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 funding to the Idaho Department of Lands for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, directing specific amounts to support personnel costs, capital projects, and trustee benefit payments across various programs including business services, forest resources, trust land management, fire protection, and minerals. The legislation provides $2.7 million for fiscal year 2027 and $285,000 for fiscal year 2026, while simultaneously reducing certain appropriations from previous budgets to balance the overall funding. It designates $145,000 specifically for the Idaho Geological Survey and allows the Forest and Range Fire Protection Program to receive unlimited transfers from other departmental funds for both fiscal years. Additionally, the bill limits General Fund bonuses to firefighters with incident qualification cards and requires a report on 2026 fire season bonus awards to be submitted by January 5, 2027.
SJR 103 proposes a constitutional amendment to manage Idaho's lands acquired from the federal government. It creates two trust systems: one for lands granted under specific historical conditions (allowing limited sales at fair market value with annual limits), and a permanent trust for all other federal lands that **cannot be sold** but may be leased. Revenue from the permanent trust fund must support public lands management, county compensation, improved public access, and K-12 education. The amendment requires voter approval and would prevent future legislative sales of these protected lands while directing funds toward public benefits.
HCR 26 is a concurrent resolution expressing the Idaho Legislature's support for wildlife crossings. It states that wildlife-vehicle collisions endanger public safety and cause significant property damage, while noting that infrastructure like overpasses and underpasses can reduce collisions by over 80% and protect migration corridors for species like mule deer and elk. The resolution encourages state and local governments to collaborate on identifying priority sites for such crossings and to adopt policies preserving migration corridors. It does not create new laws or funding but formally supports existing efforts to enhance public safety and wildlife conservation.
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.
This bill amends Idaho law to change how wildlife relocation projects, particularly for bighorn sheep, are handled. It requires the Director of Fish and Game to provide 30 days' notice to county commissions and landowners within 5 miles of proposed relocation sites, and to submit annual relocation plans to legislative leaders. County boards must hold public hearings within 30 days if landowners request one, and can approve or reject relocation plans. The changes aim to increase local input before moving wildlife, directly affecting the Department of Fish and Game, county officials, and landowners near proposed relocation areas.
This bill updates Idaho's hazardous waste management laws by replacing the previous facility siting process with a new system. It creates requirements for siting licenses, establishes site review panels, and sets minimum criteria for hazardous waste facility locations. The bill prohibits local governments from restricting such facilities and mandates new reporting rules for waste management. These changes directly affect hazardous waste treatment/storage/disposal facilities, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and local governments.
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 revises Idaho's tax exemptions for data center equipment and capital investments. It extends a sales tax exemption for eligible server equipment, chillers, and new data center facilities (like buildings and cooling systems) but requires qualifying businesses to commit to investing at least $250 million in Idaho data centers within five years and creating 30+ new, full-time jobs. The exemption also mandates water conservation practices for data centers (e.g., recycling cooling water, using reclaimed water) and requires businesses to notify local water providers about anticipated water needs. If businesses fail to meet investment or job targets within the specified timeframes, they must pay retroactive sales or use taxes. The changes apply only to new data center projects meeting these criteria, not existing tax exemptions.
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.
