Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding how vacancies are filled for a board of county commissioners.

LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO Sixty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2026 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HOUSE BILL NO. 892 BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AN ACT1 RELATING TO BOARDS OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS; AMENDING SECTION 59-906A, IDAHO2 CODE, TO REVISE PROVISIONS REGARDING HOW VACANCIES ARE FILLED FOR A3 BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND TO MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS; AND4 DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.5

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:6

SECTION 1. That Section 59-906A, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby7 amended to read as follows:8 59-906A. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS -- VACANCIES -- HOW FILLED. In9 the event of a vacancy on a board of county commissioners, such vacancy shall10 be filled as herein provided pursuant to the provisions of this section. The11 county central committee of the same political party, if any, of the former12 member whose seat is vacant shall submit, within fifteen (15) days, a list13 of three (3) nominations to the governor. For counties with a population of14 less than fifty thousand (50,000), the county central committee shall sub-15 mit to the governor a list of one (1) nominee. For counties with a popula-16 tion greater than fifty thousand (50,000) but less than one hundred thousand17 (100,000), the county central committee shall submit to the governor a list18 of two (2) nominees. For counties with a population greater than one hundred19 thousand (100,000), the county central committee shall submit to the gover-20 nor a list of three (3) nominees. The governor shall fill the vacancy by ap-21 pointment from the list of three (3) nominations within fifteen (15) days.22 If no appointment has been made within fifteen (15) days, the county central23 committee shall designate one (1) of the three (3) nominees to fill the va-24 cancy. The vacancy shall be so filled until the expiration of the term in25 which the vacancy occurs. The county central committee of the same politi-26 cal party, if any, of the former member, shall select a person who possesses27 the constitutional qualifications to fill the vacant office to which he the28 person is nominated, and who is affiliated with the same political party, if29 any, as the former member whose seat is vacant. Upon failure of the committee30 to make such selection before the expiration of the fifteen (15) day period,31 the governor shall, within five (5) days, fill said vacancy by appointing a32 person having the qualifications above set forth in the provisions of this33 section.34

SECTION 2. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby35 declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after36 July 1, 2026.37