Idaho Bills

Adds to existing law to provide for petitions for annexation of land, to provide that guardians and administrators may sign petitions, to provide for notice of petition, to provide for hearing of petitions, to provide for orders rejecting or accepting petitions, and to provide that orders be recorded.

This legislation creates a procedure for landowners to file petitions with a flood control district seeking the district's approval to annex their lands into the district.

Relates to the appropriation to the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho for fiscal year 2021.

This is the FY 2021 original appropriation bill for the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI). It appropriatesatotalof$9,183,100andcapsthenumberofauthorizedfull-timeequivalentpositionsat73.00. For benefitcosts, thebillmaintainsthecurrentappropriatedamountforhealthinsuranceat$11,650pereligibleFTP andtemporarilyremovesfundingfortheemployer'ssickleavecontributionrate. Fundingforreplacementitems includes $431,700 for servers and storage, desktop and laptop computers and monitors, phones, and a printer. The bill also provides funding for the equivalent of a 2% change in employee compensation for permanent state employees, with an additional 2% increase for those in the 20 job classifications most in need of equity adjustments. Funding for a 3% upward shift in the compensation schedule is also included. The bill funds four line items, which provide 1.00 FTP and $185,100 for an internal actuary; 2.00 FTP and $152,100 to create two positions under a new retirement specialist classification; 1.00 FTP and $69,700 for one additional traditional retirement specialist; and $7,000 for increased software licensing costs. Also included are adjustments to pay the Office of Information Technology Services for security software and data center office space located at the Chinden Campus.

Amends existing law regarding hunting upland game birds on certain lands.

Current Idaho law limits the permit requirement for hunting stocked upland game birds to state wildlife management areas (WMAs), and identifies the permit required to hunt stocked birds as a "WMA Upland Game Bird Permit." This bill expands the permit's applicability to hunt stocked pheasants to department-owned lands, lands managed under agreement with the department and private lands enrolled in a department-sponsored public access program and deletes "WMA" from the name of the permit to reflect this change.

Amends existing law to define the term “willful or reckless misconduct.”

This legislation defines the term "willful or reckless misconduct," as used in Idaho Code Title 6, Chapter 16. A recent Idaho Supreme Court case noted the absence of a definition, which has caused uncertainty concerning the proper definition. Defining the term is important in order to bring clarity to Idaho liability laws.

Stating findings of the Legislature and providing for a joint rule of the Senate and the House of Representatives for the display of the words “In God We Trust” above the chairs of the presiding officers.

The purpose of this Resolution is to recognize the historical significance of our nation's motto "In God We Trust." President Abraham Lincoln was the first President to recognize the importance of these four words. In a time of national strife and Civil War, President Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon Chase, received a request from a Pennsylvanian calling for some recognition of God in a national motto. While some would say this motto represents one faith, its purpose was proposed to bring the nation back to one united country, which embraces many different faiths and spiritual persuasions. The motto also recognizes the significant trust it took for the first Europeans to leave their family roots and sail off into an unknown world. It recognizes the faith of so many of American immigrants of all previous and current generations who recognized something very unique about our great nation. It was a recognition that true freedom originates from a source higher than any king or government. The authors of our nation's Declaration of Independence openly declared the following: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men [and women] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States declares the following: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence [sic], promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Placing "In God We Trust" in the Senate and House Chambers will acknowledge the importance that these four little words have had on the formation of our nation and will serve as a constant reminder of the importance of the work done in the Idaho Legislature as we serve

Relates to the appropriation to the Public Utilities Commission for fiscal year 2021.

This is the FY 2021 original appropriation bill for the Public Utilities Commission. It appropriates a total of $6,554,200 and caps the number of authorized full-time equivalent positions at 49.00. For benefit costs, the bill maintains the current appropriated amount for health insurance at $11,650 per eligible FTP and temporarily removes funding for the employer's sick leave contribution rate. Funding for replacement items includes $28,200 for software maintenance. The bill also provides funding for the equivalent of a 2% change in employee compensation for permanent state employees, with an additional 2% increase for those in the 20 job classifications most in need of equity adjustments. The bill funds one line item, which provides $8,100 for a 2% change in employee compensation for the three Public Utilities Commissioners. Also included are adjustments to pay the Office of Information Technology Services for security software and data center office space located at the Chinden Campus; and software licensing, server infrastructure, and storage to expand system capabilities on core systems and to maintain agency-specific software. Section 3 of the bill amends Section 61-215, Idaho Code, to raise the Public Utilities Commissioners' annual salary to $112,275 to allow for the 2% increase funded in line item 1.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding construction work and the application of water to full beneficial use, lapses of permits, and the issuance of licenses and to provide for extensions of time and permits held by municipal providers for reasonably anticipated future needs.

