This bill updates Idaho's Transportation Support Program to clarify which costs school districts and transportation providers can claim for reimbursement when moving students to and from school. It defines allowable expenses such as vehicle maintenance, driver salaries, and contracted transportation services, while excluding costs for optional vehicle features not essential for safety or disability transport. The state will typically cover 50% of reimbursable costs, with higher reimbursement rates for training, fees, and bus maintenance, and includes a cap based on statewide average costs per mile or per student rider. The law also extends reimbursement eligibility to home-based public virtual schools for internet, equipment, and face-to-face visit costs, and establishes specific criteria for hardship bus runs that may qualify for higher reimbursement limits.
This bill provides additional funding and staffing to Idaho's Office of the State Public Defender for fiscal year 2027. It allocates $505,100 total from state funds, including $250,900 for personnel costs and $250,500 for operating expenses, while also authorizing six additional full-time equivalent positions. The legislation includes an emergency declaration to take effect on July 1, 2026, ensuring the office has necessary resources to support public defense services during the fiscal year.
This bill appropriates $2,011,700 to Idaho's Department of Environmental Quality for fiscal year 2027 to fund water quality, waste management, and remediation programs. It also authorizes four additional full-time equivalent positions within the department and consolidates several fee accounts by transferring money between them to streamline financial management. The legislation reduces a specific federal fund allocation for water quality personnel costs while moving money from the hazardous waste emergency fund to the solid waste regulatory fund. Once signed into law, these changes will take effect on July 1, 2026.
This bill allocates state funding to four Idaho higher education institutions - Boise State University, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College, and the University of Idaho - for fiscal year 2027. It provides new money from various funds for personnel and operating costs while simultaneously reducing operating expenditure amounts from the General Fund by a total of $752,900. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2026, and applies to the State Board of Education and the Board of Regents of the University of Idaho.
This bill updates the Idaho Honey Commission by clarifying definitions, revising appointment procedures, and removing outdated administrative rules. It establishes that the commission will consist of the state agriculture director plus three commercial beekeeper members appointed by the governor based on nominations from the Idaho honey industry association. The legislation also sets a five-cent annual tax on each bee colony or hive, exempts hobbyist beekeepers, and provides for penalties for violations. Additionally, it aligns honey grading standards with federal requirements and clarifies the director's authority over official honey samples.
H 722 revises Idaho's tax rules for rate-regulated electric and gas utility companies. It updates how property taxes are calculated and distributed to counties, requiring the state tax commission to verify utility investments every five years and establish a dedicated "rate-regulated tax fund." The bill changes the method for apportioning tax revenue based on 2025 property tax data and adjusts distributions when local taxing districts dissolve. These changes directly affect electric/gas utilities and local governments that receive tax revenue from these companies.
H 793 revises Idaho's beer excise tax revenue distribution, affecting state funds and the beer industry. It increases the portion of low-alcohol beer tax revenue (≤5% ABV) going to the substance abuse treatment fund from 12% to 20%, while allocating 33% to the Idaho law enforcement fund (with 60% dedicated to the Project Choice program) and the remainder to the general fund. For high-alcohol beer (>5% ABV), it temporarily adjusts funding to hop growers and wine producers (1.5%/3.5% in 2022-2023, rising to 5%/1.5% permanently from 2024), with the rest going to the general fund. The bill removes obsolete language and takes effect July 1, 2026.
Idaho's H 792 revises sales tax exemption rules for occasional sales and small sellers. It clarifies that home yard sales are exempt only if an individual sells under $5,000 total annually (up from no limit), and defines "small sellers" as Idaho residents with under $5,000 in annual sales who don’t collect state sales tax. The bill excludes sales of vehicles, alcohol, tobacco, boats, aircraft, and snowmobiles from these exemptions. It also updates technical references in tax code sections 63-3622K and 63-3622XX (formerly 63-3622YY) to align with current law. The bill affects individual sellers and small-scale vendors, not businesses.
This Idaho bill establishes the Financial Accountability Stablecoin Transaction (FAST) Act to authorize the state government to use privately issued payment stablecoins for paying vendors and contractors. The legislation defines eligible stablecoins as those backed one-to-one by U.S. dollars or Treasury obligations, meeting specific criteria including at least $2 billion in annual transaction volume and being issued by U.S.-based entities with U.S. citizen founders and shareholders. The state treasurer will maintain an annual list of approved stablecoins and submit reports to the legislature on transaction volumes, cost savings, and fiscal benefits, while vendors may voluntarily choose to receive payments in these digital currencies.
This bill allocates $4,998,400 to Idaho's Office of the State Board of Education for fiscal year 2027, funding administrative operations through a combination of general fund and federal grant money. It simultaneously reduces the office's general fund appropriation by $510,500 and cuts four full-time equivalent positions from the office's authorized staffing level. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2026, and was signed into law by the Governor.
