Doug Ricks — Doug Ricks questions Senator Hart about why Senate Bill 1369 is needed, asks for examples supporting the bill, and raises a hypothetical about how venue would be determined in a case involving different counties. He then moves to send Senate Bill 1369 to the floor with a due pass recommendation, and the motion is seconded by Senator Kaiser.
Doug Ricks — Doug Ricks asked how many prisoners would be affected on an average year, continuing the discussion about the expected number of prisoners impacted by the proposal.
Barbara Jordan — Barbara Jordan, speaking for the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association, testifies in support of Senate Bill 1369. She explains that people are more mobile today and that the statute should be updated to give plaintiffs greater flexibility.
James Ruchti — Was credited with bringing the bill and with explaining that the statute is a run-on sentence.
James Ruchti — Mentioned as Senator Kaiser in the motion request context? No, this appears to be a transcription issue; the speaker is Senator Kaiser, not one of the expected members.
Melissa Wintrow — Senator Wintrow questioned why the bill is focused specifically on houses of worship and asked whether other locations, such as schools or courts, should also be included.
Melissa Wintrow — Questioned why the sheriff, rather than state police or another state agency, is responsible for retrieving absconders.
Melissa Wintrow — Her question prompted the sponsor's response.
Melissa Wintrow — Asked whether statute requires the sheriff's office to pick up the person and noted she had not known that.
Melissa Wintrow — Supported the motion but noted broader concerns about unpaid bills and mental health services funding affecting sheriffs and jails.
Melissa Wintrow — Supported House Bill 684 but cautioned about funding gaps affecting sheriffs, jails, and mental health services.
Daniel Foreman — Senator Foreman was thanked for filling in while the speaker was away, then he moved House Bill 521 to the floor of the Senate with a due pass recommendation, and his motion carried.
Daniel Foreman — Daniel Foreman was acknowledged for covering the bill, then moved to send House Bill 695 to the floor with a due pass recommendation, and the motion carried.
Josh Keyser — Senator Kaiser was involved in the committee’s consideration of legislation, first moving to send House Bill 615 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. He was then identified as the sponsor/presenter for House Bill 521, which he introduced as a technical fix related to fingerprint services and FBI approval. Others noted that he had already summarized the bill and had no further additions, and he later closed by thanking Ms. McNeil for clarification and asking the committee to send House Bill 521 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Josh Keyser — Senator Josh Kaiser introduced House Bill 695, explaining that it makes a one-word correction to current statute 6-310A, subsection 5. After brief committee acknowledgments and an invitation to conclude, he closed by asking the committee to send the bill to the Senate floor with a due pass recommendation.
Leila McNeil — Identified herself as Bureau Chief of the Criminal Identification Bureau at Idaho State Police and offered to read prepared comments or answer questions.
Ms. McNeil — Ms. McNeil was invited to add anything further before questions, then clarified that the FBI would allow Idaho to get through the current legislative cycle and that if the bill does not pass this year, the grace period would continue into next year. The chair then thanked her for the clarification on House Bill 521.
Sheriff Matt Clifford — Sheriff Matt Clifford, representing the Ada County Sheriff's Office and the Idaho State Sheriff's Association, testified in support of House Bill 695. He explained that the association worked with the sponsor to draft the bill because sheriffs across Idaho are spending their own budgets to locate and extradite IDOC probation absconders who flee the state. He clarified that the bill is about absconders, not escapees, and described the costly extradition process, which often requires at least two deputies, overtime, airfare, and other travel expenses. Clifford noted that sheriffs currently have no reimbursement mechanism from IDOC, unlike the Commission on Pardons and Parole, which pays directly for similar transport services. He emphasized that the burden can be especially severe for smaller counties, where a few cases can exhaust an entire budget, and stressed that the bill is intended only to reimburse actual recapture costs, not generate profit. He also said he did not believe IDOC has an out-of-state fugitive recovery team.
Sheriff Clifford — Sheriff Clifford confirmed that state statute requires the county sheriff to bring people before the court, explaining that sheriffs—not cities—are responsible for transporting arrestees to court by statute.
Terry Durden — Terry Durden was invited to testify, then identified himself as the chief legal advisor for the Ada County Sheriff and legal counsel for the Idaho Sheriff's Association. He proceeded to support the bill, explaining that it would allow sheriffs statewide to charge the correct fee under Idaho Code 6-310A and noting that eviction-related work is more time-consuming.
Todd Lakey — Todd Lakey, State Senator from District 23, presented House Bill 684, explaining that it would reimburse county sheriffs for costs incurred when retrieving Idaho Department of Corrections prisoners, probationers, or parolees from out of state. He argued that sheriffs are assisting the state and should not be penalized for those expenses, noting the fiscal note is projected at about $200,000. During questioning, he deferred to the Sheriff's Association and other agencies for details on the expected number of transports and how coordination would work. He then closed by reiterating that the state should cover these costs and asked for support of the bill.
Dave Lent — Moves to approve the minutes of February 2nd, 2026.
Todd Lakey — The speaker says they are filling in for Senator Lakey.