Idaho Bills
718 bills · 2024 Regular Session
Amends existing law to establish provisions regarding prisoners who secure employment with a private employer.
This legislation applies to Idaho inmates hired by a private employer under the Department of Correction work releaseprogram. Itspecifiestheresponsibilityoftheprivateemployertoofferthesamesalaryrangeandbenefits as other similarly situated employees based on experience, education and other qualifications and clarifies the opportunity for inmates to use the benefits offered.
22 – 11
Relates to the appropriation to the Department of Parks and Recreation for fiscal year 2025.
This appropriation to the Department of Parks and Recreation provides enhancements to the FY 2025 maintenance budget that include additional park personnel, increase to seasonal employee pay, increase park operations, OHV law enforcement passthrough support, a trailer for the motorized trails program, a responsible OHV media campaign, snowmobile signs and trail markers, construction at the Farragut State Park, statewide RV improvements, utility upgrades at Lake Walcott State Park, a Shoreline Erosion Grant at Lake Cascade State Park, funding for recreation council and infrastructure improvements, replacement items, and the additional 2% CEC.
Rick Just · SD-015
41 – 29
Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding qualification and requirements for the Idaho Opportunity Scholarship.
This legislation amends chapter 43, Title 33 of Idaho Code “Idaho Opportunity Scholarship.” It accomplishes three changes in Code. First, it eliminates the potential for duplication of funding for students that may qualify for the Opportunity Scholarship, which is a four-year $3,500 scholarship and the Idaho Launch Grants. They may apply but may only accept one. Secondly, it returns eligibility to use Opportunity Scholarship funds at an Idaho Community College. Finally, the limit on the availability of Opportunity Scholarship to adult students is adjusted to a more realistic limit from 20% of total appropriation of Opportunity Scholarships to 5%.
34 – 0
Amends and adds to existing law to revise provisions regarding who may own certain property, to provide for prohibition on lease or purchase of certain land or dwellings, and to provide for prohibition on access to state assets.
This legislation expands on current code where foreign governments will now be prohibited from purchasing anyIdahoforestland, inadditiontothealreadyprohibitioninpurchasingagriculturalland, waterrights, mining claims or mineral rights. Any foreign adversary is also under the same prohibitions, but under this legislation, the foreign adversary that owns any of these lands or resources must sell within 180 days of notice. If they do not sell, the land or resources will be sold by judicial foreclosure. Also, no foreign adversary may purchase or lease any property within the certain geographic boundaries to establish secure military operations areas.
States findings of the Legislature and requests that Congress either propose a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution or call a convention for proposing amendments under Article V of the Constitution of the United States.
This Concurrent Resolution recognizes the growing national debt as a legitimate threat to the United States of America and calls upon the United States Congress to send to the states for ratification, a Balanced Budget Amendment to the United States Constitution. In the absence of such action, after a date certain, the Idaho Legislature files application for an Article V Convention for the sole purpose of proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the States for Ratification.
Relates to the appropriation to the State Board of Education and the Board of Regents of the University of Idaho for College and Universities and the Office of the State Board of Education for fiscal year 2025.
This appropriation to the Colleges and Universities provides enhancements to the FY 2025 maintenance budget that include an additional appropriation and 29.25 FTP for occupational capacity enhancements, a reduction of 4.00 FTP and $489,000 to transfer risk managers to the Office of the State Board of Education (OSBE), endowment adjustments, nondiscretionary adjustments, and the additional 2% CEC.
23 – 12
States findings of the Legislature and approves pending rules of the Department of Agriculture, the Idaho State Police State Brand Board, the Division of Occupational Licenses, and the Idaho Potato Commission reviewed by the House Agricultural Affairs Committee and the Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee.
Approval of all administrative rules pertaining to the House and Senate Agricultural Affairs Committees.
