Idaho House passes bills on electrician licensing, media shield, foster-care extension and legal tender

The Idaho House of Representatives on Feb. 25, 2025, approved a group of bills that the House described as regulatory cleanups, source-protection for reporters, expanded transition services for youth leaving foster care and a limited legalization of gold and silver as voluntary legal tender. Lawmakers approved House Bill 153 (master electrician licensing), House Bill 158 (media shield), House Bill 245 (extended foster-care services), House Bill 177 (legal tender for gold and silver) and House Bill 220 (code cleanup), then moved the measures to the Senate or the next stage of the legislative process.

House members said the bills respond to practical problems: license portability for electricians near state borders; increased subpoenas seeking reporters’ unpublished materials; challenges faced by youth aging out of foster care; and a narrow transactional recognition for coins and bullion. Representative, District 35 (sponsor of HB153) said the electrician measure “simplifies the licensing process for master electricians,” noting the Division of Professional Licensing helped draft a no‑cost approach so a master licensee could also receive journeyman credentials without a second application.

Supporters of the media shield measure framed it as protecting sources, not granting extra privileges to journalists. Representative, District 33 (sponsor of HB158) said, “This has been commonly called a media shield law. But I want to make very clear what this is doing is it is protecting sources. It is not protecting…