House approves bill allowing Office of Administrative Hearings to bill agencies for hearing costs

BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho House voted to pass Senate Bill 11-16 on a motion after brief floor presentation and no recorded floor debate. The bill creates a statutory mechanism allowing the Office of Administrative Hearings to bill other state agencies for appeals and administrative hearings it handles.

Sponsor Representative from District 32 said the change reflects an administrative need arising from creation of the Office of Administrative Hearings and aligns billing with the statewide indirect cost allocation process. “What we’re doing is creating the mechanism that the Office of Administrative Hearings can bill other agencies for work they perform,” the representative said.

The bill’s sponsor told the House the office already handles most state appeals (other than Water Resources) and the measure simply permits the office to recover costs when it adjudicates appeals that originate within other agencies, including licensing and foster-care matters.

Floor action was completed with a voice and recorded vote. The clerk reported the roll as 9 yeas and 1 absent at the time of the vote; the bill was announced as passed by the House.

Supporters characterized the bill as a technical, accounting change to implement an existing practice for an office that now performs centralized hearings. No floor amendments or extended debate were recorded.

The bill will proceed through enrollment and transmittal steps as the House completes its calendar.

Votes at a glance: Senate Bill 11-16 — House passage recorded as 9 yeas, 0 nays, 1 absent (per floor roll-call announcement).