OPINION: When laws become real, part II

Two weeks ago, I wrote about five of the new laws Idahoans began living under July 1. With hundreds of bills introduced during a legislative session, most of us will never read more than a handful. Yet buried among the bill numbers are decisions that affect real people and occasionally a vote that deserves a closer look. Some legislation is simply housekeeping. I’ve included a link to each bill so you can read it for yourself and see how your legislators voted.

House Bill 957 repealed nine outdated or unnecessary sections of Idaho water law. Among them were references to a Salmon Falls Creek Water Compact that was never adopted and a Water Conservation and Development Trust Account inactive since at least 1994. The bill passed both chambers unanimously and has no fiscal impact. Sometimes good government really is as unexciting as cleaning out the statutory junk drawer. https://tallyidaho.com/bills/2026/h0957

House Bill 544 increased paid military leave for Idaho state employees who serve in the National Guard or military reserves from 120 to 160 hours annually, bringing Idaho in line with federal guidance. It also passed without opposition. For Idahoans balancing public employment with military service, that’s a tangible change. https://tallyidaho.com/bills/2026/h0544

Senate Bill 1266 addresses foster care. It expands the definition of kin so children entering care can be placed more quickly with trusted adults who may not be blood relatives. The goal is straightforward: when a child’s life is already being disrupted, maintaining safe, familiar relationships can provide some stability. The Senate approved it 34–0 and the House 70–0. https://tallyidaho.com/bills/2026/s1266

House Bill 788 takes aim at another Idaho challenge; access to health care, particularly in rural areas. Physicians in primary care, psychiatry, or obstetrics and gynecology who provide substantial training to medical students in rural or underserved communities can earn a temporary exemption from Medicaid prior-authorization requirements. The idea is to encourage more doctors to help train Idaho’s future physicians where they are needed most.

Unlike the previous bills, this one was closely divided, passing the House 44–25 and Senate 19–15 before ultimately becoming law. https://tallyidaho.com/bills/2026/h0788

Then there is House Concurrent Resolution 33.

It doesn’t create a crime, spend new money or impose a mandate. It establishes an interim committee to study sextortion: the practice of threatening to expose intimate images, real or artificially created, unless the victim provides money, additional sexual content, or other favors.

The resolution itself states that minors are the most common victims; that victims may suffer anxiety, depression, financial and reputational harm and, in some cases, attempt suicide or self-harm. The Idaho Attorney General’s Office identifies sextortion as one of the main issues currently being reported to it.

The committee will include legislators from both parties along with representatives from the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, Department of Education, and Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline. Its job is to study the problem and recommend whether Idaho’s laws should be strengthened. No additional General Fund appropriation was requested.

Sixty-three House members voted yes. Seven voted no. I generally resist judging legislators by a single vote. Bills can contain unintended consequences, constitutional problems, or buried provisions that give reasonable people pause. But this legislation restricted no one’s liberty. It was permission to study a growing crime targeting children and determine whether Idaho can do better. Read the resolution for yourself at tallyidaho.com/bills/2026/hcr033. Then look at the vote: five of the seven “no” votes came from North Idaho legislators. Consider what the resolution says, consider how your representatives voted, and decide for yourself. That’s how representative government is supposed to work. It’s the Idaho way.

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Becky Funk is a member of North Idaho Republicans. You can read part 1 of the series “When Laws Become Real” here: https://cdapress.com/news/2026/aug/07/opinion-when-laws-become-real/