Idaho Bills

Adds to existing law to establish the Idaho Prior Authorization Reform Act.

RS33576 / H0841 This legislation establishes the Idaho Prior Authorization Reform Act to improve transparency, consistency, and timeliness in prior authorization processes used by health insurers and utilization review organizations. The bill requires insurers to publicly disclose prior authorization requirements and clinical criteria, implement standardized electronic prior authorization processes, and comply with defined timelines for standard and expedited determinations. The legislation establishes notification and appeal standards, requires appropriately qualified clinical reviewers, sets minimum validity periods for approvals, provides continuity of approvals when coverage changes, and prohibits improper revocation of prior authorizations. It establishes what entails a complete prior authorization submission. The bill further provides enforcement authority to the Department of Insurance, requires annual reporting of prior authorization data, establishes penalties for noncompliance, and addresses fraudulent prior authorization requests. The legislation is intended to reduce administrative burden, improve patient access to medically necessary care, and provide clear standards for prior authorization practices in Idaho.

Adds to existing law to establish a moratorium on certain uses of human gene therapy products.

This legislation establishes a temporary moratorium on the administration of certain human gene therapy products for infectious disease indications to children under eighteen (18) years of age and to pregnant women. The bill adds a new section to Chapter 48, Title 39, Idaho Code, to prohibit the administration of such products regardless of route or modality and regardless of whether the administration is termed an immunization, vaccine, or any other term. The legislation provides that the moratorium shall remain in effect for two (2) years while available safety data is reviewed. The moratorium does not apply to human gene therapy products used for the treatment or therapy of cancer or genetic disorders. The legislation further provides a process by which an individual human gene therapy product may be exempted from the moratorium upon legislative review of safety data, informed consent procedures, and compensation assurances for adverse outcomes.

Amends existing law to provide an exemption for religious organizations in certain instances.

Under the Idaho Sunshine Law, churches and other religious organizations that support or oppose ballot measures run the risk of being compelled to publicly report and disclose the names and addresses of church and community members that tithe or otherwise financially contribute to the church. The vague and overbroad disclosure and reporting requirements in the Idaho Sunshine Law impose a chilling effect on church speech, thereby discouraging churches from speaking faithfully on the important cultural issues that are implicated by ballot initiatives. This legislation would clarify that churches are not non-business entities, as those terms are used in Chapter 66, Title 67, Idaho Code, and are therefore not subject to donor disclosure requirements under the Idaho Sunshine Law so long as the expenditures and contributions of the church does not exceed 10% of the church's total financial receipts.

States findings of the Legislature and provides that all temporary and pending rules of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and the Idaho Hop Growers' Commission have been reviewed and approved by the Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee, with an exception.

This resolution states that all pending and temporary administrative rules of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture have been reviewed and approved by the Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee, with the exception of Docket No. 02-0601-2501, Section 112, new subsections 01 through 05, only, which were not approved.

Amends existing law to revise a sales tax exemption for data center equipment and to revise a certain property tax exemption for certain capital investments.

This legislation amends the sales tax exemption for data centers in six key ways. This legislation does the following: 1) adds two additional criteria for qualification for the exemption related to energy and water consumption, 2) narrows the original sales tax exemption to only be applicable to the internal servers, 3) prohibits data centers constructed after April 1, 2026 that opt-in to the sales tax exemption from also claiming the property tax abatement in 63-4502, 4) allows for the sales tax exemption to only be available for 20 years for each project, 5) requires the tax commission to report annually on the approximate amount of sales tax revenue not collected as a result of this policy, and 6) requires the tax commission to submit a report every 5 years to the legislature with an analysis of the effects of the exemption and data centers on Idaho’s economy, energy resources, and water resources. This legislation provides that data center projects currently under construction may continue with the sales tax exemption provisions (construction materials and internal server equipment) as originally provided when 63-3622VV was enacted in 2020; however, the new 20-year provision will apply to those projects currently under construction.

Amends and adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding dispensing fees and to establish duties and restrictions pertaining to pharmacy benefit managers and third-party payers.

This legislation amends Section 41-349, Idaho Code, relating to Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). The bill establishes a minimum professional dispensing fee of $12.35 per prescription to be paid by PBMs to pharmacies. The legislation also provides a methodology for determining future dispensing fees and directs the Idaho Department of Insurance to oversee implementation. Additionally, the legislation specifies that reimbursement to pharmacies for prescription drugs shall be based on the National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).

Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding machine guns and contingent authorization and to establish provisions regarding a prohibition on enforcement of invalid federal restrictions.

This legislation provides legal protection for fully automatic weapons within the state of Idaho in the event of the federal ban being overturned or repealed.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the homestead property tax exemption.

RS33659 / H0885 This legislation clarifies who qualifies for the homestead exemption. Homeowners can't claim this exemption if they have a similar exemption in another state. Their Idaho license or I.D. must show the same address as the property they're claiming. Homeowners can also use an individual Idaho tax return for verification if it shows the same address. To maintain the exemption, they must also live in Idaho at least six months a year, unless they're serving in the military or on a religious mission. If a homeowner runs for office, their homestead address will qualify as their candidate residence address.