This bill establishes new protections for children in Idaho by requiring youth service organizations to conduct background checks on all adult workers and volunteers who have regular contact with minors. The law defines youth service organizations as groups where adults supervise children and mandates that workers complete training on identifying and reporting sexual abuse at least every two years. Organizations that fail to properly screen out registered sex offenders or neglect their child abuse prevention policies could face legal liability in lawsuits involving child abuse cases. The bill also allows insurance companies to require proof of compliance with these safety standards before providing coverage, while clarifying that existing legal rights remain unchanged.
This bill requires insurance companies in Idaho to notify both policy owners and designated family members when a life insurance policy is about to lapse due to nonpayment. It mandates that insurers send written notice at least 60 days before a policy terminates, with an option for certified mail delivery for policies over $100,000 upon request. The law also establishes annual reminders for policyholders to update their designated contacts and allows for changes to be made more frequently than once per year. These protections apply to individual life insurance policies issued on or after January 1, 2027, but exclude policies with monthly or more frequent premium payments.
This bill updates Idaho's laws to regulate the sale of nicotine products, including electronic smoking devices and alternative nicotine products like vapes. It requires businesses to obtain permits to sell these items, restricts sales to minors, and mandates vendor-assisted sales where a person assists the customer during the transaction. The legislation also introduces a tax on these products and establishes specific rules for manufacturers, including bond requirements for foreign entities. Additionally, the bill clarifies definitions and penalties for violations, while allowing local governments to enact their own ordinances on the matter.
This bill appropriates state funding to Idaho's Department of Health and Welfare and the State Independent Living Council for fiscal year 2027, covering programs like Medicaid, child welfare, mental health services, and substance abuse treatment. It establishes specific budget allocations for various divisions including youth safety, early learning, family partnerships, and benefit payments, while also setting limits on the number of authorized full-time positions. The legislation includes requirements for program integrity, monthly Medicaid tracking reports, and specific fund transfers to support initiatives such as rural physician incentives and smoking cessation programs.
This bill (S 1265) is a procedural cleanup of Idaho’s Petroleum Clean Water Trust Fund law. It removes outdated or unnecessary provisions from several sections of Idaho Code, including outdated rules about the fund’s board of trustees (Section 41-4904), distribution of fees (Section 41-4910), and obsolete application processes (repealing Section 41-4910A and amending Sections 41-4925 and 41-4930). The changes streamline administrative language but do not alter the fund’s core purpose or funding mechanisms. This is a technical revision to modernize the law, not a policy change affecting citizens or new financial obligations.
SCR 121 is a resolution requesting Idaho's Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop draft legislation modernizing the state's public school funding formula. It directs the Superintendent to create new funding legislation based on specific principles, including addressing student needs (like special education), supporting rural and virtual schools, ensuring funding stability, and aligning with Idaho's constitutional duty to fund public schools. The resolution requires the draft to include financial breakdowns for all school districts and charter schools, with a report due before the next legislative session. This bill does not change current funding but formally asks for a revised formula to replace the 1994 system.
This bill (S 1248) repeals Idaho Code §19-5908, which contained outdated language about the Capital Crimes Defense Fund. It is a procedural cleanup measure, not a policy change, aimed at removing obsolete legal references from the Idaho Code. The repeal is part of the Legislature's effort to streamline state laws, as stated in Section 1. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026.
This bill (S 1249) removes outdated references to "mountain standard time" from Idaho's juvenile detention reimbursement law (Section 20-524A, Idaho Code). It directly affects counties that house juveniles in detention centers by updating the administrative rule for calculating reimbursement periods. The key change is eliminating the obsolete time zone specification, ensuring the law aligns with current time practices without altering how counties are reimbursed for detention costs beyond five days. This is a technical cleanup with no substantive policy change.
H 512 requires Idaho's Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors to create and administer a new "open book jurisprudence exam" specifically for surveyor licensing. This bill directly affects individuals seeking surveyor licenses in Idaho, changing the exam format from previous requirements to allow reference materials during the test. The key provision amends existing law (Section 54-1208) to mandate this exam type, which focuses on professional knowledge rather than memorization. The bill does not alter other licensing requirements or the board's broader regulatory authority. The exam will apply to all surveyor applicants starting July 1, 2026.
This Idaho bill (H 551) revises how counties assess property taxes for new construction. It requires counties to include only 90% of the taxable market value increase from new buildings, additions, or manufactured housing in property tax rolls - down from 100% under prior law. Exceptions apply to certain urban renewal areas (80% valuation) and specific cases like electricity generation improvements or previously exempt state university facilities. The change directly affects property owners who build new structures or make significant additions, as it reduces the tax burden on new construction value. The bill also clarifies reporting deadlines for county assessors and the state tax commission.
Idaho's H 518 amends state law to expand the Attorney General's role in combating human trafficking. The bill requires the Attorney General to annually report on state anti-trafficking efforts and recommend actions to eradicate trafficking, develop training materials for law enforcement and victim advocates on identifying and prosecuting trafficking cases, and assist local prosecutors upon request. It also grants the Attorney General authority to investigate and prosecute trafficking cases when requested by law enforcement agencies. These changes directly affect state agencies, prosecutors, law enforcement, and victim advocates by standardizing statewide anti-trafficking efforts. The bill passed unanimously in the Idaho House and takes immediate effect.
This bill repeals eight outdated Idaho Code sections (33-2612 through 33-2619) that governed regional library systems' purpose, boundaries, definitions, board structures, and finances. It removes obsolete provisions related to regional library operations, as part of the Legislature's code cleanup effort to streamline state laws. The repeal has no new policy impact - it only eliminates outdated legal language that no longer applies. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2026, after being introduced in January 2026.
