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

68th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session (2026)

Gives county commissioners explicit authority to declare and act against agricultural pests, including rats, on public and private lands within the county.

Reported Printed and Referred to Local Government

#agriculture #animals #counties #pestsandpesticides #wildlife

Summary of Bill H 536 (2026, Idaho)

Purpose and intent

Modernize and clarify Idaho Code 25-2601 to explicitly authorize county commissioners to declare and act against agricultural pests.

Specifically incorporate rats (rodents) into the list of pests that may be controlled.

Improve organization and formatting of the pest categories within the statute.

The bill is introduced as an emergency measure, effective July 1, 2026.

Key provisions and changes

Amends Section 25-2601 to grant each county board of commissioners full power and authority to declare and take action against agricultural pests on public or private lands within the county.

Pests covered (as enumerated, with updated organization): 1) Predatory animals, including coyotes, that feed on or destroy poultry or livestock within the county. 2) Rodents and similar mammals (e.g., mice, gophers, ground squirrels, rats, Norway rats, roof rats), as well as rabbits or hares, that feed on or destroy poultry, livestock operations, natural grasses, cultivated crops, or soil on public/private lands. 3) Insects and other invertebrates (e.g., crickets, locusts, grasshoppers) that feed on or destroy poultry, livestock operations, grasses, crops, or soil. 4) Plant disease-causing organisms or agents that affect poultry, livestock operations, grasses, crops, or soil.

The amendments reorganize and clarify the list but maintain the broad authority of county commissioners to take necessary steps to control these pests on public and private lands within their counties.

Who/what is affected

Local government (county commissioners) gains explicit authority to declare and employ pest control measures for agricultural pests, including the newly emphasized inclusion of rats.

Affected entities include poultry and livestock operations, natural grasses, cultivated crops, and the soil on lands within each county.

No direct fiscal impact; the accompanying fiscal note indicates no expected change in state or local revenues or expenditures.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Emergency clause: The bill declares an emergency and sets the effective date at July 1, 2026, meaning the provisions would be in force upon that date.

Legislative action history:

Introduced January 27, 2026.
Referred to Local Government (JRA) and later printed and referred to Local Government on January 28, 2026.

Notable details

The Supporting Documents state the bill’s primary purpose is to explicitly include rats as pests and to improve code formatting.

The fiscal note states no fiscal impact anticipated.

Practical implications

Counties: clearer statutory authority to respond to pest threats, potentially expediting responses to rodent and other pest outbreaks affecting livestock, crops, and grazing lands.

Farmers and landowners: may experience more timely or standardized county-led pest control actions where pest issues arise.

Overall: the bill aligns Idaho law with practical pest management needs in agricultural settings, with a sense of urgency due to its emergency status.