Idaho Bills

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding agricultural pests.

This legislation amends Idaho Code 25-2601 to specifically include rats as pests for which county commissioners may take appropriate actions to control. The amendment also better organizes the code formatting of the pests list.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the deposit and distribution of earnings reserve funds.

Idaho’s Endowment Lands and the resulting Endowment Fund were created by the Idaho Admission Act in 1890 to support public education into perpetuity. This legislation establishes a separate and distinct distribution of Endowment funds to local school districts, increasing awareness and transparency of the Fund’s importance to Idaho’s education system that is found in the Idaho Constitution.

Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding the capture or use of biometric identifiers.

This legislation addresses the commercial capture and use of biometric identifiers, including retina or iris scans, fingerprints, voiceprints, and records of hand or face geometry. Informed consent is required before a person or entity collects a biometric identifier for a commercial purpose. The sale or disclosure of biometric identifiers is prohibited except in limited circumstances, such as with consent, to complete a requested financial transaction, or in response to a warrant. Individuals are also allowed to revoke consent to use biometric identifiers for a commercial purpose at any time. Reasonable care is required to protect biometric data and to destroy such data within a specified timeframe once the purpose for collection has expired.

Amends existing law to provide for the confirmation that a decedent has been definitively identified prior to cremation.

RS33697 / S1392 These legislative amendments to Idaho Code § 54-1143 are intended to prevent the cremation of unintended or improperly identified individuals by requiring positive identification before a cremation application is approved. This ensures the individual being cremated matches the authorization provided before the cremation process begins. If cremation occurs prior to definitive identification, all identifying features are destroyed, eliminating the ability to confirm the decedent’s identity for the legal next-of-kin and family members.

Amends and adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding allegations of abuse and temporary and ex parte orders.

RS33684 / S1393 This legislation amends Idaho child custody law by requiring investigations when abuse is alleged, limiting how long temporary or emergency custody orders can last, and requiring stronger evidence before courts restrict a parent’s custody or parenting time.

Amends existing law to provide an exception for water skiing.

This legislation expands the area for water skiing activities on public bodies of water and adds requirements/time/date parameters for some of those activities. Recreational waterskiing regulations were last amended in 2011. Fourteen other States have similar regulations.

Amends and repeals existing law regarding a voter's affidavit in lieu of identification.

This legislation removes the option to substitute personal identification with a voter's affidavit.

Amends existing law to establish provisions regarding supervised visitation.

RS33685 / S1394 This bill updates Idaho custody law to limit and review supervised visitation, requiring courts to justify it, review it within 49 days, and set clear steps for a parent to return to unsupervised parenting time.

Amends and adds to revise provisions regarding Idaho child custody laws.

RS33686 / S1395 This legislation would create a presumption of substantially equal custody between parents in Idaho and require clear evidence before limiting a parent's custody rights. It adds legislative intent and definitions.

Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding law enforcement officers and facial coverings.

This legislation amends Idaho Code §18-713 by establishing provisions regarding law enforcement officers and facial coverings.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding limitations on the regulation of short-term rentals.

This bill aims to balance the private property rights of homeowners and short-term rental (STR) owners. It would prevent cities and counties from adopting STR-specific ordinances, except for basic safety requirements such as providing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers and escape tools, and emergency information. It would also prohibit local governments from requiring business licenses unless the rentals are owned by professional investors who operate four or more STRs in the same jurisdiction or a rental generates greater than $10,000 per year.

States findings of the Legislature and provides that all pending rules of the Idaho Transportation Department have been reviewed and approved by the Senate Transportation Committee.

RS33251 / A SENATE RESOLUTION SR121 STATING FINDINGS OF THE SENATE AND PROVIDING THAT ALL PENDING RULES OF THE IDAHO TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.

Adds to existing law to provide for regulation of development on religious land.

This legislation permits multifamily and mixed-use housing on religious land and prevents local governments from imposing discretionary zoning barriers, excessive dimensional standards, or mandates that deter religious institutions from providing housing to families in accordance with their missions. It establishes ministerial approval procedures and enforcement mechanisms while preserving core health, safety, and infrastructure regulations.

Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding patient immigration status data collection.

This bill establishes a new provision requiring all Medicaid-accepting hospitals to collect information on patients’ immigration status at admission. The patient immigration status data will be submitted to the Department of Health & Welfare on a quarterly basis for review.

States findings of the House of Representatives and provides that all temporary and pending rules of the State Board of Education and the Division of Career Technical Education have been reviewed and approved by the House Education Committee.

This resolution states that all pending and temporary administrative rules of the State Board of Education, Department of Education, and Career Technical Education, have been reviewed and approved by House Education Committee.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the powers and duties of the Office of Information Technology Services.

This legislation places information technology procurement within the Office of Information Technology Services (“ITS”). ITS houses the experts for IT services for the State of Idaho. Under this legislation, ITS will be required to consult with agency heads about the needs of the department, conduct an analysis of the IT equipment or service needed, and then procure the IT product or service for the department. That analysis can be conducted by a third party so long as the third party does not charge the Office. The Office can also enter into an MOU to continue using the Division of Purchasing for procurements. When they are not using the Division of Purchasing, they are exempt under that chapter.

Amends, repeals, and adds to existing law to revise provisions regarding the election of commissioners in certain single countywide highway districts.

This legislation changes the process by which highway district commissioners are elected in a countywide highway district to match the process by which county officials are elected, effective for the 2028 election cycle. Specifically, it would match the process by which county commissioners are elected. Like county commissioners, countywide highway district commissioners will need to reside within the district they represent and will be elected countywide. Also, like county commissioners, they will file for nomination in the even-year May primary, and then the primary winners will run for election in the even-year general election. The process by which county commissioners are elected is well-understood and ensures that countywide commissioners are elected on the broadest possible basis. The legislation also allows for a candidate for the 2026 election to declare their party affiliation and to have that information available on the general election ballot.