Idaho Bills

Amends existing law to provide that certain state lands shall be subject to specified law for the levy and collection of assessments.

This legislation ensures that State lands that are entitled to water rights and drainage benefits apportioned by irrigation districts are subject to irrigation district assessments to pay for the costs of constructing, operating, and maintaining district water delivery and drainage systems.

Amends existing law to revise fee provisions regarding petitions for exclusion; to revise when hearings are to be held regarding petitions for exclusion, to require payment of outstanding assessments, to provide for liens; to revise provisions regarding exceptions to payment of costs associated with exclusion of land, and to revise when hearings are to be held.

The purposes of this legislation are to: clarify the exclusion fee schedule depending on location and size of parcel proposed for exclusion; clarify that exclusion process-related fees are to be borne by the petitioner and are not potentially apportionable costs shared by the irrigation district; extend the available irrigation district investigation/hearing timeline to allow facility and water availability investigation to occur when weather conditions are more suitable for performing such tasks either close to, or when, water is in the ditch system; and clarify that current and prior year assessments remain due and owing prior to exclusion.