HJM 13 is a joint memorial from the Idaho Legislature requesting federal agencies to align their enforcement of the Clean Water Act with the Supreme Court's 2023 Sackett decision. It asks the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to stop claiming jurisdiction over intermittent streams, ditches, canals, and stockwater ponds - features not considered "waters of the United States" under the Court's ruling. The memorial urges agencies to update policies, training, and guidance to reflect this standard, which requires a continuous surface connection to traditional water bodies like rivers or lakes. This addresses concerns that current federal overreach increases costs and delays for Idaho landowners, farmers, and infrastructure projects. The request is directed at federal agencies and Idaho's congressional delegation, not a binding law.
This bill (H 723) establishes new standards for Idaho's licensed children's residential care facilities. It requires the Department of Health and Welfare to conduct annual unannounced facility inspections, implement individualized service plans for each child (documenting needs, goals, and progress), and create a "Youth Bill of Rights" ensuring children are treated with dignity and informed of their rights. Facilities must document child assessments, update service plans every 90 days, and report critical incidents. These changes directly affect children in residential care, the facilities providing care, and the state department overseeing compliance.
This Idaho bill (S 1345) allows tax authorities to send certain tax-related documents electronically instead of by mail. It amends multiple sections of Idaho’s tax code (including Sections 63-111, 63-2517, and 63-3045) to permit "secure electronic communication" for transmitting property tax assessments, notices, and other official tax documents. The change applies directly to state tax authorities (like the State Tax Commission) and taxpayers who receive these communications. Key provisions specify that electronic delivery must be "secure" and may be used alongside or instead of traditional mail methods, without altering tax rates or obligations.
Idaho's S 1257 amends child protection laws to clarify definitions and revise conditions for terminating parental rights. It defines key terms like "abused," "abandoned," and "aggravated circumstances" (including chronic abuse/neglect, sexual abuse, or prior termination of rights for another child). The bill specifically updates Section 16-2005 to establish clearer standards for when courts may terminate parental rights, directly affecting children in foster care, parents facing termination proceedings, and child welfare agencies. These changes aim to standardize legal interpretations without creating new programs.
H 658 revises how vacancies on cemetery maintenance boards are filled in Idaho. If a board cannot fill a vacancy due to lack of members (e.g., deaths or resignations), the county commission must appoint the minimum needed to form a functional board with an odd number of members. Appointees must be qualified local voters who lived in the district for at least one year and paid property taxes, selected from the affected subdistrict or the wider district if no local applicants exist. The county must publicly seek applicants within one month and make appointments within three months, with cemetery districts reimbursing costs if a quorum is restored.
This bill (H 492) amends Idaho law to add a voting member to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council: a representative from the Idaho Association of Counties (specifically, from its juvenile justice administrators or adult misdemeanor probation administrators association). The change ensures county-level representation on the council, which oversees peace officer training standards. The bill makes this addition effective July 1, 2026, and includes technical corrections to the council's membership structure. It does not change training requirements or funding, only council composition.
This bill establishes the Idaho Personnel Reduction Act and requires state agencies to report employee travel expenses, aiming to reduce government waste and improve transparency. Under the new law, state departments must identify and eliminate full-time equivalent positions that have remained vacant for more than 180 days, with budget reductions applied to those eliminated roles. Additionally, departments must submit detailed annual reports on travel costs, including destinations, purposes, and expense breakdowns for all state employees. The bill also directs that funds from eliminated positions in 2026 and 2027 be partially transferred to the legislative account for district support staff, while allowing departments to retain vacant positions if they can be fully funded from existing resources.
This bill would change Idaho law to give both parents equal access to their minor children's records, including medical, educational, childcare, law enforcement, and court documents, regardless of which parent has custody. It requires organizations holding these records to provide copies within 14 days of a written request, unless a court order restricts access based on findings that disclosure would harm the child. The law also states that nothing in this bill requires disclosing information that federal law protects from being shared. The changes would take effect on July 1, 2026.
This bill modifies Idaho state law to create exceptions for wildland firefighters regarding differential pay requirements. It directly affects wildland firefighters employed by the state who currently receive additional compensation for working in hazardous conditions. The key provision allows appointing authorities to grant special pay or bonuses to these firefighters without being subject to standard salary comparison rules with other state employees. The legislation also requires reporting on any such awards granted to ensure transparency in how these exceptions are used.
This bill amends existing Idaho law to clarify definitions and procedures for federal government agents conducting searches on private property. It requires federal agents to notify county sheriffs before executing search warrants on private land, except in urgent situations where immediate action is necessary. The legislation also updates legal definitions to specify what constitutes "exigent circumstances," "government agents," and "private land not open to the public" under state law. These changes aim to improve coordination between federal authorities and local law enforcement when searching private property.
This bill would update Idaho's legal definitions of candy and soda to exclude certain healthier items like baked goods, fruit snacks, and sports drinks from those categories. It requires the state health and welfare director to request a federal waiver to prevent SNAP benefits from being used to purchase candy and soda as currently defined. If the federal waiver is approved, the state would prohibit using SNAP benefits for those items; if not, the state must request the waiver again each year. The changes would directly affect how food assistance benefits are managed and which items recipients can buy with their benefits.
This bill creates a new tax incentive program to encourage companies to build new oil and gas pipelines into Idaho, aiming to improve the state's energy supply security. It defines "strategic pipeline infrastructure projects" as new pipelines crossing from another state or nation into Idaho with at least $50 million in investment, excluding replacements of existing lines. Developers qualifying for the program would receive a 35% income tax credit on revenue generated by the pipeline, along with exemptions from property taxes and sales taxes on equipment used in construction. The bill also provides regulatory relief by exempting these projects from additional state permitting requirements and requiring state agencies to expedite federal review processes where applicable. These incentives are set to take effect on January 1, 2027, and apply only to projects that deliver crude oil or refined petroleum products to Idaho customers.
