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Idaho House prints and refers package of bills including measures on drones, e-bikes and licensing
Summary
Lawmakers printed and referred a group of bills (HB 499–506) covering unmanned aircraft systems near correctional facilities, updates to motor vehicle and electric-assisted bicycle rules, ballot measure procedures, forest-products commission changes and an omnibus licensing bill; bills were sent to relevant committees for further action.
The Idaho House of Representatives on Jan. 20 printed and referred a package of new bills across several committees, including measures on unmanned aircraft systems, motor-vehicle rules and professional licensing.
A committee reporter read House Bill 499 into the record as "an act relating to unmanned aircraft systems, amending chapter 2, title 20 of the Idaho Code by the addition of a new section to define terms and to establish provisions regarding systems near department of correction facilities and declaring an emergency and providing an effective date," and recommended the bill for print and referral, according to the committee member who read the measure.
The same reading included House Bill 500, described as revisions to Idaho Code sections relating to motor vehicles and to provide for electric-assisted bicycles and other human-powered vehicles; House Bill 501, which would revise petition circulation and signature-gatherer requirements for ballot measures; and House Bill 502, which contains technical corrections and administrative-rule provisions for the Idaho Forest Products Commission. The committee reporter also read a broad licensing package as House Bill 505 and a revenue-and-taxation bill as House Bill 506 addressing sales-tax rebate provisions.
Committee member (reading the report) said the bills were printed and referred to the committees named in the reading for further consideration; for example, several health-related bills were referred to Health and Welfare, and certain bills were sent to Judiciary Rules and Administration or State Affairs as announced on the floor.
None of the bills received floor debate during the Jan. 20 session; the readings establish formal introduction and committee referral, the next procedural step in the legislative process. Committee hearings and subsequent floor action will determine any amendments or final votes on the measures.
The House adjourned and will reconvene at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026.
