Idaho Bills

States findings of the Legislature and urges federal lawmakers to prohibit inclusion of artificial sweeteners in school meal programs.

The state of Idaho is one of the largest producers of sugarbeets in the nation, usually ranked as number two in production. The sugarbeet is a natural, non-artifucial source for sugar. Currently the Trump Administration is pushing what they are calling the MAHA movement-Make America Healthy Again. Through this memorial, we, the members of the Idaho Legislature, are urging Congress to join Secretary Robert Kennedy's push to move away from artificial sweeteners in our children's school lunches and replace with natural sources of sugar. This memorial will be read in Congress, placed in the journal, and Idaho has the chance to lead the way.

Relates to the appropriation to the Department of Water Resources for fiscal year 2027.

RS33812 / S1431 This bill provides additional funds to the Department of Water Resources to the FY 2027. It includes funding for aquifer monitoring and measuring and restores funding that was removed from the maintenance appropriation as part of the ongoing 5% Base Reduction. These restorations include funding for stream gaging and personnel costs related two positions within the North Idaho Adjudication and Bear River Basin Adjudication programs. This budget also includes language allowing the reappropriation of federal funds to pay for projects are they are completed and language directing the use the treatment of filing fees collected during the adjudication process.

Repeals and adds to existing law to provide for strategic performance plans and training.

This legislation replaces the existing Continuous Improvement Plans (CIPs) requirement with Strategic Performance Plans. The legislation focuses on student results while outlining stronger, clearer requirements. Every school district and public charter school will be required to adopt a multi-year plan that sets measurable goals for student proficiency, academic growth, graduation rates, college and career readiness, and improved outcomes for at-risk and economically disadvantaged students. A public charter school may use its Performance Certificate toward fulling the requirements for a Strategic Performance Plan. The bill also creates a clear accountability and support framework, and the State Board of Education will adopt a matrix for evaluating progress. Schools will report progress annually and review results publicly at least quarterly, ensuring greater transparency and consistent local oversight. High performing schools will be recognized for excellence, while schools that struggle to meet their goals will receive targeted support, mentorship, and focused training. Finally, the bill reduces outdated reporting requirements and provides dedicated funding for school board and leadership development, ensuring that local leaders have the tools needed to deliver better outcomes for Idaho students.

Relates to the appropriation to the Department of Administration for fiscal year 2027.

RS33711 / H0923 This appropriation to the Department of Administration provides enhancements to the FY 2027 maintenance budget that include a shift of utilities costs from the General Fund to dedicated funds and a program transfer for an administrative support position. It also provides dedicated funding for 1.00 FTP for a bureau chief for Medicaid procurement, general inflation for utilities rate increases, IT hardware, and an adjustment to a prior General Fund rescission for a long-term vacant position to correct a calculation error.

Adds to existing law to establish the Pediatric Secretive Transitions Parental Rights Act.

In 2023, the Idaho legislature passed H 71 banning pediatric gender mutilation. This legislation, the "Pediatric Secretive Transitions Parental Rights Act," seeks to expand upon those protections and reinforce the fundamental right of parents and guardians to oversee the medical and social upbringing of their children. The bill prohibits "covered entities"–including healthcare providers, educational institutions, and childcare providers–from facilitating a minor's medical sex transition or "social transition" without informing and obtaining the informed consent of the child's parent or guardian. Specifically, it prevents these entities from withholding information regarding a child's interest in sex transition procedures and requires schools to notify parents within 72 hours if a student requests to use different names, pronouns, or sex-separated facilities. The act establishes a civil cause of action for aggrieved parents to recover compensatory damages and authorizes the Attorney General to investigate violations, seek writs of mandamus, and levy civil penalties.

Amends and repeals existing law relating to the sale, transfer, or disposition of state administrative facilities.

RS33653 / H0890 This legislation repeals Section 67-5709A, which creates a separate process for the sale of state administrative facilities in the custody or control of the state of Idaho.

Adds to existing law to provide for new large loads.

RS33737 / H0911 This legislation establishes a clear framework for how Idaho’s public utilities and the Idaho Public Utilities Commission will evaluate and serve new large electrical loads while protecting existing ratepayers. The bill requires that any new large load meeting the statutory threshold may only receive service under a commission-approved contract, filed before service begins, and supported by a “no harm test” and other information sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the act.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding Medicaid eligibility expansion.

RS33740 / H0913 The proposed legislation requires the Department of Health & Welfare to implement Medicaid work and community engagement requirements no later than December 31, 2026, as outlined in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (2025). Medicaid participant compliance with work requirements will be verified for the three months preceding the individual’s enrollment or redetermination.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the Idaho Digital Learning Academy.

