IdahoIdaho fire commissioners must meet district and subdistrict residence rules
Idaho law requires fire district commissioners to live in the district and represented subdistrict before appointment or election, with a limited exception for initial appointees.
What it does
A commissioner must have lived in the fire district for at least a year and in the represented subdistrict for at least 90 days before appointment or election. An initial appointee may finish the term despite living in the same subdistrict as another commissioner.
Argument forRequiring commissioners to live in the district and the area they represent may help keep them connected to local residents.
Argument againstThe one-year district and 90-day subdistrict residence rules could keep some otherwise interested residents from serving.
More detail
Commissioners must meet the stated residence requirements before appointment or election. Each commissioner must be a qualified voter living in the fire protection district and in the subdistrict the commissioner represents. An appointed commissioner may finish the initial term despite living in the same subdistrict as another commissioner. The residence periods are measured immediately before appointment or election. The law took effect upon passage and approval; the governor signed it on March 31, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed 1st Chamber
- Passed 2nd Chamber
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 1Reported Signed by Governor Brad Little on March 31, 2026 Session Law Chapter 228 Effective: 03/31/2026Became Law
- Mar 30Delivered to Governor at 12:31 p.m. on March 30, 2026To Governor
- Mar 30Returned Signed by the President; Ordered Transmitted to GovernorMinor
- Mar 30Signed by President; returned to HouseMajor
- Mar 30Received from the House enrolled/signed by SpeakerMajor
- Mar 27Reported Enrolled; Signed by Speaker; Transmitted to SenateMajor
- Mar 26Returned from Senate Passed; to JRA for EnrollingMinor
- Vote recorded Read third time in full –. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 26Read third time in full – PASSED - 32-0-3AYES – Adams, Bernt, Bjerke(Bjerke), Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Carlson, Den Hartog, Foreman, Galloway, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lakey, Lenney, Lent, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Rabe, Ricks, Ruchti, Shippy, Taylor, Toews, VanOrden, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow, Woodward, Zito, ZuiderveldNAYS – NoneAbsent and excused – Anthon, Cook, SemmelrothFloor Sponsor - AdamsTitle apvd - to HousePassed 2nd Chamber
- Mar 25Retained on calendar
- Mar 20Read second time; filed for Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 19Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second readingMinor
- Mar 10Introduced, read first time; referred to: Local Government & TaxationMinor
- Mar 10Received from the House passed; filed for first reading
- Mar 9Read Third Time in Full – PASSED - 67-0-3AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Berch, Bingham, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cayler, Cheatum, Church, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Egbert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson(Larsen), Fuhriman, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Hall(Stone), Handy, Harris, Hawkins, Haws, Healey, Hill, Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Marmon, Mathias, McCann, Mendive, Mickelsen, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Nelsen, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Pohanka, Price, Rasor, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Rubel, Sauter, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Wisniewski, Mr. SpeakerNAYS – NoneAbsent – Cannon, Green, ManwaringFloor Sponsor - DygertTitle apvd - to SenatePassed 1st Chamber
- Vote recorded Read Third Time in Full –. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 6Read second time; Filed for Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 5Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second ReadingMinor
- Mar 2Reported Printed and Referred to Local Government
- Feb 27Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for PrintingIntroduced
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