Committee sends bill banning prolonged public camping in large cities to House floor after hour-long hearing, 13-2

BOISE — The House State Affairs Committee voted 13-2 to send Senate Bill 1141, as amended, to the House floor with a “do pass” recommendation after an hour of testimony and questions about how the measure would be enforced and whether shelters and other services are sufficient.

Senator Cody Galloway, the bill’s sponsor, told the committee the measure would make prolonged public camping — defined in the bill as unauthorized lodging in a temporary outdoor habitation — unlawful in cities with populations greater than 100,000 and give the attorney general authority to step in if a city does not manage encampments. "Public camping is dirty, dangerous, and it can be deadly," Galloway said as she outlined the bill’s definitions and enforcement framework.

The bill’s backers told the committee that a statewide standard would push cities to address visible encampments, protect public safety and preserve public spaces. Lucy Willets, a Boise city councilwoman testifying in her personal capacity, said the measure “sets the expectation that if you are in need there is a support system for you here,” and described encampments she has seen along the Boise River as hazardous and unsanitary.

Opponents — including the City of Boise, local service providers and the city’s…