[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6303239,"mediaKeyId","2473872-fd80f024c0c2d65a17123334bba6e490","parentId",2473872,"title","Committee advances reappointment and a package of licensing and workers’ compensation technical bills","audioSeconds",1064,"startMs",1508000,"endMs",2572000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2473872-fd80f024c0c2d65a17123334bba6e490&start=1508&end=2572","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2473872-fd80f024c0c2d65a17123334bba6e490/thumbnail_1508000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6303239/Idaho/Committee-advances-reappointment-and-a-package-of-licensing-and-workers-compensation-technical-bills","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6303239-742691364c7786005c1c110024694a07/orig.mp4?Expires=1775558157&Signature=bFURPLtLWkTfK1Aq7hxpFHTQGN6dzEvGZuR7ogsThbb~ocxkeE~nRFMAj3Kiuo8fW8cUzuzvFGBpXie3cmyrstify2x9gQW7~mFbVbJkwyteEWMIfDnxa93oiwynRHQmzHqZ7GjJFYam4-rxPRWVCknMcYuVmRznNylQpT72ZSRz0CZpdNpFOdGh-g6I-rp2uqwhDkBcSTGzwxQ4Ak-JzZxTmR4PUrJ4S-eXaj3ZIesJ3fuNGK~UxSmBXLzcYuBagWL-ipj8GrzbxLUcv57P70FEF5n6~ZNccqj6D4P4gTVRuOXI-RO~CGDRXZaBz7ykU5Xxn0pkrR-nA0o02BDa5A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate of Idaho","date","2025-02-27T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Commerce Committee on voice votes advanced a reappointment and a set of bills that the committee described as technical or regulatory updates.

The committee voted to send the gubernatorial reappointment of Nancy Merrill as a commissioner of the Idaho Personnel Commission to the Senate floor with a recommendation for confirmation. Senator Burnt moved the reappointment; Senator Tammy Nichols seconded the motion. The committee recorded the motion as carried by voice vote.

The committee also advanced several bills to the Senate floor with do‑pass recommendations:

- House Bill 151 (occupational licensing reporting): Sponsored in committee by Senator Todd Lakey, this bill requires licensing boards to include specified data in their annual agency reports — such as counts of licenses, new licenses, denials, complaints and disciplinary actions — to help legislatures assess whether particular licenses remain necessary. Senator Tammy Nichols moved the bill to the floor and Senator James Ruckdey seconded.

- House Bill 64 (workers’ compensation, LLC language): Presented by Senator James Ruckdey, the bill clarifies statutory language to ensure both member‑managed and manager‑managed limited liability companies are subject to penalties where appropriate under Idaho’s workers’ compensation provisions. Senator Todd Lakey moved the bill; the motion was seconded and the committee approved it.

- House Bill 65 (workers’ compensation, family member definition): Senator Tammy Nichols said this bill moves the definition of an employer’s family member into the definitions section of Idaho Code §72‑212 so the definition applies uniformly across relevant subsections. Senator Todd Lakey moved the measure and it was seconded in committee.

- House Bill 66 (workers’ compensation notice of hearing): Senator James Ruckdey described this technical change to allow parties to receive notice of hearings by email where appropriate while preserving the 10‑day notice period and maintaining certified‑mail requirements for pro se litigants. The committee voted to advance the bill after Senator Tammy Nichols moved it and Senator Ward Engelking seconded.

- House Bill 67 (burial expense cap for work‑related fatalities): Senator Tammy Nichols presented a bill to raise the burial expense cap from $6,000 to $10,000 (the cap has not been adjusted since 1993; the sponsor said $6,000 would be about $13,000 in today’s dollars when adjusted for inflation). The bill also clarifies that transportation of the deceased is included in covered burial expenses. The Idaho Funeral Service Association executive director, Tony Valdez, testified in support. The committee approved the measure on a voice vote.

- House Bill 122 (delicensure of glamour‑shot photography): Representative Jeff Ehlers and Senator Lori Hartog described the measure to remove a small, rarely used license for glamour photography (there were two active licensees statewide and no recent complaints). Senator Ward Engelking moved the bill to the floor and Senator Tammy Nichols seconded; the committee approved it.

All of the above bills were advanced by voice votes and recorded in the transcript as carried; no roll‑call tallies appear in the committee transcript provided.

