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Committee introduces three water and land bills; approves outfitters and OHV rule dockets
Summary
At a meeting of the Senate Resources & Environment Committee, members voted to introduce three proposed bills on state land leases and water management and approved two administrative rule dockets affecting outfitters and off-highway vehicles.
The Senate Resources & Environment Committee voted to introduce three proposed bills and approved two administrative rule dockets during a meeting that included presentations from the Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board and Idaho Parks and Recreation.
Senators moved to introduce RS32230, a proposal that would require county-commissioner notice when state land agreements are executed, require commercial lease signatories to comply with applicable county planning and zoning ordinances, and make revenues from state commercial land agreements subject to public disclosure. Senator Van Burton Shaw presented the measure and said that the bill would add three requirements to state law, including that “all revenues generated from this agreement for commercial purposes are not exempt from public disclosure.” The committee approved introducing RS32230 by voice vote.
The committee also introduced RS32249, presented by Sen. Jim Guthrie, which seeks to prevent curtailment of surface-water rights in tributary districts until both surface and groundwater in those tributary districts are under comparable administration. Guthrie said the bill is intended to give surface-water users in affected tributary districts the same administrative protections that existed for users in the East Snake Plains. The motion to send RS32249 to print was approved by the committee.
Sen. Julie Van Orden introduced RS32269, a bill addressing methodology changes used to determine material injury under Idaho’s conjunctive management rules for surface and groundwater. Van Orden said the proposal would require the director to hold a hearing if a methodology change is requested and would set a December 1 effective date for such orders to provide earlier certainty for agricultural planning. The committee voted to send RS32269 to print.
On administrative rules, the committee approved docket 2435012401, the Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board rules, after a presentation from John Price, bureau chief for the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses and executive officer for the board. Price summarized 13 proposed rule changes, including clarifications to guide training documentation, changes to tag-pool procedures, adding licensable waters, and adjustments to maximum boats per operator on certain lakes. The motion to approve the docket carried by voice vote.
The committee also approved docket 2601372401, a pending rule repealing a chapter on test procedures and instruments for off-highway vehicle noise abatement. Seth Hobbs, rules review officer for the Department of Parks and Recreation, told the committee the repeal removes redundancy because SAE testing standards are already covered in Idaho Code 67-7125; county law enforcement agencies supported the repeal. The docket passed by voice vote.
Votes at a glance: - RS32230 (state land leases): Motion to introduce — passed (voice vote). - RS32249 (tributary district curtailment protections): Motion to send to print — passed (voice vote). - RS32269 (methodology changes for conjunctive management): Motion to send to print — passed (voice vote). - Docket 2435012401 (Outfitters and Guides rules): Motion to approve — passed (voice vote). - Docket 2601372401 (repeal: OHV noise procedures): Motion to approve — passed (voice vote).
None of the bills were acted on beyond introduction; the two rule dockets were approved by the committee and will proceed through the administrative/legislative process.
