Senate Judiciary committee approves ISP alcohol‑testing rule, expands veterans cemetery eligibility and prints anti‑SLAPP proposal

The Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee approved three rule dockets and voted to print a senator’s anti‑SLAPP draft during its first meeting. Committee members accepted the Idaho State Police rule governing alcohol testing, approved amendments to Idaho State Veterans Cemeteries rules to expand burial eligibility to traditional National Guardsmen and Reservists, and printed RS31860, a proposed anti‑SLAPP statute intended to expedite dismissal of meritless lawsuits and allow fee recovery.

Lieutenant Colonel Russ Wheatley, ISP’s rules officer, told the committee the agency reviewed rule 11‑0301‑2401 to remove "unnecessary and unburdensome language and clarify the language as needed," and that stakeholder feedback during negotiated rulemaking led the agency to restore some language requested by the defense bar. "Our changes do not impact this rule from our perspective. It does not impact the rules intent…