What happens next

Each bill and the reappointment will be reported to the full Senate. Floor action may include further debate, amendment or a roll‑call vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Commerce and Human Resources Meeting February 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Commerce Committee on voice votes advanced a reappointment and a package of bills covering licensing reporting, workers’ compensation technical fixes and a niche delicensure measure.","taxTitle","Commerce and Human Resources, SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Idaho","taxId",57000,"location","Idaho","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6303244,"Senate Commerce advances bill to drop newspaper requirement for self‑storage sale notices",1203,108000,1311000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2473872-fd80f024c0c2d65a17123334bba6e490&start=108&end=1311","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2473872-fd80f024c0c2d65a17123334bba6e490/thumbnail_108000.jpg","/articles/6303244/Idaho/Senate-Commerce-advances-bill-to-drop-newspaper-requirement-for-selfstorage-sale-notices","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6303244-57f642c5d6a2569acdf3b733d3866e5e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775558157&Signature=crVpCAF0KLlhzLB373zyNGnfXbSLbzBc4i4qAvXy4eL1fNZ4NF0HQXMqvdPYwDFp~DzFmitXjmio8UiQPRYtPof9~L6ocRP1DdPvPvLT7FE8OROIgXiuWA3vi-z0xNEjGG4qfgJYw5hFkAQXbPKDdIOJ8gTmUFOBnFFqjyIcR5pHRwLVt3AkE6XQGrAi668byKOdU-4ac2fSu8yRBO95je7aBJri2Wvt~ls68MkKkxNnpasDRlvK3Y8iq2g-~R3W7aCN9yFWiOgEgHltxp6kSifpN6hlI1M1BFZ85BiZHlFVKPQ4VokR4vDsRgCuG9cASpUG7dOOb2gdHVckl9nLsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Commerce Committee on an up‑or‑down voice vote advanced Senate Bill 11 26, a measure that would remove the statutory requirement to publish notices of lien sales for self‑storage units in newspapers and rely instead on other methods such as certified mail and contract‑specified notification.

State Senator Jim Woodward, a Republican from Legislative District 1, introduced the bill, saying it would modernize notice requirements for storage unit lien sales and that the central change is the removal of the newspaper‑publication requirement while keeping mail notice and contract‑specified notice in place. \"We're really just removing the requirement to notify in the newspaper,\" Woodward said.

The bill drew opposing testimony from Travis Quast, regional publisher for APG East Idaho, who testified on behalf of the Newspaper Association of Idaho. Quast said the measure \"removes all public notices, not just in newspapers\" and argued that public notices perform two functions: ensuring the lessee has every opportunity to learn that property may be sold and encouraging potential buyers to participate in the sale so proceeds better satisfy the debt. Quast told the committee that idahopublicnotices.com had about 190 posted storage sales in the prior 60 days and that legal notices on the statewide site were viewed 183,000 times in 2024.

Storage‑industry witnesses told the committee the internet and online auction platforms are now the primary ways bidders find sales. Ron Osborne, owner and CEO of Bitterroot Holdings, which operates multiple facilities including nine in Idaho, said facility contracts and online auction sites provide the public information about upcoming sales. \"We give them all the information on how to do that, where to do it, it's part of their contracts and part of their notices,\" Osborne said, adding that online auctions have increased participation and recovery of funds.

Other witnesses and committee members discussed operational details. Industry witnesses said operators typically send multiple automated notices (email, text) and certified mail before auction; Osborne said his companies send a notice about 45 days before sale and allow payment up until the day of sale to stop an auction. Committee members noted that many potential buyers and property owners do not rely on print newspapers and that contracts commonly specify the lessee's preferred notice method.

Senator Tammy Nichols moved to send the bill to the Senate floor with a do‑pass recommendation; Senator Todd Lakey seconded. The committee carried the motion by voice vote; the transcript records the motion as carried but does not contain a roll‑call tally.

Supporters said the change matches current practice and online audience behavior; opponents said removing newspaper notice could reduce transparency and opportunities for both owners and bidders to see sales unless statutory language ensures alternative public notice channels.

What happens next

Senate Bill 11 26 will be reported to the full Senate with a do‑pass recommendation. If the Senate takes up the bill, further debate, amendment and a final vote on the floor will determine whether the change becomes law.","The Senate Commerce Committee voted to send Senate Bill 11 26 to the Senate floor with a do‑pass recommendation after testimony from newspaper and storage‑industry representatives about whether removing newspaper publication would reduce notice to lessees and bidders.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee advances reappointment and a package of licensing and workers’ compensation technical bills

Senate Commerce advances bill to drop newspaper requirement for self‑storage sale notices