As Idaho rolls into 2026, several new laws are slated to take effect, though one bill will have to wait until February for implementation.
Most laws passed during Idaho legislative sessions take effect on July 1 of that year – the first day of the state’s fiscal year. But a handful kick in this week, including a bill designed to protect freedom of speech rights and insulate people from frivolous lawsuits.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
The anti-SLAPP statute sponsored by Sen. Brian Lenney (R-Nampa) allows the subject of a lawsuit to request a judge immediately determine whether it is frivolous and dismiss the case.
“If you [consider dismissals] on the front end then you’re not racking up legal bills and being buried in court for God knows how long,” Lenney said in January.
His proposal would also hit pause for all other aspects of the lawsuit after a motion to dismiss is filed until the court rules whether the case can proceed.
As of July 2024, 34 states and Washington D.C. have passed similar laws according to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
Those states include each of Idaho’s neighbors, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
BREAST CANCER SCREENINGS
Health insurers offering coverage in Idaho will now be required to cover the cost of advanced breast imaging for people at higher risk of breast cancer due to genetic history or dense breast tissue.
Those could include a contrast-enhanced mammogram, an ultrasound or an MRI.
“The cost of this MRI is absolutely inexpensive compared to the cost of the mastectomies, the lumpectomies, the chemotherapy, the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one,” said Rep. Dori Healey (R-Boise), one of the law’s lead sponsors, earlier this year.
Rep. Brooke Green (D-Boise), who underwent treatment for breast cancer during last year’s session, said her surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatments cost more than $500,000.
Costs for a breast MRI can vary widely depending on a patient’s location and whether insurance covers any part of the imaging. Those can range between a few hundred dollars to more than $1,000 out-of-pocket.
HOMEOWNER TAX EXEMPTIONS
Anyone buying a home in Idaho as their primary residence can now apply for, and receive, the state’s homeowner’s exemption throughout the year.
Previously, homeowners who purchased their houses after April 15 of any given year would have to wait until the following year to receive the benefit. Now, that difference will be prorated.
Idaho law currently excludes up to $125,000 of the assessed value of a primary residence and up to one acre of land from property taxes.
The same law gives another gift to homeowners.
If that property’s assessed value increases by more than 10% compared to the prior year, the burden of proof to back it up falls on each county if the matter is appealed.
TOWING TRANSPARENCY
A multi-year effort to re-write state law governing management of abandoned or impounded vehicles takes effect Thursday as well.
Changes include requiring towing companies to post their fees, and the creation of a database through Idaho transportation department for towed vehicles and timely notifications to owners or lienholders.
SNAP CHANGES DELAYED
One change that will not happen as expected: candy and sugary beverages becoming ineligible for purchase using SNAP food benefits.
That’s now been delayed to Feb. 15. The state department of health and welfare in September pushed the implementation date by 45 days to allow more time for retailers to prepare for it.
As of Dec. 12, nearly 125,000 Idahoans receive SNAP benefits.
The federal program, which is administered by the states, subsidizes groceries for low-income people.
Conservatives have regularly called for changing which foods are eligible for purchase, saying unhealthy foods like candy bars, soda and others should be excluded.
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