Idaho Bills

Repeals existing law related to financial assistance eligibility.

The purpose of this legislation is to repeal the last section of the county medical indigent program, which no longer exists (program repealed in HB735a in 2022). This section was left in to finish out the last of the program but is no longer needed.

States findings of the Legislature, supports federal efforts to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, and urges Congress to fully cooperate with these efforts.

RS33683 / HJM019 This memorial expresses the position of the Idaho Legislature in support of President Trump’s desire to eliminate the United States Department of Education and to return primary authority over education policy to the states.

Relates to the appropriation to the Commission of Pardons and Parole for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.

RS33671 / S1386 This appropriation to the Commission of Pardons and Parole provides enhancements to the FY 2027 maintenance budget that includes Dedicated Fund Budget Restoration and OITS Hardware. This bill also provides a supplemental appropriation to the FY 2026 budget, which includes a Dedicated Fund Rescission Restoration.

Amends and adds to existing law to establish provisions for the opening of the shotgun sporting complex adjacent to Farragut State Park.

In 2023, the legislature passed House Bill No. 304 which directed the Idaho fish and game commission (IDFG) to expend up to five million dollars in federal funds through the Pittman-Robertson wildlife restoration act to purchase a specific plot of forty to sixty acres of land that the Coeur d’Alene Skeet and Trap Club occupies and leases from the Coeur d’Alene airport in Hayden, Idaho. The FAA and the Federal Wildlife Service could not agree on price for the ground, which has likely killed the potential for a purchase of said ground. This legislation codifies an alternative that was proposed by IDFG, whereby IDFG will lease the current location for a period of years until the operation can be moved to IDFG in Farragut State Park where it will be expanded. The lease and the move and expansion are codified herein. This legislation codifies an alternative that was proposed by IDFG, whereby IDFG will lease the current location for a period of years until the operation can be moved to IDFG in Farragut State Park where it will be expanded. The lease and the move and expansion are codified herein.

Relates to the appropriation to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for fiscal year 2027.

RS33547 / H0877 This appropriation to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation provides additional funding to the FY 2027 budget for a lease increase for the Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Relates to the appropriation to the Public Employee Retirement System for fiscal year 2027.

RS33546 / H0868 This appropriation to the Public Employee Retirement System provides onetime enhancements to the FY 2027 maintenance budget that include funding for a pension software upgrade, continuity-of-operations plan, and replacement items.

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

RS33643 / S1381 This appropriation to the State Lottery provides enhancements to the FY 2027 maintenance budget that include replacement computer equipment such as desktops, laptops, and Apple workstations used to develop scratch games.

Amends existing law to provide that procedures used in an execution shall not be subject to certain provisions of law.

This legislation amends parts of Title 19, Chapter 27, Idaho Code to extend legal protections from discovery or disclosure of certain persons and entities to carry out the death penalty by lethal injection to certain persons and entities to carry out the death penalty by firing squad. Death penalty by firing squad will become the primary method of execution beginning July 1, 2026.

Amends and adds to existing law to provide for alternative authorization for administrators and to authorize the use of funds for related mentoring.

This legislation creates an Alternative Authorization Program for prospective school principals and superintendents that do not otherwise hold an administrator certificate. This legislation creates two pathways for candidates to become school principals and superintendents— a “grow your own” pathway and a “executive leadership pathway. The “grow your own” pathway is for experienced Idaho educators to develop leadership skills. The “executive leadership” pathway is for experienced professionals from other industries— including military officers, private sector executives, nonprofit leaders, and government officials— to gain preparation in school system operations. To ensure quality and accountability, applicants must be sponsored by a public school district, must meet specific preliminary requirements, and must complete an embedded mentorship program, which will focus on operational duties of an administrator. This bill is being introduced to help Idaho school districts that are struggling to find qualified administrators, particularly in rural areas. Many districts face increasing difficulty in recruiting school principals and superintendents, leaving critical leadership gaps that impact student growth and achievement.

States findings of the Legislature and supports various water projects within Water District 3.

The Purpose of this Concurrent Resolution is to formally recognize the vital economic and hydrologic contributions of Idaho Water Resource Board District 3, encompassing the Magic Valley and Wood River Basins. The resolution declares legislative support for a specific suite of infrastructure projects essential to the region's stability. Furthermore, the legislation affirms the state's commitment to the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA), declaring these investments necessary to protect public safety, sustain the nation's most concentrated dairy industry, and secure the long term water supply for Idaho's agricultural economy.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding costs associated with the annexation of certain property by cities.

It is the intent of the legislature to honor and uphold the rights of private landowners. This means that to the extent possible, the government is not to create a heavy burden on a landowner and their ability to manage their property. This was a central theme when penning the Declaration of Independence. Recognizing that there are times when municipalities do find it necessary to annex property, the municipalities are being asked to use the lightest touch possible. This legislation requires the municipalities to incur the costs if the city created the costs. Other options include allowing landowners to replace a septic system.

Adds to existing law to provide for the establishment of the Idaho High-Needs Student Fund.

This legislation creates a funding mechanism to help address the extraordinary costs associated with students with disabilities who require a level of care that exceeds typical special education expenditures. These expenses can cause significant budget gaps for the school districts and public charter schools incurring the expenses. The reimbursements would be distributed to districts and charters through an application process managed by the Idaho Department of Education. The fund’s structure ensures no duplication of funding and maintains compliance with Medicaid regulations while maximizing resources available to students. The fund ultimately helps schools cover necessary health expenses that Medicaid may not fully reimburse.

Amends existing law to make codifier's corrections.

RS33175 / H0893 The purpose of this legislation is to make codifier and technical corrections to the Idaho Code. During the course of a session, the same code sections and chapters might be amended multiple times in different bills. These amendments cannot always be cleanly reconciled and incorporated into the Idaho Code. Rather, the changes can result in inconsistent numbering of statutes, irregular grammar, and “surplus punctuation” — for example, a comma that was not itself deleted in any bill but was associated with deleted language. In the annual Codifier bill, the Legislative Services Office corrects any such irregularities and also makes other technical corrections to the Idaho Code, such as revising grammar and punctuation, correcting inaccurate code references, and updating archaic language. Codifier and technical corrections are not substantive in nature and will not change the meaning or effect of any section or chapter being amended. This is merely “cleanup” legislation, intended to provide clarity to readers of the Idaho Code.

Relates to the appropriation to the Idaho State Historical Society for fiscal year 2027.

RS33701 / S1387 This appropriation to the Idaho State Historical Society provides additional funding to the FY 2027 budget that includes additional appropriation for state collections and archival moving costs, and OITS hardware, including desktops, laptops, and a printer.

States findings of the Legislature and recognizes all the Idaho athletes who participated in the Olympics.

RS33694 / HCR035 This resolution honors Idaho’s athletes who represented the United States of America in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Amends existing law to provide that speed limits for vehicles with five or more axles operating at a gross weight of more than 26,000 pounds shall be the same as for other vehicles.

Differential speed limits, most often in the form of forcing heavy trucks to travel slower than passenger cars, increase traffic turbulence, leading to higher crash risks due to increased interactions. Research has shown that speed variance (differences in speed between vehicles) causes more accidents than absolute speed, with a 10 mph difference creating a much as a 227% increase in interactions. When variances in speed occur at excessive speeds, such as on interstate highways, the severity of crashes increases dramatically. This legislation eliminates differential speed limits on state highways.