Idaho Bills

States findings of the Legislature and requests federal action.

This Memorial requests Congress to support legislation to codify the United States Supreme Court decision in Sackett v Environmental Protection Agency, et al., 598 U.S. 651 (2023), concerning Waters of the United States (WOTUS). The decision found that the EPA and US Corps of Engineers exceeded their legal authority and the Court established a new standard for determining what is included in WOTUS and what is subject to federal jurisdiction. The Memorial also requests the EPA and USCOE follow the Court decision.

Amends and adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding foster care placement.

This bill improves Idaho's foster care system expanding expedited placement eligibility to trusted kin, further ensuring stability for vulnerable children and makes technical corrections for statutory consistency.

Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding hearing loss screening.

This bill ensures our youngest Idahoans are screened for hearing loss at birth so that proper interventions can be accessed in a timely manner.

Amends existing law regarding irrigation conduits and rights-of-way.

This legislation clarifies that, when work is done within an irrigation easement, the ditch owner is not required to provide advance notice to, or obtain written permission from, the underlying landowner.

Amends current law to revise provisions regarding director appointments to certain executive agencies.

Presently, the directors for the Idaho Departments of Transportation, Fish and Game, and Parks and Recreation are neither subject to Senate confirmation nor gubernatorial appointment. This legislation provides for senate advice and consent as well as gubernatorial appointment for the directors of these three agencies consistent with other state agencies.

Amends and adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding the 2026 Coeur d'Alene Tribe water rights settlement agreement and to provide for the Coeur d'Alene tribal water supply bank.

This legislation ratifies and provides for implementation of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe Water Rights Settlement Agreement of 2026, which resolves claims made by or on behalf of the Tribe in the Coeur d’Alene-Spokane River Basin Adjudication. It further provides authority for the Idaho Water Resource Board to appoint a local rental committee to facilitate operation of a water supply bank for the off-reservation lease and rental of consumptive use federal reserved water rights held by or on behalf of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe within the Coeur d’Alene Spokane River Basin.

States findings of the Legislature and honors the sacrifice of Idaho civilians who served on Wake Island during World War II.

This resolution honors the employees of Morrison-Knudsen company that were working on Wake Island prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor.

States findings of the Legislature and calls on Congress to pass and fully fund legislation that fulfills the 40% federal funding commitment in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The purpose of this resolution is to call upon Congress to honor its long-standing statutory commitment to fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) at the promised forty percent level. For decades, the federal government has failed to meet this obligation, resulting in an ongoing unfunded mandate that effectively shifts federal costs to states, local school districts, and property taxpayers. Fully funding IDEA would restore federal accountability for a federally mandated program, relieve ongoing pressure on state and local education budgets, reduce reliance on property taxes to backfill federal funding shortfalls, and strengthen educational outcomes. It would allow existing resources to be used more effectively to serve students with disabilities and their families.

Amends, repeals, and adds to existing law to establish the Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Other Protective Arrangements Act.

This bill is an update of current Idaho Code sections that address guardianship and conservatorship for adults and minors. These are found in the Uniform Probate Code (Title 15, Chapter 5) and in The Care and Treatment of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (Title 66, Chapter 4). This legislation is the result of over five (5) years of intense study of issues related to guardianship and conservatorship by legal experts, community groups, and others. This bill adds further protections on multiple levels for those involved in the guardianship and conservatorship processes. It provides clarity in areas where questions have arisen in the current Code. It provides multiple detailed alternatives to formal guardianship and conservatorship court proceedings, including Protective Arrangements and Supported Decision Making. It retains multiple Idaho procedures that are working well. It requires detailed information at the beginning of a guardianship or conservatorship process under the Code. It protects the constitutional rights of persons subject to the Code or those affected by proceedings under the Code, including more stringent notice provisions and required written statements of rights both at service of the petition and before hearings. It sets higher standards of evidence (usually “clear and convincing”). It also moves the conservatorship and guardianship provisions for persons with developmental disabilities into the Probate Code. This gives the additional protections in the Probate Code while retaining all the existing protections for individuals with developmental disabilities. The bill also organizes the Code into a more logical set of chapters.

States findings of the Legislature and calls on the federal government to protect Idaho citizens who file depredation claims.

Grazing leases or permits on federal land are a valuable property right and can be critical to the success of Idaho ranchers. A rancher should not have their grazing lease or permit be adversely impacted because they submitted a depredation claim regarding their livestock. This Memorial calls upon the federal government to adopt rules to ensure that depredation claims cannot be used as a basis for modifying or revising a federal grazing permit or lease.

Amends and adds to existing law to eliminate the fee for the copyrighted license plate design and to establish the America250 license plate for the benefit of the Idaho Heritage Trust.

Currently, the Idaho Heritage Trust receives .50 cents per plate for every license plate using the standard design. This legislation removes the .50 cent fee. It creates a new America250 specialty license plate. Like other specialty license plates supporting outside organizations, a portion of the America250 specialty license plate fee will go to the Idaho Heritage Trust.