Idaho's S 1318 requires Idaho-incorporated organizations providing refugee resettlement services to submit annual audits to the legislature. The audits must detail specific data, including the number of refugees served, their nationalities and genders, language abilities, housing locations, and health statistics like communicable disease rates. The bill also prohibits these entities from aiding illegal aliens and mandates that any assistance provided to illegal aliens be reported for federal database matching. The law takes effect on July 1, 2026, aiming to increase transparency in refugee resettlement programs within Idaho.
This Idaho bill (S 1324) amends judicial election rules to prevent appointed judges from running for the same seat they filled in the next election. It updates eligibility requirements for Court of Appeals judges, Supreme Court justices, and district judges, including adding residency rules for district judges. The bill specifies that judges appointed to fill vacancies cannot seek election to that same position at the following election cycle. These changes apply to all three judicial levels covered under the amended Idaho Code sections (1-2404, 34-615, and 34-616).
HJR 10 proposes a constitutional amendment to Idaho's Article IX, Section 8, changing how state-owned lands must be managed. It would require the state board of land commissioners to prioritize revenue-generating activities (like timber sales, mining, and grazing) over public access for recreation, hunting, fishing, and trapping, as long as access doesn't interfere with revenue operations. The amendment also sets specific limits: no land sales below appraised value, maximum annual sales of 100 sections (640 acres each), and no single buyer can purchase more than 320 acres at a time. This is a procedural proposal requiring voter approval at the next general election.
This Idaho bill (H 726) revises election procedures for soil conservation district supervisors. It requires county clerks to conduct elections for these supervisors on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November during even-numbered years, replaces outdated rules about supervisor appointments, and specifies that supervisors must be landowners or farmers registered to vote in Idaho. The bill also establishes that districts can have 5 or 7 supervisors (with specific rules for changing numbers), mandates that only qualified district electors vote in these elections, and details vacancy procedures. These changes directly affect soil conservation districts and their local election processes across Idaho.
H 501 requires all signature gatherers for Idaho ballot initiatives or referendums to be qualified electors (residents aged 18+). For paid signature gatherers specifically, it mandates two key disclosures: verbally informing potential signers who is paying them *before* collecting a signature, and wearing a visible badge stating "paid petition circulator" along with the payor's name. The bill also updates affidavit requirements for paid vs. unpaid gatherers and voids petitions if these disclosure rules are violated. This directly affects anyone gathering signatures for ballot measures in Idaho, aiming to increase transparency about who funds signature collection efforts.
This bill amends Idaho Code section 54-3312 to increase maximum fees for dental licenses. It raises the application fee cap from $300 to $1,000, the initial license fee from $600 to $1,000, and the biennial renewal fee from $2,000 to $2,500. These changes directly affect dental professionals applying for or renewing their licenses in Idaho. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026, as an emergency measure.
Idaho's H 719 prohibits out-of-state individuals and entities from making campaign contributions or independent expenditures (like campaign ads) in Idaho elections. It specifically targets people who aren't Idaho residents (requiring 30 days of residency) or organizations based in other states without an Idaho office. Violations exceeding $1,000 in a year or repeated offenses within 10 years are punishable as felonies. The bill aims to restrict outside influence in Idaho elections by clarifying and expanding existing campaign finance rules.
This bill (H 498) allows Idaho's legislature to hire its own legal counsel, separate from the state Attorney General, to pursue lawsuits against the federal government. Specifically, it authorizes the Senate president pro tempore and House speaker to jointly employ private lawyers when they determine the state's interests require it. The law applies directly to the Idaho legislature and clarifies its authority to independently fund legal action against federal policies or actions. It does not change existing state law on federal lawsuits but provides a new funding mechanism for legislative-led litigation. The bill is effective 30 days after passage.
Idaho's legislature passed HJM 10, a joint memorial urging federal agencies to prohibit six artificial sweeteners - specifically aspartame, acesulfame potassium, advantame, neotame, saccharin, and sucralose - from school meal programs under federal law. The bill cites insufficient long-term research on children's health impacts and Idaho's economic ties to sugar beets (a $1 billion industry) as reasons to support natural sugar alternatives. It does not create new law but formally requests the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to ban these sweeteners in school nutrition programs. The resolution directly affects federal policy on school meals, not state regulations.
S 1222 revises Idaho's domestic water well laws to clarify what qualifies as "domestic use" and update related requirements. It defines domestic use as water for homes (up to 13,000 gallons daily for activities like drinking and cooking, including limited irrigation of half an acre) but excludes multi-unit housing, mobile parks, and commercial properties unless volume limits are met. The bill requires permits for new domestic water use in subdivisions after July 2025 in areas with groundwater restrictions, and mandates that subdivision water systems integrate with municipal systems or use available surface water for irrigation. These changes primarily affect homeowners, subdivision developers, and local water management entities in Idaho.
This is a Joint Memorial (not a bill), passed by the Idaho Legislature, calling on the federal government to protect livestock operators who report wildlife depredation (attacks by wolves or bears on livestock). It asks the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Interior to stop using depredation reports as a reason to modify or revoke federal grazing permits. The memorial states that Idaho ranchers fear reporting attacks due to potential federal retaliation, even though the state provides compensation for livestock losses. It directly affects Idaho livestock operators with federal grazing permits on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management. The request seeks a federal policy change to allow ranchers to report depredation without risking their grazing rights.
Idaho's H 675 revises the legal definition of "broadband" to require a minimum download speed of 100 Mbps and upload speed of 20 Mbps. This change directly affects broadband providers (including internet companies, electric cooperatives, and government entities) and infrastructure projects needing to meet this standard. The bill updates existing law to align with current technical requirements for high-speed internet access, replacing outdated definitions. It also clarifies related terms like "broadband infrastructure" and "broadband provider" to ensure consistent application in state regulations. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
