Committee sends House Bill 15 to floor to extend outfitter-license exemption to private accredited colleges

The House Resources and Conservation Committee voted to send House Bill 15 to the floor with a do-pass recommendation after hearing testimony on equalizing outfitter-and-guide licensing exemptions for postsecondary institutions.

Representative Britt Raybould, sponsor of House Bill 15, told the committee the measure “takes a very simple approach” to correct what she described as unequal treatment in Idaho law, where employees of public postsecondary institutions operating in an official capacity are exempt from outfitter-and-guide licensure while private accredited institutions are not. Raybould said the bill would extend a clarified exemption “to private accredited postsecondary institutions” so both public and private schools are treated the same.

The change matters because it affects how universities may conduct academic field trips and student outings on land and river resources. Raybould said the Department of Fish and Game regional offices reported no historical complaints about public institutions conducting such activities and that, in the agency’s view, student groups “were actually better behaved than most of the general public,” noting instances of students picking up trash and following land‑manager guidance.

The committee received testimony from the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association and from a representative of Brigham Young University–Idaho. Aaron Lieberman, executive director of the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association, said the association did not oppose the bill but raised three categories of concern: potential increases in user conflicts and resource impacts in areas without a single federal or state land manager; public health, welfare and safety standards that apply to licensed guides but might not be required of exempt university activities; and the scope of the exemption, particularly language that, in the association’s view, could allow private institutions to offer guided trips to the general public rather than limiting activities to enrolled students.

Morris Christiansen, representing Brigham Young University–Idaho, said BYU‑Idaho limits access to its programs to enrolled students and their spouses and that the university already coordinates with federal and state land managers, including Idaho Fish and Game, when operating on public lands. “Safety is at the forefront of what we do,” Christiansen said, adding the university seeks the same operating treatment as Idaho State University, the University of Idaho and Boise State University.

After discussion and no recorded roll-call objections, a committee member moved to send House Bill 15 to the floor with a do-pass recommendation; the committee voiced its approval and the motion passed by voice vote.

The bill will now proceed to the full House for further consideration.