Idaho Bills

Amends and adds to existing law to establish the Idaho Child Care Program.

RS33644 / S1374 This legislation reforms and modernizes Idaho’s child care assistance program by strengthening safeguards against fraud, waste, and abuse while improving the ability of legitimate child care providers to serve Idaho families. The bill establishes the Idaho Child Care Program, which maintains support for low-income working families while implementing strong program integrity measures to ensure taxpayer dollars are used appropriately. The legislation creates clear eligibility standards, verification requirements, and documentation obligations for providers and families receiving assistance. It also authorizes the Department of Health and Welfare to suspend payments when fraud is suspected, recover improper payments, and impose meaningful penalties for intentional program violations. To further strengthen oversight, the bill requires the implementation of a fraud detection and remediation system that uses modern analytical tools to identify suspicious billing, attendance irregularities, and other patterns associated with fraud or abuse. These tools allow the department to detect and prevent improper payments while ensuring legitimate providers are able to continue serving families without unnecessary disruption. While strengthening accountability, the legislation also supports child care providers and working families by improving administrative systems, modernizing program technology, and expanding capacity for new providers. The bill authorizes the creation of up to 600 new licensed child care programs through recruitment and support initiatives designed to increase availability of child care services across the state. Together, these reforms protect taxpayer dollars, preserve public confidence in the program, and make it easier for responsible child care providers to operate and expand services for Idaho families.

States findings of the House of Representatives and provides that all temporary and pending rules of the Idaho State Police, the Idaho Public Safety Communications Commission, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, the Idaho Secretary of State, the Department of Administration, and the Idaho State Lottery have been reviewed and approved by the House State Affairs Committee, with an exception.

RS33827 / HR034 This legislation provides that all temporary and pending rules of the Idaho State Police, Idaho Public Safety Communications Commission, Idaho Public Utilities Commission, Idaho Secretary of State, Department of Administration, and Idaho State Lottery have been reviewed and approved by the State Affairs Committee, with exceptions noted.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding enhanced short-term plans

RS33454 / H0844 For millions of Americans, short-term, limited-duration insurance plans provide a flexible and affordable pathway to health coverage. Although these plans are primarily regulated by states, they are defined in federal regulations. Previously, they could offer coverage for up to 364 days and be renewed for a total duration of up to 36 months before the prior presidential administration imposed severe restrictions. To expand access to affordable coverage, the current presidential administration has indicated it will not enforce the narrowed federal definition and ultimately seeks to restore prior flexibilities. This legislation builds on that opportunity by expanding the definition of short-term plans in the Gem State, increasing Idahoans’ access to affordable coverage while preserving the deregulated features that make these plans affordable.

Relates to the appropriation to the Idaho State Police for fiscal year 2027.

RS33822 / S1437 This is a FY 2027 appropriation bill for the Idaho State Police. It addresses the fiscal impact of S1226, which added two misdemeanors of sexual battery and domestic violence to the list of crimes for which collection of a DNA sample and thumbprint impression are required.

Relates to the maintenance appropriations to the Department of Health and Welfare and the State Independent Living Council for fiscal year 2027.

RS33505 / S1375 This is the FY 2027 Maintenance Appropriation for Health and Human Services. This bill includes appropriations to Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and the State Independent Living Council. The appropriation includes standard adjustments for personnel benefit costs, contract inflation, statewide cost allocation, and a base reduction of up to 5%.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the Model School Facility Council.

RS33803 / S1439 This legislation amends 33-917 of Idaho Code, pushing the model school facility plan deadline from 2026 to 2027. This ensures proper time to meet the objectives of said plan, which include outlining plans for school facility construction, potential variability of school properties, and consulting experts on proper use of funds from the modernization facilities fund.

Repeals existing law to remove outdated or unnecessary provisions.

