LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Week Five Idaho Legislative Update for Feb. 9 – Feb. 13, 2026

The fifth week is a wrap, and in true historic form, the pace and energy in the statehouse shifted into a higher gear. The floodgates are open on bill introductions ahead of today and Monday’s deadlines. Committee meetings are lasting longer. Budget writers are sequestering themselves in fourth floor conference rooms poring over details of agency budgets. The overall noise level in the Rotunda is steadily growing, punctuated this week when players, coaches and officials from Boise State University and the University of Idaho celebrated the resumption of their in-state football rivalry.

Rep. Barb Ehardt, the Idaho Falls Republican who chairs the Local Government Committee, summed up the mood best when – with a wink and wry grin – she warned committee members: “The work in this committee has definitely picked up. Plan on meeting next week at all of our regularly scheduled times.”

With the scene set, let’s explore the latest budgetary developments. The Joint Finance Appropriations Committee on Friday approved 10 different sets of maintenance budgets covering every state agency, public schools, higher ed and more. Despite the across-the-board belt-tightening, we’re pleased JFAC preserved funding for FY 27 water projects in the Idaho Department of Water Resources budget and rejected Gov. Little’s recommendation to defund virtual public schools by $23 million.

While transportation, firefighting and many other critical projects lost funding or suffered significant cuts to meet the scaled down revenue projections, we anticipate these budgets will be approved and satisfactory for legislators to meet their requirements to fund government and balance the state’s budget. Budgets approved Friday will begin working their way through the House and Senate next week with plenty of fanfare from all sides on whether JFAC cut enough or sliced too deep. Regardless of the debates, JFAC members have a brutal task this year, and have worked diligently and efficiently, especially in comparison to recent years when state coffers were flush with federal funds.

The next step is for JFAC members – each assigned to various working groups – to drill down a little deeper to identify programs worthy of restored funding. This is the so-called “enhancement budget” process, and while there isn’t much cash, or hope to save pet projects, members made clear Friday they will look for opportunities in budgets for Health and Welfare, public safety (Idaho State Police) and agencies focused on economic development.

Ok, let’s shift to the torrent of new bills introduced this week. It happens in week five and six of each session and is driven by procrastinators trying to beat the Feb. 16 deadline for proposing new legislation. A quick, unofficial tally shows more than 110 bills introduced this week. The House Judiciary & Rules Committee, clearly looking to pad those numbers, introduced a whopping 22 new bills Friday.

Not all bills will get a hearing or make it out of committee. Many bills this time of year are designed for no other purpose than to polish resumes heading into the May Primary Election. Some will be shoved into the committee chairman’s desk drawer and never see light of day. But the flurry of new bill activity this week portends longer committee meetings, extended sessions on the House and Senate floor and the onset of a new level of fatigue and tension for lawmakers and staff.

We’re not complaining. This is where things get interesting and fun. We’re sorting through all the new proposals and those of interest will be digested by our team by early next week, just in time for the Senate deadline to kick in. More bills will trickle in the coming weeks, but print deadline tradition symbolically marks a the midway point.

We’re excited about the progress on bills we’re working hard to advance. There are some we’re working just as hard on to go down in defeat. That’s the way it goes sometimes in the government affairs space. There are times when winning the day for our clients means beating back a policy or initiative that is clearly at odds with your interests or just a bad idea for the state of Idaho.

We love and thrive this time of year, and we thank you for the trust you’ve invested in our team and the work we’re doing. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions.

House Bills

H0502 – Forest Products Commission– Passed the House (66-1-3) Senate Resources & Environment
The legislation moves the IDAPA Rules of Administrative Procedure for the Idaho Forest Products Commission into Idaho Code. It also makes a series of technical corrections to the commission, officers, and assessments.  
Sponsor: Rep Boyle (R-9) 

HB511 – Wildfire Property Assessments – Passed the House (46-22-2)- Referred to Senate Resources and Environment
Calls for an increase from $40 to up to $100 on the surcharge set for improved private forest land parcels. Revenue generated from the surcharge would be deposited in a dedicated fund to support wildfire preparedness. The Land Board would have the authority to set the surcharge. The last rate increase was in 2009.  
Sponsor: Boyle (R-9) 

HB0565- Code Clean-up, Fish & Game- House Resources and Conservation  
To ensure that state laws are streamlined, up-to-date, and essential for the citizens of Idaho, while best serving the public health, safety, and welfare, the Legislature approved the Idaho Code Cleanup Act, H14 in the 2025 legislative session. Submitted sections of Idaho Code were reviewed for repeal consideration by the DOGE Task Force on the criteria of obsolete, outdated, and unnecessary. This bill repeals Sections 36-116, 36-715, and 36-1120, Idaho Code. These sections relate to the transition of wolf management to the state and hunting fines. Idaho has been managing wolves for years, and the fines for hunting violations are established in other sections of Idaho Code. 
Sponsors: Rep. Manwaring (R-29) Sen. Bjerke (R-5) 

