House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee
Key Moments
Brian Noggle — Introduced as the witness following Jace Woods.
Jace Woods' friend — Described a 14-year-old friend who was in crisis, called 988, and was hung up on because parental permission was required.
Chris Mathias — Chris Mathias questioned Jace Woods about whether he knew of other minors in Idaho who had been affected, following up on the same concern about additional minors.
Chris Mathias — Chris Mathias questions the enforceability of the bill’s proposed criminal penalty, arguing that it lacks mens rea, actus reus, and harm. He follows up by asking how the standard of “knowing and willful” would be applied in practice, specifically how police would determine a person’s sex and whether the person acted willfully.
Chris Mathias — Asked how HB 752 would have protected the witness given that assault can still occur.
Chris Mathias — Requests direct testimony from law enforcement about how the bill would be enforced.
Chris Mathias — The chair responds to Rep. Mathias and notes law-enforcement letters are in the file.
Chris Mathias — Questioned whether existing laws are already sufficient to address the conduct described.
Chris Mathias — Questions whether existing laws already cover the conduct described by the witness.
Chris Mathias — Argued that current law should already address the conduct described and pressed the witness on that point.
Chris Mathias — Cited a Sandpoint Police Department incident report and accused the witness of making false statements.
Chris Mathias — Continued pressing the witness and accused him of lying.
Chris Mathias — Begins questioning Ms. Hook after her testimony.
Chris Mathias — Explains the Sheriff's Association's concern that the bill lacks a duty-to-depart provision and describes a possible amendment.
Chris Mathias — Continues describing the Sheriff's Association's suggested amendment and asks the witness for her view.
Chris Mathias — Continues the question about the Sheriff's position and then follows up after the witness answers.
Chris Mathias — Representative Chris Mathias greets the chief and asks a question about the sponsor’s claim that the bill is easy to enforce, prompting the chief’s direct response to that question.
Chris Mathias — Representative Chris Mathias asks Reverend LaWall about what role law enforcement would play if her daughter were forced to use an uncomfortable bathroom, and Reverend LaWall responds to that question.
Chris Mathias — Representative Mathias first raised the issue of whether the bill would cause any harm, then followed up by asking Brian Lovell whether he would support the Sheriff's Association's requested amendment, including a duty-to-depart provision.
Chris Mathias — Identified as the member asking a question after Bennett's testimony.
Chris Mathias — Asked Bennett whether she would support language allowing a person to say they do not consent to someone being in the bathroom.
Chris Mathias — The speaker references Representative Mathias as having noticed a provision in Idaho Code 49-615.
Chris Mathias — The speaker credits Representative Mathias with crafting a narrow law addressing electric-assisted bicycles.
Chris Mathias — He is called on after Representative Ehardt.
Chris Mathias — Speaker turns the floor over to Representative Matthias.
Chris Mathias — States opposition to the motion and says the bill puts people in unnecessary situations.
Chris Mathias — States opposition to the amended substitute motion and expresses concern about geographic bias in support testimony.
Chris Mathias — Argued the bill is too broad, criticized geographic bias, and said the proposal should be a small, well-tailored fix.
Chris Mathias — Called on next, followed by Representative Scott.
Chris Mathias — Pointed to Idaho's criminal trespass statute, 18-7008, and said sheriffs want a request-to-leave step before calling 911.
Chris Mathias — Voted no.
Chris Mathias — Representative Chris Mathias asks whether the authority in question was ever challenged or in doubt in court proceedings, and he is then directly addressed in the response to that question.
Brian Nagel — Brian Nagel was introduced and then testified as executive director of the Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association. He explained that prosecutors support the bill but want a minor amendment because the current emergency/medical-treatment language may be too narrow for child sex abuse investigations, where evidence collection can be critical even without serious bodily harm. He described how the proposed change would preserve the criminal-investigation exception while narrowing the wording, said the amendment had been emailed to sponsors, and clarified that the bill does not necessarily conflict with current law but appears to add a new restriction that prosecutors and investigators do not currently operate under.
Lee Flynn — Lee Flynn is introduced as the final testifier, and his opening remarks to the committee begin immediately afterward.
Lee Flynn — Lee Flynn, director of Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline (Idaho 988), described the hotline’s role in providing immediate crisis stabilization and follow-up support, including calls made within 24 hours and routing through the national 988 network when needed. She explained the center’s protocol for minor callers: staff do a safety assessment, determine whether the situation meets the current emergency exception, and if it does not, gently wind down the call rather than hang up. Flynn repeatedly emphasized that the hotline does not hang up on people, would keep a call open in a serious situation such as someone holding a gun, and may use a backup center if lines are busy, all while training staff to prioritize safety. She concluded by asking the committee to support House Bill 860.
Heather Scott — Representative Heather Scott questioned the witness about whether the center had been involved in earlier negotiations, whether the bill conflicted with current law, and then shifted to concerns about the center’s handling of hotline calls involving children and suicidal callers. She pressed the witness on whether the center had hung up on callers, whether political considerations influenced those decisions, and whether the program was truly helping people in crisis, even saying she would want to defund it if it were not. She then closed by thanking the witness for coming to testify and for their work.
Heather Scott — Representative Heather Scott supports the motion and explains that legislators should be involved earlier when outside groups propose changes at the eleventh hour. She cites her concern about late-stage changes from groups such as the Prosecutors Association and the FOP, urging them to work with lawmakers sooner.
Heather Scott — Asked Nixon Matthews whether he uses a urinal or stall in the men's restroom.
Heather Scott — Quoted as saying the prior bill applied to prisons, corrections, higher education, and domestic violence centers, not a local restaurant.
Heather Scott — Representative Heather Scott questions Anthony Dollinger about the capacity in which he is testifying, asking whether he is speaking as an individual or on behalf of his police department, and then follows up by asking whether he is representing himself, his department, or the police chiefs and whether he is currently on duty.
Heather Scott — Makes an amended substitute motion to send the bill to the floor with no recommendation.
Heather Scott — Representative Scott was called on, explained that her motion to send the bill to the floor with no recommendation was meant to preserve the bill and allow a full vote, was identified as the sponsor of the amended substitute motion, and was then called to vote.
Heather Scott — She moves to send Senate Bill 1251 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Heather Scott — Answered that the Attorney General may seek injunctive relief where there is no remedy, but not change an existing statutory remedy.
Heather Scott — Explained that the Attorney General could seek injunctive relief where no remedy exists, but would not change an existing statutory remedy.
John Gannon — Representative Gannon is referenced and then speaks to ask about reports that people were unable to get through to the hotline multiple times, raising concerns about possible staffing or funding issues behind the repeated failures.
John Gannon — Representative Gannon stated that he had a motion pending and then moved House Bill 860 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. He explained that because the session is late, sending the bill to general orders would likely prevent it from advancing, and suggested working with the Senate committee to amend the bill, address prosecutor concerns, and return it for further agreement.
John Gannon — Representative John Gannon asks how many additional interviews will need to be recorded, and the witness responds that they cannot provide an exact number, noting that victim interviews are already being recorded on body-worn cameras.
John Gannon — John Gannon raises concerns about the bill’s fiscal note, arguing that the new misdemeanor could create jail costs and that the note should be revised to accurately reflect the bill’s financial impact, especially given the state’s current budget shortfall.
John Gannon — John Gannon questioned the witness about how she knew the person in the other stall was not female, then continued probing whether the bill should be broader to cover any person making a threatening remark. The witness responded in the follow-up exchange, indicating disagreement with broadening the bill.