This legislation modifies the current process for issuing permits and licenses to municipal providers for "reasonably anticipated future needs" water rights (also known as "RAFN" water rights). A RAFN water right authorizes a municipal provider to secure a long term municipal water supply and develop the municipal water use over an extended period of time known as the planning horizon. Under current law, proof of beneficial use for RAFN rights is often due years or decades before the planning horizon ends. As a result, the Idaho Department of Water Resources ("IDWR") must issue a water right license based on a revised estimate of the amount of water that the municipal provider will beneficially use by the end of the planning horizon. The estimate is based partly on population growth projections and partly on the capacity of the water system constructed or used when proof of beneficial use is submitted. Installing capacity may require municipal providers to invest in water delivery infrastructure before it is needed. Equating capacity and projected population growth to future beneficial use causes difficulty for the Department in issuing the final license and creates uncertainty for municipal providers. This legislation reduces uncertainty in the water right licensing process by causing the development period for RAFN rights to correspond to the planning horizon and by authorizing the Director of IDWR to license RAFN water rights in incremental steps based upon actual beneficial use up through the end of the development period. In accordance with Idaho Supreme Court precedent, the provisions set forth in this legislation will apply to applications for RAFN permits approved after the effective date of this legislation, even if the application was submitted prior to the effective date of this legislation. The legislation states how it will apply to permits in existence at the time of the effective date of this legislation. The legislation also includes other clean-up r

Amends existing law to revise nomination provisions for commission seats.

Currently, the Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission is comprised of five (5) members, all of whom are appointed by the Governor. The Idaho Cattle Association nominates and submits names for two (2) seats on the Commission. The Idaho Wool Growers Association nominates and submits names for one (1) seat on the Commission. And, the Idaho Rangeland Committee is charged with nominating and submitting names for the remaining two (2) seats on the Commission. Recently, the Idaho Rangeland Committee has become inactive, so the purpose of this legislation is to designate other entities to nominate and submit names for their two (2) seats. This legislation names the Partners Advisory Council (PAC) of the University of Idaho Rangeland Center to nominate and submit names for one (1) of those seats formerly nominated by the Idaho Rangeland Committee. The Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission will nominate and submit names for the remaining seat, who will serve in an at-large capacity on the Commission.

Amends existing law to provide requirements regarding annexation of certain forest land.

This legislation prevents land actively devoted to forestry from being annexed without the express written permission of the owner.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding a review of teacher evaluations, to provide that certain data shall be submitted to the state for career ladder purposes, and to provide that master educator premiums shall no longer be granted after a certain date.

This legislation has three major components. First, it clarifies the information documented, reported and reviewed for professional and advanced professional performance criteria, including the data on students meeting their measurable student achievement and student success indicator targets. These changes update sections 33-1001(19) and 33-1004B(10), Idaho Code. Second, a deadline of November 1 is set for the audit of teacher evaluations, updating 33-1004B(9), Idaho Code. Third, Master Educator Premiums (MEP) program is sunsetted, with no new applications accepted after this year, no new awards provided after next fiscal year, and all provisions null, void, and of no force after July 1, 2024, amending 33-1004I, Idaho Code. The state will continue obligations for the current MEP recipients. Overall, this legislation complements and builds on efforts this year to expand the career ladder over the next five years while lowering the costs to the state by sunsetting the MEP program.

Relates to the appropriation to the Department of Labor for fiscal year 2021.

This is the FY 2021 original appropriation bill for the Department of Labor. It appropriates a total of $97,252,200 and caps the number of authorized full-time equivalent positions at 708.58. For benefit costs, the bill maintains the current appropriated amount for health insurance at $11,650 per eligible employee and temporarily removes funding for the employer's sick leave contribution rate. The bill also provides for the equivalent of a 2% change in employee compensation for permanent state employees, with an additional 2% increase for those in the 20 job classifications most in need of equity adjustments. Funding for a 3% upward shift in the compensation schedule is also included. The bill funds three line items, which provide $150,000 for visual threat analysis software; $690,000 for additional network hardware; and 26.00 FTP and $6,248,700 for the Job Corps Demonstration Project. Also included are adjustments to pay the Office of Information Technology Services for security software and data center office space located at the Chinden Campus; and billing adjustments in excess of current appropriations. Lastly, the ongoing General Fund appropriation is reduced by 2%.

Stating findings of the Legislature and endorsing the need for the Idaho Division of Veterans Services to request federal grants to expand the Boise Veterans Cemetery and to fund the renovation of safety projects at the State Veterans Homes in Lewiston and Pocatello.

This legislation establishes the State of Idaho's commitment to request federal grants to expand the Boise Veterans Cemetery and fund the renovation of multiple categorized life safety projects at the Lewiston and Pocatello Veterans Homes. The Veterans Cemetery Grant projects include construction of Memorial Walls in the upper portion of the cemetery; survey of available sections for in-ground urn burial plots; and survey, design and construction of two additional Columbarium Walls. The State Home Construction Grant projects include a dining room expansion at the Lewiston Veterans Home; doors and hardware replacement at the Pocatello Home; replacement of the residents' rooms and shared bathrooms flooring in Lewiston; and installing an electric name badge and door security system at both veterans homes in Lewiston and Pocatello. Depending on cost estimates, the Home Construction Grant Program may also include a handrail for the Pocatello Home and upgrading the nurse call system in Lewiston and Pocatello. This resolution is necessary for the Idaho Division of Veterans Services (IDVS) to proceed with the application for the federal grant funds to provide 100% of the allowable expansion costs at the Veterans Cemetery and 65% of the allowable costs for the life safety projects at the Veterans Homes in Lewiston and Pocatello.