This bill allocates $127,700 in state funds to the Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired for fiscal year 2027, split between operating expenses and beneficiary payments. The money comes from two specific funds: $99,300 from the Rehabilitation Revenue and Refunds Fund and $65,000 from the Adaptive Aids and Appliances Fund. The legislation requires the commission to prioritize using these funds for sight restoration services that help preserve, stabilize, or restore vision for eligible individuals. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026, and was signed into law by the Governor.
This bill allocates $2,599,400 in state funds to Idaho's Public Employee Retirement System for fiscal year 2027, covering the period from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The money is divided between $2,227,300 for operating expenses and $372,100 for capital outlays, drawn from the PERSI Administrative Fund and PERSI Special Fund. The legislation declares an emergency to make the funding effective immediately upon passage, ensuring the retirement system has the necessary resources for its designated programs and expense classes during the upcoming fiscal year.
This bill allocates an additional $2,100 from the state's General Fund to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program. The money is designated for operating expenses covering the fiscal year from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The legislation includes a declaration of emergency to ensure the funding takes effect immediately on July 1, 2026. This appropriation supports the program's ongoing operations without changing existing laws or eligibility requirements.
This bill appropriates $3,700 from the Endowment Earnings Administrative Fund to the Endowment Fund Investment Board for fiscal year 2027. The funds are designated for capital outlay expenses between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. The legislation declares an emergency to allow immediate implementation of the appropriation starting July 1, 2026.
Idaho bill H 614 amends laws governing the involuntary detention or admission of individuals with developmental disabilities or mental illness. It revises key definitions, including clarifying "gravely disabled" as inability to meet basic needs like safety or medical care, and creates a rebuttable presumption that a person unable to meet essential health/safety requirements may be involuntarily admitted. The bill also updates procedures for court commitments and expands definitions for terms like "mentally ill" and "outpatient treatment." These changes directly affect individuals with developmental disabilities or mental illness who may face involuntary detention, as well as healthcare facilities and legal processes handling such cases.
This bill (H 649) sets maximum interest rates for private written loan agreements in Idaho. It allows parties to agree on any rate not exceeding the higher of 30% or 10 percentage points above the Federal Reserve's published prime rate. The law applies to standard loans between individuals or businesses (not regulated lenders like banks), ensuring agreements made without usury remain valid unless substantially changed. It takes effect July 1, 2026.
This bill repeals Idaho Code section 67-5414, which previously required medical authorities to submit reports establishing blindness. It removes an outdated administrative requirement related to documenting visual impairment for the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The repeal is part of a broader legislative effort to streamline Idaho law by eliminating obsolete provisions. The change takes effect on July 1, 2026, with no direct impact on current services or eligibility for blind and visually impaired individuals.
Idaho's H 630 amends state law to allow permits for shooting coyotes, wolves, and red foxes from aircraft to protect livestock, crops, or land. Landowners must provide written permission for operations on their property, and permit holders must submit quarterly reports to the agriculture department. The bill specifies that red fox control is permitted year-round in designated hunting areas or where predation is causing problems outside those areas. It also eliminates existing administrative rules about this practice, effective July 2026.
Idaho's H 760 revises property tax exemptions for low-income housing owned by nonprofit organizations. It requires qualifying nonprofits to meet specific criteria, including federal 501(c)(3) status and ensuring no private benefit from tax exemptions. The bill mandates that 55% of units must rent to residents earning ≤60% of local median income, 20% to those earning ≤50%, and 25% to those earning ≤30%, with annual compliance reports to counties. It also adds protections preventing evictions for three months after certified medical emergencies and prohibits the exemption for properties with financing closed by July 1, 2026, unless undergoing rehabilitation.
H 763 prohibits Idaho's public pension funds, university endowments, and other state-managed investments from making new investments in countries designated as "foreign adversaries" (including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea) starting July 1, 2026. The bill defines "governmental entities" to cover state agencies, public universities, and local governments, and bans new investments in foreign adversaries, their state-owned enterprises, or companies domiciled in those countries. Existing investments prior to July 1, 2026, are exempt, and the law does not override required fiduciary investment standards. This applies specifically to funds managed by Idaho's public institutions, not private investments.
This Idaho bill (H 762) revises public charter school admission rules and staff certification requirements. It prohibits charter schools from using a student's home address for admissions and prevents school districts from mandating student attendance or staff assignments at charters. The bill creates new certification paths for charter school administrators (requiring degrees, experience, and background checks) and teachers (with flexible education or career-technical qualifications). These changes directly affect Idaho's public charter schools, their leadership, and teaching staff by standardizing qualifications and contractual relationships with educational service providers.
H 727 updates Idaho's laws on video voyeurism and the disclosure of realistic computer-generated media (like deepfakes). It revises definitions to better protect privacy, clarifying what constitutes "intimate areas" and places where people reasonably expect privacy, such as changing rooms or bedrooms. The bill creates a new offense for knowingly sharing synthetic media depicting an identifiable person in sexual acts or intimate areas without consent - this is a misdemeanor, but becomes a felony (up to 10 years in prison or $25,000 fine) if the victim is under 18 or the person has a prior conviction. This directly affects individuals who create or share such media without consent and law enforcement handling related cases.
