Idaho Bills

Adds to existing law to provide for Idaho's participation in the Interstate Counseling Compact.

This legislation establishes the “Counseling Compact,” allowing Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPCs), to voluntarily be licensed to practice in-person or telehealth in any compact state under a privilege-to-practice, which is equivalent to a license. To obtain a privilege-to-practice, an LCPC must have an active, unencumbered license issued by the LCPC’s home state, obtain a fingerprint based criminal history check, and hold an unrestricted license for at least two years.

Amends and adds to existing law to prohibit the advertising of illegal products and services and to provide for the apportionment of fines.

This legislation will prohibit advertising of products and services in Idaho which are federally illegal.

Amends existing law to require school principals to notify parents and guardians of a student's involvement in harassment, intimidation, bullying, violence, or self-harm and to provide empowering materials and requires school districts to report incidents and confirm the distribution of the materials to the State Department of Education.

Current state law regarding the handling of harassment, intimidation and bullying of students does little to address those who are bullied; state law’s current focus is predominantly on bullies. State law currently requires local school districts to report the number of bullying incidents to the state. While it is important to know how much bullying is taking place, there is not much state policymakers can do with this simple quantification. Given the relationship between those who are bullied and harm to self and others, this bill aims to better address the needs of those who are bullied in addition to responding to those who do the bullying. This bill replaces a simple end of year quantification and makes it one in which we know each incident is followed by an actual response, not just observation. This bill would not come into effect until July 1, 2025 so that a group of stakeholders led by the IDE can provide a proposed overdue update to Idaho Code 18-917A which defines harassment, intimidation and bullying.

Relates to the appropriation to the Idaho Transportation Department for fiscal year 2025.

This appropriation to the Idaho Transportation Department provides enhancements to the FY 2025 maintenance 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, road and bridge maintenance, safety and capacity projects, and local bridge maintenance. 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, and language directing use of unobligated ARPA state and local fiscal recovery projects to pedestrian safety and surface transportation projects.

Amends existing law to define a public employer and a public corporation with respect to certain requirements regarding security for compensation.

This legislation would allow a city, country or district as defined in 72-301(6) and 72-928(d) to go to an open market for an insurer of choice for worker's compensation without having to secure its liability for payment of compensation with the state insurance fund.

Amends existing law to provide that subscribing to certain elective oaths of office shall create a vacancy in any other office held.

This legislation adds to the circumstances under which elective local offices would be considered vacant, to include when the local government office holder becomes a federal, statewide, or state legislative office holder. It would not apply to those who hold state legislative office as a temporary or emergency successor. This change will ensure that a federal, statewide, or state legislative office holder’s full attention and focus is given to the high office to which they have been elected, and their interest in the well-being of the citizens of their state or district is neither divided nor weighted. In addition, it prevents the concentration of power and allows more voices to be heard and represented in all facets of our government.

Adds to existing law to establish the Distributed Ledger Technology Act to provide for certain rights regarding the use of distributed ledger technology.

This legislation adds a new chapter to Idaho Code related to Bitcoin miningdistributed ledger technology (DLT). It contains legislative findings that Bitcoin miningDLT brings positive economic value to individuals, corporations and other interests in the state. This legislation will protect the right of individuals and businesses to mine Bitcoinuse DLTin the state of Idaho by prohibiting regulations that impose certainprohibitive requirements on Bitcoin miningits use. This legislation also prohibits the public utilities commission from establishing rate classifications for Bitcoin mining. It further prohibits regulations that would impair the use of Bitcoin for the purchase of goods and services, and it prohibits special taxes from being enacted solely because Bitcoin local regulations that would unfairly impair the use of DLT by businesses or at home. The legislation protects DLT tokens and wallets as a private property right. It also prohibits special taxes from being enacted solely because distributed ledger technology is used as a method of payment in a transaction.

Adds to existing law to establish the Office of Election Crimes and Security within the Office of the Attorney General.

The Idaho Election Crimes Act would create an “Office of Elections Crimes and Security” within the office of the Idaho Attorney General for the State of Idaho. This office would be tasked with responding to complaints or notifications of Election Code violations, conducting investigations, overseeing a voter fraud hotline, and collaborating with prosecutorial agencies when criminal violations are suspected. The Act would grant the Attorney General's office concurrent jurisdiction in any election crime as well as mandate an annual report to be submitted from the office to the Governor of the State of Idaho, The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

States findings of the Legislature and calls on Congress to impeach the President and to prioritize laws tightening border security and immigration.

The Federal government controls immigration, naturalization and entry to the United States. President Biden’s administration has failed to meet its responsibility to enforce our immigration laws and secure our Nation’s borders. This Memorial expresses the desire of Idaho citizens to hold President Biden and the Federal government accountable for the invasion at our southern border. Enforcing immigration laws, securing our border and reducing the flow of illegal drugs and sex trafficking must be at the forefront of any policy discussion with the need for labor absolutely secondary.

Amends existing law to authorize investigations and actions against city and county officers by the attorney general.

The Attorney General has concurrent jurisdiction to investigate and, if necessary, prosecute elected county officials for state crimes committed when acting in their official capacity. This legislation expands the Attorney General's jurisdiction to include elected city officials. The purpose of this legislation is to take advantage of the expertise the Attorney General's Office has developed for investigating and prosecuting cases involving public corruption.

Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding state employee telework.

This legislation establishes a teleworking policy for state employees in all three branches of government, including institutions of higher education. If an agency, department, or other state office wishes to offer telework arrangements, a state employee must sign and comply with a telework agreement. On any given day of scheduled work, no more than 15% of in-office employees within an agency, department, or other state office may work outside the office under a telework agreement. In-office employees with job responsibilities that require direct contact with the public are not eligible for telework. A requirement also exists for annual reporting related to telework agreements for state entities offering telework. Field employees with day-to-day responsibilities outside of the office or in the field are exempt from the telework policy.

Adds to existing law to establish standards for library materials and to establish procedures for the review and removal of materials, procedures for appeals, and penalties for violations.

The Children's School and Library Protection Act requires public schools and community libraries to take reasonable steps in restricting children's access to obscene or harmful material as defined by Idaho Code § 18-1514. Public School and Community Libraries will be required to establish a Material Review Committee to review requests for relocation. Public School and Community Libraries will have relocation forms available for Parents to fill out referencing Idaho Code § 18-1514 . Public School and Community Libraries must hold a public hearing when a Relocation Form is submitted and publish notice in the local newspaper. The Materials Review Committee must render a decision at the Public Hearing. If a parent or guardian of a minor child is not satisfied with the Review Committee’s Decision, they can file for Judicial Review. If they are still not satisfied after Judicial Review, they would be entitled to bring a civil action against the school or library for damages and injunctive relief.