Idaho 2026 Regular Session

Agenda Mar 18th, 2026

Senate State Affairs Committee

Key Moments

  • Mark Harris — Makes a motion to send House Bill 889 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
  • Mark Harris — Asks a follow-up question after making the motion.
  • Mark Harris — Continues the follow-up question about whether the bill affects road contracts.
  • Mark Harris — Asks whether health and welfare contracts and state health insurance plans are covered.
  • Mark Harris — Confirms the answer to his question.
  • Mark Harris — Is present for the final vote on the motion.
  • Mark Harris — Asks whether the 365-day restriction applies to all elected public offices, including local districts.
  • Mark Harris — Representative Mickelson first asked whether insurance claim money from a flooded agency building would go back to the general fund or be used to repair the building so it could be reoccupied. Later in the same meeting, he moved Senate Bill 1321 to the floor with a due pass recommendation, and the chair recognized his motion.
  • Trent from the Ada County office — Identified as someone who can answer deeper details on the bill.
  • Trent — Trent is introduced as the only person signed up to testify, and when invited to speak, he declines to testify unless members have questions for him.
  • James Ruchti — Representative Mickelson moves House Bill 889 to the floor with a due pass recommendation and follows up with questions about whether the bill affects road contracts, health and welfare contracts, and state health insurance plans under the Procurement Act. The exchange concludes with confirmation that the question has been answered and the committee proceeds to the vote.
  • Jim Guthrie — Presides over the questioning and motion on House Bill 889.
  • Jim Guthrie — Calls for discussion and vote on the motion.
  • Jim Guthrie — Clarifies that the cooling-off period applies to elected officials involved in the solicitation process and that ITD procurement is outside the act.
  • Jim Guthrie — Recognizes Representative Chadwick's question.
  • Jim Guthrie — Clarifies that the restriction applies to elected officials involved in the solicitation process, including technically local district officials if they had involvement.
  • Jim Guthrie — Recognizes the motion and question.
  • Jim Guthrie — Explains that ITD procurement is outside the act and that the bill applies to purchases through the division of purchasing.
  • Jim Guthrie — Confirms that health and welfare contracts and state health insurance plans are covered.
  • Jim Guthrie — Calls the vote and announces the next bill.
  • Jim Guthrie — Introduces House Bill 890 and explains it repeals the surplus state administrative property disposal section.
  • Jim Guthrie — Is named in the question about whether there are any questions for the sponsor.
  • Jim Guthrie — Recognizes the comment and asks whether there are any further questions.
  • Jim Guthrie — Introduces House Bill 900 and apologizes for having three bills at once.
  • Mark Harris — Asks whether the 365-day restriction applies broadly to elected public offices, including local districts.
  • Mark Harris — Raises a question about the scope of the public-office cooling-off period.
  • Mark Harris — Continues questioning the scope of the restriction.
  • Mark Harris — Asks whether those elected positions can be part of the vendor process.
  • Mark Harris — Receives clarification that the rule applies to elected officials involved in the solicitation process.
  • Mark Harris — Acknowledges the answer.
  • Mark Harris — The chair first checks whether Representative Haas is present, and later in the same committee discussion Haas is called on and makes the motion to send House Bill 873 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.