PACIFIC FISHERIES LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE – Repeals existing law to remove obsolete provisions relating to membership on the Pacific Fisheries Legislative Task Force.
Summary
S1396 is a housekeeping bill that repeals Section 67-452 of the Idaho Code, which concerns Idaho’s statutory membership in the Pacific Fisheries Legislative Task Force. The statement of purpose says the provision is obsolete because Idaho has not participated in task force activities since 2022, no current member-state participation records were found for the relevant period, and Oregon already repealed its own statutory membership in 2016.
The bill is part of the Idaho Code Cleanup Act and is intended to streamline state law by removing outdated or unnecessary provisions. It does not create a new program, change regulatory requirements, or alter substantive policy governing fisheries; instead, it deletes a dormant statutory reference from the code. The fiscal note states there is no fiscal impact to local, state, or federal funds.
Impact
The bill amends Idaho law by repealing the section that authorized Idaho legislator membership in the Pacific Fisheries Legislative Task Force. Its practical effect is to remove an obsolete statutory provision from the Idaho Code, leaving no active legal duties, rights, or funding obligations tied to that task force membership. Because the repeal is administrative and cleanup-oriented, it is not expected to affect agencies, local governments, or regulated parties beyond the code revision itself.
Sentiment
The overall sentiment around S1396 appears strongly favorable and noncontroversial. The bill passed the Senate 34-0 and the House 64-0, indicating unanimous support in both chambers. The lack of committee transcript debate and the bill’s characterization as a cleanup measure suggest broad agreement that the provision was outdated and should be removed.
Contention
There is little to no visible contention surrounding the bill. The only substantive issue identified in the bill materials is whether the Pacific Fisheries Legislative Task Force membership language had become obsolete, and the sponsor’s materials say it had not been used since 2022. Any concern would likely have centered on whether Idaho should retain a dormant statutory link to interstate fisheries coordination, but the unanimous votes indicate no meaningful opposition. The bill’s repeal of a multistate task force membership provision was treated as a technical code cleanup rather than a policy change.
Amends, repeals, and adds to existing law to provide for reports to the Legislature to be submitted electronically and to remove obsolete provisions regarding reporting requirements.
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Amends, repeals, and adds to existing law to provide that legislative approval is required for certain state plan amendments and waivers and to provide legislative approval for certain state plan amendments and waivers.
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