Gov. Little calls for special legislative session

Special legislative session to address election, civil liability during pandemic

Boise, Idaho – Gov. Brad Little called for a special legislative session to address the COVID-19 pandemic in Idaho, including election law changes that are needed in order to facilitate a safe and secure November election during the pandemic.

The session will convene Aug. 24.

The session also calls for the Legislature to establish temporary and consistent standards for civil liability related to COVID-19 that will help Idaho’s economy recover while encouraging careful planning, care and safety in responding to the pandemic.

The Idaho Constitution gives the governor the authority to call a special legislative session, and the governor is required to specify the subjects for consideration. Special legislative sessions by law are of a limited duration and by recent tradition last only a day or two.

“Special legislative sessions by their very nature are intended to deal with time sensitive issues that require immediate legislative action and cannot wait until the general session in January,” Gov. Little said.

Gov. Little chose not to include two legislative proposals in his proclamation – one related to public health district authorities and another on education funding.

Full details on the bills to be considered are outlined in the Gov. Little’s proclamation here.