Idaho Bills

This bill updates election procedures for single countywide highway districts in Idaho, primarily affecting voters and candidates in counties with over 200,000 residents who have chosen to establish such districts. The law requires these larger districts to be divided into five subdistricts of roughly equal population, where commissioners must reside in and represent their specific subdistrict, while also prohibiting certain elected officials like mayors and city council members from running for these positions. The bill establishes new rules for write-in candidates, requiring them to gather a minimum of five votes and file a declaration of intent with the county clerk before their names can appear on ballots. Additionally, it mandates that primary elections for highway district commissioners begin in 2028 and sets salary limits for commissioners, with the district president receiving up to $1,400 per month.

This bill removes an outdated section of Idaho law that governed membership on the Pacific Fisheries Legislative Task Force. It is part of a broader legislative cleanup effort aimed at updating state statutes to ensure they remain current and relevant. The repeal directly affects the legal framework for how members are appointed or selected for this specific advisory group. The law takes effect on July 1, 2026, and was signed into law by the Governor in April 2026.

This bill amends Idaho election laws to update procedures for electing soil and water conservation district supervisors. It changes election dates, modifies how ballots are mailed, and adjusts the process for counting election results. The changes directly affect voters and officials in soil and water conservation districts across the state. The bill also clarifies rules for when candidates are automatically elected if the number of nominees matches the number of positions to be filled.

This bill amends an existing property law to clarify what government activities are not restricted by the original legislation. It directly affects government agents, landowners, and water management officials by specifying exceptions where officials can access private property. The key provisions list nine specific situations where government entry or observation remains allowed, including investigations from public areas, serving legal documents, water rights administration, and weed control. The bill also explicitly states that the law does not change protections for homes and their surrounding areas.

This bill amends Idaho's water skiing laws to allow boat operators to tow water skiers without a second person in the boat acting as an observer, provided the boat is equipped with a large rearview mirror at least four inches in size that gives the operator a clear view of the skier. The exemption applies when skiing within a legal slalom course or during specific early morning hours between May and September, while maintaining existing safety rules about towing times and operating speeds. The legislation also clarifies requirements for displaying warning flags when a skier is in the water and includes technical corrections to the current code. These changes directly affect recreational water skiing participants and boat operators in Idaho by modifying observer requirements under specific conditions.

This bill establishes a State Historic Preservation Officer in Idaho and creates a state historic preservation program to protect and manage historic sites. The officer would be appointed by the governor and placed within the Office of Species, Minerals, and Energy Coordination, with authority to hire staff and appoint a review board to oversee preservation efforts. The legislation also updates related definitions in state law and repeals an obsolete section regarding the historic preservation officer position. These changes take effect on July 1, 2026, and aim to align Idaho's historic preservation efforts with national standards.

This bill allocates $390,000 from the General Fund to Idaho's Department of Water Resources for fiscal year 2027 to support personnel, planning, and two specific stream adjudication projects in Northern Idaho and the Bear River Basin. It also transfers $716,000 from the Revolving Development Fund to the Aquifer Planning and Management Fund to finance aquifer monitoring, measurement, and modeling activities. The legislation reappropriates unspent American Rescue Plan funds for nonrecurring water infrastructure projects and allows general stream adjudication funding to count toward filing fees for certain water right claims. Finally, the bill declares an emergency and sets the effective date as July 1, 2026.

This bill allocates $356,300 in funding to Idaho's Division of Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind for the 2027 fiscal year. The money comes from two sources: $335,900 transferred from the General Fund to the Public School Income Fund, and $20,400 from the School for the Deaf and the Blind Endowment Fund. The legislation clarifies the original funding sources for these expenditures and declares an emergency to make the funding effective starting July 1, 2026.

This bill reduces the state funding for Idaho's Digital Learning Academy by $13.5 million for fiscal year 2027 and adjusts related financial transfers between state funds. The legislation requires the academy to limit course offerings and deny new enrollments if necessary to maintain a positive cash balance, while prohibiting withdrawals from the Public Education Stabilization Fund for this program. Additionally, the bill mandates that the academy verify compliance with state nondiscrimination standards for diversity, equity, and inclusion courses and submit a compliance report by December 2026. The law also requires detailed reporting on course costs, enrollment data, and budget information to the Legislative Services Office by August 2026 to improve transparency in how state funds are used.

This bill repeals a specific Idaho law that previously governed how state administrative facilities are sold or transferred, while updating related sections in the state code to remove references to the repealed law. The change affects the state Board of Land Commissioners and the Board of Examiners by altering how surplus state property is classified and disposed of. Under the new rules, the Board of Land Commissioners will handle surplus real property no longer needed by state agencies, while the Board of Examiners will manage the disposal of state administrative facilities and personal property. The legislation also includes a declaration of emergency to allow the changes to take effect immediately upon passage.

This bill establishes a new chapter in Idaho law to address alleged violations of legal prohibitions by public officers and employees. It allows certain government leaders to refer potential violations to the attorney general, who must notify the accused party and give them 14 days to either admit and fix the violation or deny it. If the violation is not resolved, the attorney general may file a court action to enforce compliance or seek to disqualify the individual from public office for up to five years. The bill applies to state agencies, schools, political subdivisions, and other public entities, excluding legislative and judicial branches.

This bill appropriates and adjusts funding for Idaho's Department of Health and Welfare's behavioral health services for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, directly affecting substance abuse treatment, mental health services, and psychiatric hospitalization programs. It allocates specific amounts from various state funds to personnel, operating expenses, and capital outlays for children's mental health, adult mental health, and state psychiatric hospitals, while also reducing certain appropriations from other designated funds. The legislation authorizes 15 additional full-time equivalent positions for the Division of Mental Health Services and allows those divisions to transfer money for personnel and benefit payments. Additionally, it requires the Department to submit a report on Idaho Behavioral Health Plan expenditures by December 1, 2026, and declares an emergency to make the funding changes effective immediately.