AGRICULTURAL PESTS – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding agricultural pests.

68th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session (2026)

Idaho counties can action against listed agricultural pests, explicitly including rats, on public or private lands within their jurisdiction.

Take bill off General Orders; referred to Agricultural Affairs

#agriculture #animals #boards #counties #lands #pestsandpesticides #realproperty #wildlife

Quick overview

Jurisdiction: Idaho

Session: 2026 (Sixty-eighth Legislature, Second Regular Session)

Introduced by: House State Affairs Committee

Purpose: Amend Idaho Code to clarify and expand the authority of county commissioners to control agricultural pests, with a particular emphasis on including rats as pests.

Effective date: July 1, 2026 (emergency declaration allowing immediate effect)

What the bill does (Key provisions)

Amends Section 25-2601, Idaho Code to reorganize and specify the list of agricultural pests that county commissioners may declare and act against on public or private lands within their counties.

Explicitly includes rats (rodents) in the enumerated pests, ensuring county authorities can take action against rats as agricultural pests.

Remains consistent with existing categories:

Predatory animals that affect poultry or livestock
Rodents (expanded to include rats)
Insects and other invertebrates (e.g., crickets, locusts, grasshoppers) that threaten poultry, livestock, natural grasses, or cultivated crops
Plant disease-causing organisms that affect poultry, livestock, crops, or soil

Formatting/organization improvement: Reorganizes and clarifies the pest categories for readability and consistency, while maintaining the substantive authorities granted to counties.

Who/what is affected

County governments in Idaho:

The bill grants them full power and authority to declare pests and to take necessary control actions on lands within their counties.

Agricultural operations and landowners:

Public and private lands within the counties could be subject to pest control measures for the listed pests, including rats.

Pests covered:

Predatory animals affecting poultry/livestock
Rodents (specifically including rats)
Insects and other invertebrates harming crops, grasses, or land
Plant disease-causing organisms affecting crops or soil

Procedural and timeline aspects

Legislative history (highlights):

Introduced and referred to the Committee on Agricultural Affairs in February 2026
Reported out of Committee (March 25, 2026)
Placed on General Orders (March 31, 2026)

Emergency clause and effective date:

The bill includes an explicit emergency declaration, making it effective on July 1, 2026, without requiring the usual delayed effective date.

Fiscal impact:

The bill’s fiscal note indicates no expected change in state or local revenues or expenditures; no new costs or savings foreseen.

Practical implications

Counties can proceed with pest-control actions against rats and the other listed pests more clearly and cohesively under existing authority.

The explicit inclusion of rats clarifies legal authority for control measures where previously rats may have been ambiguously covered or relied on broader pest provisions.

No additional statewide funding or revenue changes are anticipated as a result of the bill.

Summary verdict

HB 781 is a targeted clarifying amendment that strengthens and specifies the authority of Idaho counties to control agricultural pests by explicitly including rats among the pests subject to county-led control actions. It streamlines the pest categories for easier application while ensuring immediate effectiveness due to its emergency status.

Bill