This bill appropriates and adjusts funding for Idaho's Division of Welfare for fiscal year 2027, covering the period from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. It allocates $6.9 million total from two Cooperative Welfare funds, with $3 million designated for personnel costs and $3.8 million for operating expenses, while also setting aside $98,300 for benefit payments. The legislation simultaneously reduces the overall appropriation by $3.1 million from the Federal Fund, specifically cutting $3 million for personnel and $98,300 for benefit payments. The bill includes a declaration of emergency and takes effect immediately upon signing.
H 674 revises Idaho's rules for when telephone companies can stop providing service in a community. It requires companies to either provide equivalent service from another provider or follow federal FCC procedures before discontinuing service. The bill also adds a new section requiring Idaho's utility commission to accept the FCC's findings on service discontinuation under federal law. This directly affects telephone corporations operating in Idaho and their customers in areas where service might be withdrawn, with the law taking effect on July 1, 2026.
H 721 updates Idaho's building code rules for public school construction plans. It allows school districts to choose between local governments or the state division of occupational and professional licenses for plan reviews, but sets strict certification requirements for reviewers (e.g., International Code Council certification for structural reviews). The bill mandates a 30-day initial review timeline and limits fees for school plan reviews to those set by the state division. It directly affects public school districts, contractors, and local governments handling school construction projects.
This Idaho bill (S 1330) increases the monetary limit for small claims cases in magistrate courts from $5,000 to $15,000 for both money claims and personal property claims. It directly affects individuals and small businesses filing or defending such cases in Idaho's magistrate divisions. The bill clarifies that these courts cannot award punitive damages or compensation for pain/suffering in small claims proceedings. The amendment to Idaho Code § 1-2301 takes effect July 1, 2026.
This bill clarifies that Idaho chiropractors with clinical nutrition certification may prescribe specific non-controlled medications, including certain vitamins (A, B complex, C), minerals (calcium, magnesium, zinc), fluids (saline, dextrose), epinephrine, and oxygen for emergencies. It specifies these drugs must be obtained from licensed sources and administered via approved routes, while prohibiting chiropractors from compounding vitamins/minerals themselves. The law directly affects certified chiropractors in Idaho, allowing them to prescribe these items during practice without altering existing non-prescription supplement use. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, after passing unanimously in the Idaho Senate.
Idaho's S 1336 requires all public high school students to demonstrate core virtues (like patriotism and justice) and master key principles of American self-government, including natural rights, the rule of law, and the separation of powers, before graduation. It mandates two credits each in American history and government for grades 9-12, with a full-year Western civilization course required for 8th graders by 2030. The bill specifies curricula must cover foundational documents (Declaration of Independence, Constitution), the American founding era, and the influence of Western traditions, while including instruction on how totalitarian ideologies like communism conflict with U.S. principles. These changes directly affect Idaho public school students and educators developing course materials. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.
S 1313 creates a voluntary licensure pathway for pharmacists in Idaho to become naturopathic doctors by requiring them to complete a 160-credit-hour naturopathic program and pass a competency exam, while maintaining their existing pharmacy license. The bill amends Idaho Code to include pharmacists in the definition of "licensed naturopathic doctor" and updates committee structures to reflect this new option, including adding a pharmacist to the formulary committee. The law will take effect on July 1, 2026.
Idaho's H 772 clarifies when hemp producers avoid "negligent violation" penalties under state law. It specifies that producers won't face penalties if they grow hemp solely for grain or fiber, make reasonable efforts to keep THC below 1% (dry weight), and comply with Idaho's hemp plan and THC rules. This directly affects hemp growers who meet these conditions, providing them protection from penalties for unintentional THC exceedances. The bill amends Idaho Code Section 22-1705 to define these specific exemptions.
Idaho's H 776 requires immediate safety checks for infants under one year old when parents or caregivers have specific risk factors, such as a history of child abuse, a conviction for child injury, terminated parental rights, or a newborn with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Within 12 hours of receiving a report, child protection agencies must verify these risk factors using internal records and public databases, then conduct a full safety assessment. The assessment reviews the caregiver’s compliance with court orders, the child’s living situation, and prior investigations into abuse or neglect in the household. The law explicitly states it does not presume abuse based solely on medical conditions and allows for urgent action if verification takes too long.
H 765 amends Idaho law to simplify how fire protection districts can transfer territory between districts and exempts certain fire and library districts from specific budget limitations. It revises annexation rules (Section 31-1411) to allow territory moves via owner petitions (with service improvement proof) or mutual board consent, and updates budget rules (Section 63-802) to remove spending caps for eligible districts. These changes directly affect fire and library districts, their taxpayers, and property owners in areas seeking to join or leave districts. The bill makes procedural updates to property tax assessments (Section 63-301A) but focuses on enabling district flexibility in territory management and budgeting.
HCR 29 is a symbolic resolution passed by the Idaho Legislature recognizing the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist organizations designated by U.S. authorities. It directs Idaho lawmakers to consider this status when drafting future legislation, including matters related to land purchases within the state. The resolution cites U.S. government designations of these groups and references their alleged connections to terrorism, but does not create new legal restrictions or penalties. As a concurrent resolution, it has no binding legal effect and serves only to express the Legislature's position.
Idaho bill H 508 amends highway laws to clarify when bicycle and pedestrian facilities can be included in road projects. The bill specifies that such improvements may only be added as a secondary benefit to projects primarily designed for motor vehicles, or when funded by federal grants, or to enhance safety near schools/parks. It also requires highway projects to maintain minimum 50-foot right-of-way widths and prohibits reducing non-residential road widths except for federal requirements. These changes affect state transportation planning and project design under Idaho Code sections 40-605 and 40-117.