70 – 0
Amends existing law to revise duties and penalties regarding the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
This legislation amends the Medicaid provider fraud statutes to set the punishment for provider fraud at a maximum of 15 years, allow for the recovery of prosecution and investigation costs, authorize the Attorney General or his designee to sign subpoenas, permit the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to investigate a wider range of provider fraud so long as it has a nexus to Medicaid, and clean up the statutory language as to the elements of the crime. The purpose of this legislation is to bring the provider fraud statute more in line with Idaho’s insurance fraud statute and federal regulations and to enable Idaho’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to operate more efficiently.
Kenny Wroten · HD-013B
35 – 0
Adds to existing law to provide for standard maintenance and repair terms and conditions and to provide for remediation.
This legislation clarifies that leases, land use permits, or other land use agreements that involve state land provide consistent terms and conditions, regardless of the intended land usage.
Amends and adds to existing law to provide for duties and authority of the Idaho Department of Lands and to provide for the Good Neighbor Authority Fund.
This bill creates a new chapter in Title 38, entitled “Sustainable Management of National Forests Act” recognizing the many benefits derived from proper forest management of federal forests throughout Idaho. The bill authorizes the Department of Lands to enhance and further implement the existing Good Neighbor Authority program as authorized in 16 U.S.C. Section 2113a (2016) creating accounts in the state treasury for Good Neighbor forest management, and authorizes appropriations from those accounts to carry out provisions of the Good Neighbor policy.
69 – 0
States findings of the Legislature and authorizes the State Board of Education to commence preliminary conversations with the state of Utah to establish an operating agreement for Idaho students to participate in Utah's veterinary program.
This Concurrent Resolution is to authorize the Idaho State Board of Education to initiate preliminary conversations with the state of Utah and Utah State University to potentially establish an operating agreement for Idaho students to participate in Utah's veterinary program. This would be similar to the existing partnership Idaho has with Washington State University. The State Board of Education will then report back their findings to the legislature.
Amends existing law to revise the penalty for a first conviction for domestic violence.
This bill, relating to criminal domestic violence, amends the jail penalty from up to six (6) months to up to one (1) year for misdemeanor domestic violence conviction. This does not mean the convicted person will serve that length of time in jail, but it allows the judge this option based on the circumstances of the crime. There are also several technical corrections.
Kelly Anthon · SD-027
34 – 0
Amends existing law to transfer the Emergency Medical Services Bureau to within the Office of Emergency Management, to designate EMS as an essential government service, and to create the Emergency Medical Services Sustainability Fund.
This legislation moves the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Bureau out of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and relocates it into the Office of Emergency Management. All existing EMS programs except the Public Health Preparedness and Response Program will be moved effective July 1, 2025. The directors of the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare and the Office of Emergency Management will work together to coordinate the transfer of the EMS Bureau. The Office of Emergency Management will also be responsible for preparing a budget request for EMS functions for fiscal year 2026.
Mark Harris · SD-035
26 – 9
Amends existing law to include additional automotive parts within the definition of “aftermarket crash part” and to provide for a disclosure statement regarding safety and performance for non-OEM crash parts.
This legislation amends Idaho Code in relation to definitions and disclosures related to the use of aftermarket crash parts for motor vehicle repairs.
Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the minimum requirements for an audit.
This legislation will raise the expenditure levels of a local government entity from $150,000 to $200,000 before that entity is subject to an audit, and would raise the expenditure levels from $250,000 to $300,000 before the entity could move from a biennial to annual audit.
34 – 0
Amends and adds to existing law to establish exemptions from certain licensing and taxation for businesses owned by young entrepreneurs.
The Idaho Young Entrepreneurs Act prohibits local governments from requiring licenses, permits or fees of infrequent, youth owned and managed businesses. The legislation exempts infrequent, youth run businesses from sales tax collections.
Tammy Nichols · SD-010
Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding voting by absentee ballot.
Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding authority of county commissioners.
This legislation updates Idaho code 31-44-01 by defining and prohibiting the practice of “flow control” by local units of Government and ensures there is a public process for the public to be made aware of any pending decision to create a new solid waste facility but doesn’t change the counties or cities ability to build, own, or operate such facilities so long as they follow the process of notifying the public.