To ensure that state laws are streamlined, up-to-date, and essential for the citizens of Idaho, while best serving the public health, safety, and welfare, the Legislature approved the Idaho Code Cleanup Act, H14 in the 2025 legislative session. Submitted sections of Idaho Code were reviewed for repeal consideration by the DOGE Task Force on the criteria of obsolete, outdated, and unnecessary. This bill repeals 22 Sections of Idaho Code in Title 42 pertaining to the Idaho Department of Water Resources. Sections include references to groundwater recharge negotiations with the Federal Bureau of Reclamation, the Salmon Falls Creek Water Compact, the Columbia Interstate Compact, and the Water Conservation and Development Trust Account. The Salmon Falls Creek Water Compact was never adopted and the Columbia Interstate Compact was repealed in 1975. The Water Conservation and Development Trust Account has been inactive since at least 1994.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding requirements for open public meetings to permit recording of such meetings.

This legislation amends Idaho Code Section 74-203, to revise provisions regarding requirements for open public meetings. The bill adds a section to current law that no person attending the meeting shall be prevented or prohibited from recording such meetings by audio, video, or photographs by electronic or digital means. The governing body may take measures, however, to ensure the orderly conduct of its meetings.

Adds to existing law to establish the Litigation Financing Transparency, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act.

RS33799 / H0946 In other states the practice of third party litigation financing has become a problem, as lenders essentially buy a stake in the litigation that is contingent on the outcome of a lawsuit. In most cases those lenders gain a right to control or influence the litigation as a way to secure their investment. That can cause the actual party to the lawsuit to lose control of the litigation on their own case, essentially selling it to the lender. This legislation provides transparency so that lending arrangements are open to the court and to the litigants. It provides consumer protections to assure that these lawsuit lenders don’t displace the actual parties in the decision making on their own litigation and prevents exploitation and undue influence over legal proceedings. Finally, it prevents foreign adversaries and other foreign persons of concern from interfering in the Idaho judicial system by becoming lawsuit lenders.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the detention or involuntary admission of developmentally disabled or mentally ill persons.

The purpose of this legislation is to provide a mechanism to institute involuntary commitment proceedings, pursuant to Idaho Code §§66-326, 66-329, and 66-406, for defendants who, by way of mental illness or developmental disability, are determined to be incompetent and unable to be restored to competence in order to stand trial, when the appropriate conditions have been met. This change will allow county prosecutors to pursue civil commitment of defendants who meet the other existing criteria, consistent with the requirements of Idaho Code §18-212(4). Additionally, it will change the definition of mental illness to include neurocognitive disorders, allowing for involuntary commitments of those suffering from neurocognitive disorders, when they meet the other requirements under the statute. This would be in addition to the crisis holds described in Idaho Code §§56-2104 and 56-2105. This recognizes that resources for finding permanent placements for people suffering from neurocognitive disorders vary greatly throughout the state and provides for a viable alternative to keep the patient and the community safe while more permanent placement options are explored, particularly in rural communities with smaller hospitals or fewer medical professionals.

Adds to existing law to establish the Idaho Rural Health Transformation Fund and the Rural Health Transformation Committee.

RS33626 / H0862 This legislation creates a new chapter in Idaho Code, section 56-2501 and 56-2502, which establishes the Idaho Rural Health Transformation Fund account in the state treasury and establishes the Rural Health Transformation Committee. The legislative joint committee will serve to steward and provide oversight of the funds awarded to Idaho from the federal rural health transformation program grant.

Amends existing law to provide that certain substances involving mitragynine shall be Schedule I controlled substances.

RS33658 / H0864 This legislation amends Idaho's Uniform Controlled Substance Act to classify alkaloids found or derived from Mitragyna Speciosa (commonly known as kratom) as Schedule 1 controlled substances.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the distribution of moneys in the Liquor Account.

RS33824 / H0944 This legislation amends Section 23-404, Idaho Code, to revise the distribution of moneys in the Liquor Account. The bill also makes technical corrections to remove outdated language. The bill provides for an additional transfer of $5,000,000 annually to the Idaho Law Enforcement Fund. These funds are intended to support Project Choice and enhance the recruitment and retention of Idaho State Police troopers. The transfer is prioritized within the existing statutory distribution framework and is required to occur prior to distributions to the General Fund.