Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding agricultural pests.

LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO Sixty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2026 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HOUSE BILL NO. 781 BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AN ACT1 RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL PESTS; AMENDING SECTION 25-2601, IDAHO CODE, TO RE-2 VISE PROVISIONS REGARDING THE POWER OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO CONTROL3 AGRICULTURAL PESTS; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING AN EFFEC-4 TIVE DATE.5

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:6

SECTION 1. That Section 25-2601, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby7 amended to read as follows:8 25-2601. CONTROL OF PESTS -- POWERS OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. The9 board of county commissioners of each and every county of this state are10 all hereby granted full power and authority to declare any predatory ani-11 mal, including coyote, that feeds upon, preys upon or destroys any poultry12 or livestock of any kind upon any public or private lands within their re-13 spective counties, or any rodent, jack-rabbit, gopher, ground squirrel,14 cricket, locust, grasshopper and other insect pests or plant disease causing15 organisms/agents or any other invertebrate organism that feeds, preys upon,16 or destroys any livestock, natural grasses, or cultivated crops of any kind17 upon any public or private lands within their respective counties, of the18 following to be agricultural pests, and to take all steps that they may deem19 necessary to control such pests.:20 (1) Any predatory animal that feeds on, preys on, or destroys any poul-21 try or livestock on any public or private lands within their respective coun-22 ties;23 (2) Any rodent, including but not limited to mice, gophers, ground24 squirrels, jackrabbits, or rats, such as the Norway rat and roof rat, on any25 public or private lands within their respective counties;26 (3) Any insect, including but not limited to crickets, locusts, and27 grasshoppers, or any other invertebrate organism that feeds on, preys on,28 or destroys poultry or livestock operations, natural grasses, cultivated29 crops of any kind, or the earth on any public or private lands within their30 respective counties; and31 (4) Any plant disease-causing organism or agent that feeds on, preys32 on, or destroys poultry or livestock operations, natural grasses, culti-33 vated crops of any kind, or the earth on any public or private lands within34 their respective counties.35

SECTION 2. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby36 declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after37 July 1, 2026.38