RS33808 / H0940 This legislation establishes updated policy governing the operation of the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance (IDLA) and clarifies its role as a supplemental provider of online courses for Idaho public school students. The bill reaffirms IDLA’s core mission of filling instructional gaps by offering courses for remediation, courses that may not otherwise be available in small or rural school districts, courses required for graduation, and overload courses. The legislation eliminates certain program offerings that fall outside this core mission, including custom section arrangements that allow for duplicate funding, participation by virtual schools, driver’s education courses, and programs serving kindergarten through fifth grade students. The bill further directs that IDLA services be focused on students in grades six through twelve. Additionally, the bill establishes minimum fees for courses required for graduation and for elective courses, and sets a cap of $445 in state funding per course. While the legislation limits certain categories of users eligible for state-supported enrollment, it preserves the ability for any approved IDLA user to enroll in courses by paying the full course fee.

Relates to the appropriation to the Office of the Secretary of State for fiscal year 2027.

RS33828 / H0952 This appropriation to the Office of the Secretary of the State provides enhancements to the FY 2027 maintenance budget that include a onetime appropriation of $350,000 for a voter pamphlet, as well as an ongoing transfer of $20,000 from operating expenditures to personnel costs to provide overtime expenses in lieu of compensatory time for the post election audit team. This bill also includes a 2% ongoing General Fund base reduction in the amount of $114,200. The total budget for the Office of the Secretary of State is $5,872,400.

Amends and adds to existing law to provide for an initiative petition to raise or lower the property tax budgets for fire protection districts and ambulance service districts and to revise provisions regarding certain property tax budget limits.

RS33842C1 / H0959 This legislation addresses the limitations HB 389 (2021) places on the growth of property taxes for fire protection districts and ambulance service districts. These constraints have prevented these districts in a small number of fast-growing areas from being able to keep up with the public safety service demands of their growing populations. Specifically, this legislation: 1. Increases the cap on overall property tax growth fire protection districts and ambulance service districts from 8% to 15%, if enough new construction and annexed territory has been added to cover the cost of these extra property taxes. 2. Provides that new construction and annexations are added to property tax budgets of fire protection districts and ambulance service districts based on the prior year’s levy rate, rather than the estimated current year levy rate. 3. Prohibits the accumulation of additional future foregone property tax balances in fire protection and ambulance service districts. Foregone property tax balances from prior to 2026 may continue to be retained and used in the future, under statutory limitations. 4. Provides a new voter initiative process for fire protection districts and ambulance service districts that would allow voters to increase or reduce property tax budgets, using the same threshold for passage that the law currently provides for voters to increase property taxes beyond statutory limits (two-thirds vote).

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

RS33849C1 / H0967 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 $4,000,000 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.

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

RS33868 / H0974 This is an appropriation bill for the Idaho State Police for FY 2027, for the purposes of implementing a new pay plan for commissioned officers. This bill serves as a trailer appropriation for H793, S1325, and H967, all of 2026. H793 amended the revenue distribution of the beer excise tax pursuant to Section 23-1008, Idaho Code, directing moneys that were previously distributed to the Permanent Building Fund, to the Idaho State Police, with 60% of those contributions going to the Idaho Law Enforcement (Project Choice) Fund, and the other 40% directed to the Alcohol Beverage Control Fund. This is projected to generate approximately $1 million annually for Project Choice. S1325 created a new white and black license plate. Proceeds from the sale of this plate are directed to the Idaho Law Enforcement (Project Choice) Fund, pursuant to Section 49-417G, Idaho Code, and are projected to generate an additional $1.5 million annually. H967 amended the liquor account distributions to direct an additional $4 million annually to the Law Enforcement (Project Choice) Fund, pursuant to Section 23-404, Idaho Code. Idaho State Police estimates that those policy changes will generate a cumulative of $6,500,000 annually for the Idaho Law Enforcement (Project Choice) Fund. The federal funds included in this appropriation will be directed towards personnel costs for the Commercial Vehicle Safety team within the Patrol Program. These positions are federally funded from the federal Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program, and this federal fund appropriation would align those employees with the implemented pay plan structure.

Amends existing law to clarify the existing right of persons licensed to practice chiropractic to prescribe certain prescription drug products.

The purpose of this legislation is to effectuate the original intent of the statute allowing licensed Idaho chiropractors, certified in clinical nutrition, to prescribe and treat patients with the limited prescription drug products they are currently allowed under the Idaho law to obtain and independently administer to patients. The Idaho legislature previously passed Idaho code § 54-716 to allow Idaho chiropractors to treat patients with certain, limited prescription drug products, however, currently compound pharmacies and pharmaceutical distributors are not providing access to chiropractors to the products. This legislation will cure that deficiency.

Amends and adds to existing law to revise and establish provisions regarding civics education.

This legislation establishes new requirements for civics curricula developed or adopted by a public school district or charter school. It establishes that one of the primary ends of Idaho's K-12 education system is to help students cultivate the virtue and knowledge necessary for self-government, stipulates that secondary students must take two credits in American history and two credits in American government, and mandates instruction in the history of Western Civilization in 8th grade by the 2030-2031 school year. This legislation also stipulates that curricula developed or adopted by a public school district or charter school include instruction on certain key principles, concepts, and documents from and about the American Founding and the history of Communism. Moreover, this legislation moves the first year of implementation for the civics assessment to the 2027-2028 school year. Lastly, this legislation establishes that all curricular materials adopted by a public school district or charter school must satisfy certain criteria.