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 establishes a new state property tax in Idaho targeting non-primary residential properties, such as vacation homes and short-term rentals, to help fund emergency services and law enforcement. The tax applies a 2.5 mill levy on taxable property value but exempts primary homesteads, commercial properties, agricultural land, and long-term residential leases of at least seven months. Revenue collected from the tax is distributed to counties and local jurisdictions, with 50% specifically designated for law enforcement, fire protection, and emergency medical services. The legislation also repeals an existing restriction that prevented a state property tax when a sales tax is in force, allowing this new levy to operate alongside sales taxes.
This Idaho bill updates state laws to clarify definitions and strengthen protections against material harmful to minors. It directly affects individuals who distribute, sell, or provide explicit content to people under 18, as well as schools and public libraries. The legislation establishes specific definitions for terms like "minor," "nudity," and "sexual conduct," while prohibiting the promotion or distribution of sexually explicit materials to adolescents. Schools and libraries are explicitly barred from giving or making available such harmful material to minors. The law classifies violations as misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in jail or a fine of $1,000.
This bill establishes the Idaho Student Safety and Educator Disclosure Act to enhance background checks and reporting requirements for school employees. It requires educational institutions to request disclosure statements from job applicants covering the past ten years, specifically asking about pending investigations, resignations during investigations, and disciplinary actions. The law also mandates that schools cannot replace required law enforcement reports about child abuse or neglect with their own internal reviews. Additionally, the bill provides immunity from civil liability for those who make good faith disclosures and requires that any employment changes during misconduct investigations be reported to the state's professional standards commission.
This bill allocates $100.5 million to Idaho's Judicial Branch for fiscal year 2027, covering personnel costs, operating expenses, capital outlays, and benefit payments across various court divisions including the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and District Courts. The legislation provides flexibility by exempting the Judicial Branch from certain expense transfer limits, allowing funds to move between categories as needed, and requires monthly transfers of uncommitted retirement contributions to the Judges' Retirement Fund. Additionally, the bill reappropriates up to $16.2 million from the American Rescue Plan Act for nonrecurring expenditures and sets an effective date of July 1, 2026.
This bill establishes procedures for carrying out executions in Idaho by specifying that the methods and protocols used will not be subject to certain state laws. It creates a system where the director of the Department of Correction determines the execution method, prioritizing lethal injection if available but allowing for a firing squad as an alternative. The legislation also grants exemptions from medical practice laws, protects participants from civil and criminal liability, and keeps the identities of those involved in executions confidential. These provisions apply to all future executions regardless of when the death sentence was originally imposed.
This bill updates how money collected from Idaho's liquor sales is distributed among state agencies, counties, and cities. It adjusts the percentage of funds allocated to various programs over time, including substance abuse treatment, education, and law enforcement, while also modifying how remaining balances are shared between counties and cities. The legislation establishes specific formulas for distributing funds to local governments based on liquor sales volume and population, with some allocations decreasing gradually until 2023. Additionally, it corrects a reference to an existing code section and sets an emergency provision for the changes to take effect immediately.
This bill provides additional funding to Idaho's Department of Juvenile Corrections for fiscal year 2027, covering personnel costs, operating expenses, and capital outlays from various state funds. It authorizes the department to hire six additional full-time equivalent positions and adjusts specific appropriation amounts, including a reduction of $327,000 for trustee and benefit payments from one fund. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2026, and was signed into law by the Governor.
This bill establishes new procedural protections for individuals listed on Idaho's Child Protection Central Registry, which maintains records of alleged child abuse and neglect. It requires that names be added to the registry only after a criminal charge is filed and mandates a formal hearing with clear and convincing evidence before any listing occurs. The legislation ensures individuals receive written notice of allegations, access to full investigative files including exculpatory evidence, and the right to legal representation, cross-examination, and appeals. Additionally, it mandates oversight committee review of cases before registry inclusion and sets a maximum listing period of ten years for most cases.
This bill updates how money collected from Idaho's liquor sales is distributed to various state funds and local governments. It adjusts the percentages of funds allocated to counties, cities, and specific programs like law enforcement, substance abuse treatment, and education over a multi-year period starting in fiscal year 2018. The changes gradually shift more funding toward local governments while maintaining set amounts for state agencies and court-related services. The bill also corrects a code reference error and establishes minimum funding levels to protect historical distribution amounts from 1981.