H0630- Airborne Control of Predatory Animals- House Agricultural Affairs Committee 
This legislation would amend 22-102A, Idaho Code, which provides for the permitting of the use of aircraft in controlling unprotected or predatory animals. The amendments will account for the movement of current administrative rule language into the statute because it is beneficial to have all related requirements related to this matter in a single location in Idaho Code.
Sponsor: Rep. Shirts (R-9) 

H0651-Big Game Depredation Claims- House Resources and Conservation Committee
The purpose of this legislation is to ensure that all available moneys in the Big Game Depredation Fund are fully and efficiently paid out for valid claims arising from damage caused by big game to private property. This act clarifies claim payment procedures, prioritizes the distribution of available funds to approved claims, and provides mechanisms for proportional payment when claims exceed available balances, ensuring that funds are not unnecessarily left unexpended while landowners and agricultural producers wait for compensation. 
Sponsor: Rep. Shirts (R-9)

H0653- Wildlife Relocation- House Resources and Conservation Committee
This legislation increases transparency and public involvement in wildlife transplant and relocation decisions by requiring the Department of Fish and Game to notify county commissioners, affected landowners, and grazing permittees of planned movements. If an affected party objects in writing, the county commission must hold a hearing and vote on the proposal, while emergency “responsive movements” remain unaffected. 
Sponsor: Rep. Pickett (R-27

House Joint Memorials & Resolutions

HCR026- Wildlife Crossing- House Resources and Conservation 
This Joint Memorial codifies the need for the Idaho Legislature, Idaho’s Congressional delegation, Idaho’s Governor and the Directors of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Idaho Transportation Department to recognize and support the development and implementation of wildlife crossings as a means of improving public safety and the conservation of big game migration corridors. It is also the intention that the Idaho Legislature encourage state and local governments to engage with local stakeholders to develop policies that align with public safety, big game conservation, preserving and protecting the landscape, connectivity, and critical migration corridors that would serve as priority locations for wildlife crossings ultimately designed to benefit Idaho citizens and it’s abundant wildlife populations. 
Sponsor: Rep. Petzke (R-21) 

Senate Bills

S1222- Water, domestic use-Senate Resources and Environment Committee  
Relating to domestic wells. Last year there was an amendment to this section of code; however, it requires further exceptions to include certain subdivisions. 
Sponsor: Senator Anthon (R-27) 

S1223- Water districts-enate Resources and Environment Committee  
Relating to Water Districts. An update related to who is required to pay for updates. Currently it goes to all water users in that district, and this will update it to allow the water district to bill the user it affects directly. 
Sponsor: TBD 

S1238- Fish & Game, public comment- Senate Resources and Environment Committee
This legislation amends Idaho Code §36-105, to provide for a 30-day public comment period prior to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission adopting, repealing, or amending any season-setting proclamation.
Sponsor: Sen. Forman (R-6) 

S1241- Protection of working animals- Senate Agricultural Affairs 
This legislation establishes protections for the lawful use of working animals in commerce and service, preventing state or local governments from adopting more restrictive rules that would effectively prohibit such use. It defines “working animal,” excludes cockfighting and dogfighting, and includes an emergency clause for the law to take effect July 1, 2026.
Sponsor: Sen. Shippy (R-9)

Senate Joint Memorials & Resolutions

SJM108- Grazing, depredation claims- Passed Senate (Voice Vote) Passed House (Voice Vote)
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.
Sponsor: Sen. Lakey (R-23)

SJR103 – Public Land Trust - Senate State Affairs  
Protecting public lands in Idaho from permanent loss is of vital importance to the identity, culture, and livelihoods of Idahoans. This joint resolution proposes an amendment to Section 8, Article IX of the Idaho Constitution, distinguishing between state endowment lands granted for specific institutional purposes and public lands acquired from the federal government. The state Endowment will be unaffected, ensuring that the Endowment continues to generate revenue for its beneficiaries. Federally managed lands that may be endowed in the future will be placed in a separate, inviolable trust to be preserved for future generations, prohibiting the sale of these lands and allowing exchanges when approved by a two-third vote of the Legislature. These lands will be managed to balance and promote resource utilization, public recreation, scenic values, watershed quality, and wildlife habitat. Revenue from these lands will be applied to the Public Lands Trust Fund, dedicated first to operating and maintaining the land, then to compensating counties, enhancing public access, and supporting primary and secondary public education facilities. 
Sponsor: Sen. Adams (R-12) , Rep. Redman (R-3)