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House committee advances bill to align private and public college outfitter licensing
Summary
The Idaho House Resources and Conservation Committee voted to send House Bill 15 to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation; the bill would extend to private accredited postsecondary institutions the same exemption from outfitter-and-guide licensure that state employees at public institutions currently receive.
The Idaho House Resources and Conservation Committee voted to send House Bill 15 to the House floor with a due-pass recommendation after hearing sponsor and public testimony.
Representative Britt Raybould, R‑District 34, told the committee HB 15 would make licensure treatment consistent between public and private accredited postsecondary institutions by providing the same exemption currently applied to state employees at public colleges and universities. "This bill corrects that and provides equality in treatment of both our public and private accredited post secondary institutions," Raybould said, describing the change as focused and limited to academic and institution‑related activities.
The bill’s sponsor said the exemption in existing law — which she identified as Idaho Code section 36‑2,102 — has long been interpreted to allow employees of public postsecondary institutions to lead students on guided land and river trips without outfitter or guide licensure. Raybould asked the committee for a recommendation to send the bill to the floor.
Aaron Lieberman, executive director of the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association, testified he did not oppose the bill but raised concerns about three areas: resource and user‑conflict impacts in places without an active land manager; whether training, health and safety standards for guides would still apply if an activity falls outside licensure; and the bill’s scope, which he said could allow private institutions to operate guided trips open to the general public unless restricted to enrolled students. "If the University falls outside the scope of licensure, the same standards and requirements that are required of a licensed guide would not apply," Lieberman said.
Morris Christiansen, representing Brigham Young University‑Idaho, said BYU‑Idaho supports the bill and that the university restricts outings to enrolled students and their spouses. "We only allow access to BYU‑Idaho students and their spouses," Christiansen said, and he said the university works with federal and state land managers and emphasizes safety and a high standard of care.
Sponsor Raybould told the committee she had asked Idaho Fish and Game about historical reports of problems involving public‑institution outings and said the agency’s regional offices reported no complaints; she said staff said student groups were generally "better behaved than most of the general public." After discussion and testimony, the committee voted by voice to send HB 15 to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation.
The committee did not record a roll‑call vote in the transcript; the motion passed by voice vote.
