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

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.