Carrie Semmelroth — A member identified as 'Representative Nelson' asked a question about the bill and referenced other legislation.
Carrie Semmelroth — Representative Nelson's question is being answered by Director Walt.
Carrie Semmelroth — Representative Nelson is referenced again while Director Walt explains the bill's facilitation approach and uncertainty about implementation.
Carrie Semmelroth — Asked a follow-up question and clarified that private-sector rat-proofing is already being used.
Carrie Semmelroth — Made a motion to send Senate Bill 1271 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Carrie Semmelroth — The witness said two committee members are carrying some of the related bills, but did not name them.
Carrie Semmelroth — Representative McCann is part of a short exchange in which Dean responds to his comments and then addresses his question about whether a public-private partnership could be used to address the issue being discussed.
Carrie Semmelroth — Representative McCann states that, as the original motion maker, he does not support the substitute motion and later votes no on it during the roll call; Representative Nelson also votes no as part of the same vote.
Todd Lakey — Representative Birch is the bill presenter and remains the focus of a series of questions and clarifications. He is first introduced as the presenter and stands for questions, then is asked to respond to concerns about sideboards and implementation, whether he wants to yield his time, and is referenced as explaining the bill as a facilitation effort across jurisdictions. Later, other members direct additional questions to him about the bill’s reporting language and whether it would prevent a person from exterminating a rat on their own.
Todd Lakey — Recognized to speak on the motion.
Todd Lakey — Called during roll call; vote not captured in this line.
Todd Lakey — Not directly named, but the chair is addressed generically as 'Mr. Chairman' in the question period.
Director Chanel T. Walt — Representative Birch says Director T. Walt from the Department of Agriculture is present to help address technical aspects.
Adam Schroeder — Representative Birch says Adam Schroeder from Ada County is present to help address technical aspects.
Adam Schroeder — Adam Schroeder, director of Ada County Weed, Pest and Mosquito Abatement, testified that Ada County is hearing serious constituent concerns about rats proliferating in the county and urban areas. He said the county supports a collaborative, cross-jurisdictional approach involving public and private entities, and views private pest control operators as the experts in rat control. Schroeder explained that rat control is typically handled on private property and that some residents address the problem while others do not, which can allow infestations to spread through neighborhoods, irrigation districts, and other infrastructure. He warned that without a coordinated, systemic approach, rat problems can quickly escalate in urban areas and spread more broadly. He said Ada County does not support the county taking over rat abatement in people’s homes, but does support better coordination and communication among operators about rat locations, catch numbers, and movement. Schroeder suggested that a community-wide or district-wide control area may be needed, and said that if funding were available the county would build a database, use GIS data, identify control areas, and hire private pest control operators to do the work. He added that public funds for rat control should go directly to private operators, and that utilities or cities would likely contract with private firms as well. He noted he was not aware of city rat abatement efforts, but said cities likely could contract for rat control through code and regulation, especially to restrict harborage and improve sanitation in urban areas. He concluded that a cross-jurisdictional solution is needed and referenced Representative Birch’s plan as aiming to achieve that.
Director T. Walt — The chair notes appreciation for Director T. Walt being present to address the committee.
Chanel T. Walt — Introduces herself as Director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and explains the department is there to answer technical questions.
Adam — Director Walt says she and Adam reviewed existing statutes and state pest-control programs.
Camille Blaylock — A brief exchange in which Representative Burks is invited to follow up on a prior supportive comment, and Representative Leavitt responds in the ongoing discussion.
Camille Blaylock — Questions whether the bill will solve the problem and leans toward holding it in committee.
Camille Blaylock — Votes yes.
Camille Blaylock — Called during roll call and recorded as voting yes.
Ben Miller — Ben Miller was invited to testify, informed of the three-minute time limit, and then began his remarks by introducing himself to the committee and describing his background in agriculture and private industry.
Ron Taylor — Representative Nelson asked for clarification about chemical application rules, including concerns about registered applicators versus over-the-counter chemicals and whether county officials can apply restricted-use chemicals without an applicator's license.
Ron Taylor — Ron Taylor was called during roll call and recorded as voting yes.
Mr. Miller — Mr. Miller testified in a sustained discussion about rodent control policy and implementation. He explained that most rodent-control products are general-use pesticides, while restricted-use products still require licensing, and clarified that he was not suggesting county staff could use restricted chemicals without proper training. He argued that his industry has the expertise to handle these issues, noted that homeowners can use some baiting methods themselves, and compared the situation to prior quagga mussel treatment efforts. He also raised concerns that giving counties or the state authority could displace private companies, create enforcement burdens, and leave local governments without enough staff, money, or resources. He emphasized that the proposal is voluntary and may produce weak reporting, drew parallels to the Pollinator Protection Plan, and concluded that homeowners should bear the cost of pest control on their own property. He further discussed the history of rat complaints, saying reports began years ago and that rat populations have grown alongside human development, making control more realistic than eradication.
