Committee advances bill requiring agencies to post rules and policies online

The Idaho House State Affairs Committee voted to send House Bill 2 22 to the floor with a "do pass" recommendation after sponsor Representative Heather Scott described the measure as a straightforward transparency requirement.

"If the Department has and maintains a website then they just need to post their administrative rules and their policies online and they need to make sure they're current," Representative Heather Scott said. She said the requirement would apply to agencies and commissions identified in statute and that posted materials must be updated at least once a year.

Scott told the committee the bill references a list of departments and commissions in statute (as read in committee: "60 seven-two thousand 402") and that some state entities do not maintain separate websites or administrative rules. During questions, Representative Alfieri asked whether any departments lack websites; Scott said she expected some do and noted "there's 189 of them, so I didn't have time to go through every single one." She added that the State Comptroller's Office does not have administrative rules, citing it as an example.

Representative Keeley's moved to send House Bill 2 22 to the floor with a due pass recommendation; the motion was approved by voice vote.

Votes at a glance: Motion to send House Bill 2 22 to the floor with the "do pass" recommendation — moved by Representative Keeley's; approved by committee voice vote.

The bill is intended to make administrative rules and policy documents easier for the public to find by requiring posting on agency websites and an annual review to keep materials current.