Idaho Bills

This bill establishes a state fund to pay Idaho livestock owners for losses caused by grizzly bears and wolves. It allocates $225,000 annually ($150,000 for confirmed claims, $75,000 for prevention efforts) starting July 1, 2024, with claims due by December 31 each year. Payments follow a priority order: confirmed claims are paid first, then probable, then possible claims, all on a pro-rata basis if funds are insufficient. The fund can hold up to $400,000, with unused money rolling over annually.

H 204 adds two new specialty license plate designs for Idaho drivers: a black plate and a white plate featuring the "World Famous Idaho Potatoes" branding. Drivers who choose these plates will pay a $70 initial fee and a $50 annual fee, with revenue funding administration costs. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and affects only those Idaho vehicle owners who specifically request these commemorative plates.

Idaho's H 41 prohibits public schools from displaying flags or banners representing political, religious, or ideological views (such as party symbols, race, gender, or sexual orientation) on school property like classrooms, hallways, or sports fields. Exceptions include U.S., state, military, tribal, and foreign national flags (if not hostile), approved achievement banners, school mascot displays, personal items like pins, and electronic displays. The Idaho State Department of Education will enforce this rule, requiring removal of unauthorized displays. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies to all public K-12 schools in Idaho.

This bill clarifies that cities, counties, and school districts are defined as "public employers" under Idaho's worker's compensation law, requiring them to secure coverage through the state insurance fund (rather than private insurers). It explicitly excludes single-purpose districts (e.g., for municipal services) from this definition and adds a sunset provision requiring legislative review of the definition before July 1, 2030. The bill also makes technical corrections to existing code sections to improve clarity and remove outdated language.

This bill appropriates $954,500 from the General Fund for health education programs at Idaho's State Board of Education and University of Idaho Board of Regents for fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). It funds specific programs including medical residencies, dental education, and University of Utah medical training, while authorizing two additional full-time staff positions. The bill requires prioritizing obstetrics/gynecology fellowships in family medicine training and mandates a written report to the legislature on progress by October 1, 2025. It directly affects state education and health programs, not individual citizens.

This Idaho bill (H 276) revises beer licensing rules to allow small brewers producing under 30,000 barrels annually to sell directly to consumers at their brewery or one remote retail location without needing a separate wholesaler license. It updates definitions for "contractee brewer" and "contractor brewer" to clarify their relationship when producing below the 30,000-barrel threshold. The law also makes technical corrections to recordkeeping requirements for wholesalers and warehouses. These changes primarily affect small craft breweries seeking direct-to-consumer sales options within Idaho. The bill became law on March 19, 2025.

Idaho's S 1118 revises procurement thresholds for local governments (cities, counties, school districts) to reduce bureaucratic requirements for smaller purchases. It raises the dollar limits where competitive bidding is not required: public works construction under $100,000 (up from $50,000) and services/personal property under $100,000 (up from $75,000). For larger projects, it increases the threshold requiring full competitive bidding from $200,000 to $250,000 for construction. These changes streamline procurement processes for political subdivisions by allowing more purchases to bypass formal bidding procedures. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.

H 227 amends Idaho Code to require the Secretary of State to establish standardized forms for financing statements used in secured business transactions, aligning them with the Uniform Commercial Code. This change directly affects businesses and lenders who file these documents, replacing outdated form requirements with a single, state-prescribed format. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025, streamlining the filing process for secured transactions across Idaho.

This bill increases annual license fees for Idaho attorneys. It raises fees for active attorneys (e.g., from $155 to $175 for those admitted before July 1, 2025) and all other categories (inactive, emeritus, senior members) starting in 2026. The changes affect all practicing attorneys in Idaho who must pay annual state bar fees, including those admitted recently and those aged 72+. Fees for attorneys over 72 remain low but increase slightly (e.g., from $60 to $70 annually). The bill updates the existing fee schedule without altering legal practice requirements or creating new programs.

H 299 (Idaho Broadband Advisory Board) revises the composition of Idaho's broadband advisory board and requires that grant scoring for broadband funding be conducted by an independent third party at the board's discretion. The bill changes how board members are appointed (including three legislative members each from the House and Senate, plus industry experts and public members) and mandates that any grant award process use an independent evaluator for scoring. This affects the board, state agencies involved in broadband planning, and communities applying for broadband grants funded through the Idaho Broadband Fund. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor.

This Idaho bill (H 278) revises multiple election deadlines and procedures across various local elections. It affects candidates, county clerks, and election officials by changing filing deadlines for declarations of candidacy (e.g., for magistrates, highway district commissioners, and library trustees), canvassing timelines, and vacancy procedures for political party slates. Key provisions include adjusting registration deadlines, technical corrections to election codes, and repealing one outdated section. The changes apply to county, municipal, recreation, library, and highway district elections, with an effective date of July 1, 2025.

Idaho's S 1091 transfers responsibility for distributing state funds to reimburse school districts for internet and certain service costs from the State Department of Education to the State Board of Education. The bill modifies Idaho Code §33-5605 to require the State Board of Education to manage these reimbursements using a methodology established by the Education Opportunity Resource Committee. School districts directly affected will now receive funding through this new process for eligible internet and service expenses. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor on March 19, 2025.