Mr. Miller — Burch said he discussed the issue at length with Mr. Miller, who testified earlier.
Dave Lent — Asked how long the Norway rat has been a problem in the Treasure Valley and whether there is data on it.
Dave Lent — Thanked for closing remarks.
Dave Lent — Initially called, then the speaker reserves comment in the interest of time.
Dave Lent — Representative Leavitt is mentioned twice within the same ongoing discussion, indicating a continued exchange that stays on the same subject without a meaningful shift in topic.
Kirk Dean — Kirk Dean, a member and board member of the Idaho Pest Management Association and owner of Barrier Pest Control, testifies that rat control is primarily a private-property issue best handled by trained, licensed, and insured pest management professionals. He says infestations typically require more than simple trapping and involve inspection, exclusion, sanitation, baiting, trapping, and monitoring. Dean argues that government involvement in rat abatement would shift liability and legal costs to the public sector and taxpayers, and he warns against creating a permanent statutory framework or new government program for what may be a temporary or already-addressed problem. In response to questions, he says a public-private partnership might be possible in theory, but that the bill is not written that way and instead appears to create a government-led framework that would put agencies ahead of private industry, which he says was not consulted.
Joshua Kohl — Representative Matthias asks Dean to clarify the bill, noting that he does not see a program in it, only a coordination plan, and questions why the private sector has not already eliminated the rats in Caldwell. Dean responds that the government should not be involved in controlling anything on private property, and later acknowledges that he did not fully answer Matthias's questions and may need to return to them.
Joshua Kohl — Representative Matthias questioned how rat abatement is handled in the county, asking whether the county would use private-sector contractors rather than county employees, and then followed up by asking who is responsible for calling pest control and managing rat abatement on public right-of-ways, canals, and other public property.
Joshua Kohl — Asked about the slide and the activity shown in the river sections.
Joshua Kohl — Asked why the Centennial Park to Shone Falls section looks clean in 2025 compared with the other section still showing activity.
Joshua Kohl — The director responded to Representative McCann's question about why treatment differed between river sections.
Joshua Kohl — Asked how decisions are made about incorporating the private sector into efforts like this.
Joshua Kohl — The director answered Representative Matthias's question about private-sector involvement.
Joshua Kohl — Identified as the presenter of House Bill 823.
Joshua Kohl — Explained that the bill is similar to one passed last year and that it stalled in a Senate committee.
Joshua Kohl — Said he has a co-sponsor and yielded time to Representative Diger.
Joshua Kohl — Named as the co-sponsor who will speak in support of the bill.
Casey Johnson — Casey Johnson is introduced and then identifies himself as a 24-year pest industry professional who supplies pesticides and provides training for continuing education credits. He goes on to say that Idaho already has a strong pest management industry, that he has long been involved in dealing with rats in the state, and that while rats cannot be eliminated, they can be controlled.
Mr. Johnson — Mr. Johnson testified that licensed pest management professionals are already actively controlling rats across Idaho in homes, businesses, farms, warehouses, and food facilities. He emphasized that rat control is a regulated industry requiring state licensing, training, insurance, and compliance with pesticide and safety rules, and argued that creating new government authority in this space would duplicate existing private services and raise free-enterprise concerns. He also noted that abatement districts are not licensed, contrasting them with regulated pest professionals.
Craig Newtok — Craig Newtok, president of the Idaho Pest Management Association, testified in opposition to the bill. He explained that effective rat control requires detailed inspections, trapping or baiting, structural and sanitation corrections, and repeated follow-up over weeks or months. He then argued the bill would direct the Department of Agriculture to create a rat-scope and abatement program, questioning whether the rat problem has been sensationalized. During the exchange, he was asked about cost estimates for residential rat control and deferred that question to Mr. Dean.
Mr. Dean — Mr. Dean explained the pricing for the service, saying it starts at $499 and can increase depending on the job. He noted that situations involving crawl spaces or attics require additional labor, which can raise the cost to around $899 and above.
Mr. Newtok — Mr. Newtok identified himself as a vendor of pest control products and fertilizers, then explained that the issue appears to be focused on urban areas and would be much harder to control in rural settings. He also noted that outdoor feeding can attract rodents and other opportunistic wild animals.
unknown witness — Responded that birds and other animals can come to food left outside, and said it is not different from urban situations where people put food out for their animals.
Julie VanOrden — Representative Levitt asked a series of related questions about rat abatement, first inquiring whether the city is currently contracting with anyone to address the rat issue and then asking whether cities have the ability to contract for such services at all.