Proposes an amendment to the state constitution to provide that in all partisan primary elections and general elections, and for the election of judges, there shall be one round of voting and the person having the highest number of votes for an office shall be the winner of an election.
This legislation would provide for a constitutional amendment that would keep our current form of picking the winner of an election in place. This proposal affects elections for statewide offices, elections for the legislature, partisan county elections and the elections of judges. City and local elections would not be affected by this constitutional amendment. Legislative Council may use the following statement for the ballot explanation as to the effect of the question: "This proposed constitutional provision will assure that Idaho's current form of choosing the winner of an electionremainsthestandard. Thewinnerofanelectionwillbethecandidatewhoreceivedthegreatestnumber of votes. This is how western cultures have picked election winners for 2,500 years. This constitutional amendment would ensure that the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes is the winner of an election.
42 – 27
Relates to the funding of the Idaho Transportation Department for fiscal year 2025.
ThisappropriationtotheIdahoTransportationDepartmentprovidesenhancementstotheFY2025maintenance budget that includes funding for targeted CECs for aeronautics, airfield improvements, deferred maintenance projects, new equipment, net-zero department-wide transfers to align the budget with anticipated expenditures, construction planning software and updating the website, 53.00 FTP for workforce planning, an increase in federal funds, replacement items, and the additional 2% CEC. This bill also includes funding for construction projects,roadandbridgemaintenance,safetyandcapacityprojects,andlocalbridgemaintenance. Additionally, this bill provides cash transfers from the General Fund to dedicated funds totaling $502,800,000. Lastly, this bill provides language for reappropriation, direction to renovate the State Street headquarters, direction to renovate its Shoshone district 4 headquarters, provides for accountability reports, and language directing use of unobligated ARPA state and local fiscal recovery projects to pedestrian safety and surface transportation projects.
Kevin Cook · SD-032
18 – 17
Relates to the appropriation to the Office of Information Technology Services for fiscal year 2025.
This is a FY 2025 appropriation bill for the Office of Information Technology Services. It appropriates a total of $34,660,600 and caps the number of authorized full-time equivalent positions at 221.00. The bill funds eight FY2025enhancements, whichprovidesfundingforfundingforITsecurityequipment, networkequipmentand services, IT infrastructure, IT architecture and GIS, service vehicle leases, onetime infrastructure equipment replacement, website development and maintenance transactions with the Department of Administration, and IT consolidation. IT consolidation includes the Department of Labor, Department of Lands, Military Division, Liquor Division, Office of the State Public Defender, and the Idaho State Historical Society.
Amends existing law to require certain disclosures in bond and levy elections that include information regarding state tax relief and when such state tax relief is set to expire.
This bill adds transparency to state bond and levy official statements by adding clarity on what may be dictated in regards to state tax relief funds.
25 – 8
Adds to existing law to provide a sales tax exemption for grain bin equipment.
Amends and adds to existing law to establish the Public Education Facilities Fund.
Thisbillwouldcreateafundinthestatetreasurytosupportpubliceducationfacilities. Moneysinthefundshall be distributed as a need-based grant to school districts for the purposes of financing construction, remodel, and maintenance of school facilities. An application for such grant funds shall include a detailed plan for the school facility project, details concerning facilities conditions, projected costs related to the project, estimated bond levy request, previous bond levy requests, and financial condition report of the school district. The treasurer shall review and approve applications in consultation with the state division of occupational and professional licenses, the state fire marshal, the state board of education, and the state department of education. Based on the application, the state treasurer may approve all or part of the grant request. If the state treasurer approves the grant application, the school district may then pursue their bond levy, less the grant amount approved for distribution.
States findings of the Legislature and adopts rules of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee for the 2024 legislative session and throughout the 2024 interim period.
This concurrent resolution addresses the Rules of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) for the 2024 Legislative Session and throughout the 2024 Interim period. The members of the second Regular Session of the Sixty-seventh Idaho Legislature, Senate and House of Representatives, adopt the rules that have been previously adopted by JFAC and such rules shall preside over all meetings of the Committee held during such periods.