts, including a reduction of $327,000 for trustee and benefit payments from one fund. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2026, and was signed into law by the Governor.