This Idaho bill restricts how data centers can use water for cooling purposes, specifically targeting facilities that begin construction on or after July 1, 2026. Under the new rules, data centers may only use water for cooling if it comes from a municipal water system, water district, or water and sewer district. The legislation aims to protect local water supplies and watersheds by preventing data centers from using water that would otherwise be available for other community needs. The law requires the state Department of Water Resources to consider these water conservation goals when reviewing water rights applications for data centers.
Idaho's H 630 amends state law to allow permits for shooting coyotes, wolves, and red foxes from aircraft to protect livestock, crops, or land. Landowners must provide written permission for operations on their property, and permit holders must submit quarterly reports to the agriculture department. The bill specifies that red fox control is permitted year-round in designated hunting areas or where predation is causing problems outside those areas. It also eliminates existing administrative rules about this practice, effective July 2026.
This Idaho bill (S 1269) revises state laws governing cloud seeding programs to clarify regulations and requirements. It defines cloud seeding (excluding fog/frost prevention), requires the Water Resource Board to authorize programs and mandate annual public reports on operations, environmental impacts, and effectiveness, and specifies that state funds may only support projects in basins with insufficient water supplies. The law also protects operators from liability claims related to cloud seeding activities and requires monthly operational reports from program operators. These changes directly affect the Water Resource Board, cloud seeding operators, and communities relying on water resources in Idaho basins.
H 676 amends Idaho water law to explicitly allow municipalities to secure rights for geothermal water used in heating and cooling systems. It requires municipal applicants to provide detailed documentation on where and how low-temperature geothermal water will be injected back into the ground after use. This update revises application rules and definitions to accommodate geothermal projects while ensuring environmental compliance. The bill passed the Idaho House of Representatives in February 2026 with strong bipartisan support.
This bill allocates state funding to Idaho's Natural Resources agencies for fiscal year 2027, covering operations, personnel, and capital projects across departments like Environmental Quality, Fish and Game, and Parks and Recreation. It establishes specific spending limits on certain positions, requires agencies to report on remediation projects, and directs money from the Water Pollution Control Fund to environmental remediation and agricultural best management practice funds. The legislation also provides flexibility to reappropriate certain recovery funds, exempts some appropriations from transfer restrictions, and sets up new funds for aquifer planning and flood management while requiring accountability reports on fund usage.
H 587 amends Idaho law to allow the rangeland improvement account to be used automatically each year without needing separate annual budget approvals. This affects the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (which manages the account) and ranchers who benefit from rangeland improvements funded through the account. The bill requires the department to provide annual reports to specific legislative committees detailing all funding sources and uses for the account. The change takes effect July 1, 2026, streamlining funding for ongoing rangeland conservation projects.
S 1328 amends multiple Idaho Code sections to update forest fire protection and land management rules. It clarifies that individuals responsible for uncontrolled fires must immediately act to control them, and the state can recover fire suppression costs through civil action. The bill limits property damage claims to specific categories - fire control costs, verifiable economic losses, and either restoration costs or property value loss - with a 10-year statute of limitations. It also specifies that timber owners must cover fire protection costs on their land, and the Department of Lands can place liens on timber to recover unpaid expenses.
H 555 updates Idaho's Solid Waste Facilities Act by revising regulations for solid waste facilities, primarily affecting the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), counties, health districts, and waste facility operators. It repeals outdated site certification rules (sections 39-7408A-D) and replaces them with new processes for application reviews, public input, and administrative approvals. The bill adds new sections to establish a Solid Waste Regulatory Fund, set application fees, and create standards for co-located facilities and site operations. These changes streamline permitting, clarify agency responsibilities, and modernize compliance requirements without altering the act's core environmental protection goals.
