Idaho Bills

Amends and adds to existing law to revise the definition of “electioneering,” to provide for relief prohibiting the publication of synthetic media in electioneering communications, to provide for an action prohibiting the publication of synthetic media in electioneering communications, and to provide exceptions.

This legislation addresses the use of "deep fakes" generated by artificial intelligence and other digital technology in electioneering. A candidate whose image, appearance or speech has been manipulated in an electioneering communication using digital means so as to create a fundamentally different understanding or impression of the appearance, action or speech than occurred in reality, the candidate may seek injunctive relief as well as general and/or special damages. It shall be an affirmative defense that the electioneering communication included sufficient disclosure that the video or audio representation was manipulated. This legislation further aligns the electioneering periods for both primaries and general elections to 60 days before the election date.

Adds to existing law to provide conditions for the issuance of orders establishing or revising the baseline methodology for determining material injury and to provide for preparation of such orders at any time of the year.

This legislation establishes a process for establishing or revising the baseline methodology for determining material injury related to Idaho water rights.

Adds to existing law to provide for certain powers and duties and to provide restrictions on board membership and proxy votes.

This legislation gives homeowners in a development where they reside representation on a homeowner’s association (HOA) board after 75% of the development is built and occupied. It also outlines the complete transfer of all HOA powers and activities to the homeowners after 95% of the development is built and occupied. This transfer to homeowners shall be completed within 180 days. It addresses proxy votes, penalty clause and a 15-business day response for all inquiries made by a homeowner.

Amends and adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding license plate readers and to provide for the attachment of front license plates only to vehicles equipped with a front mounting bracket.

This legislation pertains to the subject of vehicle license plates. In the relative absence of state laws specifically dealing with the question, many Idaho law enforcement agencies are deploying cameras that record the license plates of every vehicle that passes by on public roads. The data collected can then be kept indefinitely. In order to check the drift towards the creation of a surveillance society, this legislation limits the usage of such cameras to investigating and prosecuting crimes, which would include searching for the plates of stolen vehicles, and scanning for particular plates to search for missing, endangered, or wanted individuals. It also prevents the inappropriate sharing of this data, and limits the retention of data to 45 days, unless it is being used in the investigation and prosecution of a crime, after which it must be irrevocably destroyed. The legislation also reduces the expenditure of time and money for the owners of certain ordinary vehicles by stating that those without a front license plate bracket do not need to mount a second license plate on the front of the vehicle.

Adds to existing law to establish certain requirements for employers to verify the lawful status of workers.

This legislation adds to Idaho employment law to prohibit employment of illegal aliens and require employers to e-verify an employee’s legal employment status as a condition of employment.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding voting by absentee ballot.

This legislation clears up who can request a ballot from county clerks or other officers charged with the duty of issuing official ballots. This will stop political parties, or individuals without caregiver or familial relationships with the individual from requesting a mail in ballot.

Amends existing law to provide that a judicial vacancy shall remain vacant until the next judicial election in certain instances and to revise a provision regarding the salary of the justices of the Supreme Court.

JFAC approved a Statewide Decision for CEC for FY 2025 of a 1% across-the-board increase, plus an additional 2% merit-based raise, for permanent employees of the state. Judicial Salaries must be separately established by the Legislature and are set forth in section 59-502, Idaho Code, which also indexes such salaries to a Supreme Court Justice’s salary to avoid salary compression between the four types of judgeships. To accomplish the intent of both the budget process as well as the salary statute, a 3% increase to the current Magistrate Judge salary is first calculated. This calculation results in a $4,296 salary increase, which is then added to the Supreme Court Justice salary so as to maintain the salary differentials currently existing in section 59-502, Idaho Code. This results in a $4,296 salary increase per judicial officer. This bill sets the annual salary of a justice of the Supreme Court at $169,508, which is a 2.6% increase of their current salary. As set forth in Idaho Code, the difference between the salary of a Supreme Court Justice and a Court of Appeals Judge remains at $8,000 (resulting in a 2.7% salary increase for Court of Appeals Judges); the difference between the salary of a Court of Appeals Judge and a District Judge remains at $6,000 (resulting in a 2.8% salary increase for District Judges); and the difference between the salary of a District Judge and a Magistrate Judge remains at $8,000 (resulting in a 3.0% salary increase for Magistrate Judges. If a judge elects to retire and does so at a time other than at the conclusion of his term of office, the judicial vacancy created shall remain vacant until a qualified candidate is successfully elected during the next available judicial election.

Amends existing law to revise penalties for offenses against children.

This legislation amends existing Idaho law regarding mandatory minimum sentences for crimes against children. The legislation addresses bodily injury crimes and sexual crimes and imposes harsher minimum sentences and enables fines and penalties received under this code to be paid into the Domestic Violence Project account to be used for victim services

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding voting by absentee ballot.

This legislation clears up who can request a ballot for absentee voting from county clerks or other officers charged with the duty of issuing official ballots. This will stop political parties from mass mailing ballot requests whether filled out or empty. This will not affect people with familial or caregiver status from requesting a ballot. This does not affect electronic registration for ballot request or application.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the duties of ski area operators.

This legislation amends section 6-1103, Idaho Code, the Responsibilities and Liabilities of Skiers and Ski Area Operators, to clarify that there is no standard of care for the nine enumerated duties of ski area operators. This clarification recognizes that skiing is an inherently dangerous sport, and the nine enumerated duties are intended to lessen the associated risks.