Senate committee clears bill tightening ID verification for homeowner exemption claims

The Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee voted to send House Bill 316 to the floor with a do-pass recommendation on March 6, 2025. Representative Jeff Ehlers of Meridian (District 21) presented the bill, which amends identification requirements tied to the homeowner's exemption.

Ehlers said HB316 is a technical follow-up to last year's House Bill 449. "Last year...there was confusion among the counties around the ID because we didn't specify that had to be an Idaho license," he said, adding the bill clarifies that the exemption tracking requires an Idaho driver's license number. The bill also preserves an existing exception for military personnel and allows people who recently moved to Idaho 90 days after closing to obtain an Idaho driver's license and submit it for the exemption.

Sarah Westbrook, representing the Idaho Association of Counties, testified in support. Westbrook told the committee that counties needed clarification that a state (Idaho) license number is required to track exemptions and reduce instances of duplicate claims.

Committee members asked about penalties for claiming multiple homestead exemptions. During the hearing Representative Ehlers and a committee member cited Idaho Code 63-3602 as describing restitution and potential misdemeanor consequences for repeat offenses within seven years; the committee did not enact changes to the penalty language in this session's bill.

Senator Toews moved to send HB316 to the floor with a do-pass recommendation; Senator Adams seconded. The committee adopted the motion by voice vote. The chair noted that in practice the senator who makes the motion often carries the bill on the floor when a Senate sponsor is not prearranged; Senator Adams agreed to carry HB316 on the Senate floor.

HB316 now proceeds to the full Senate for floor action.