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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho House Bill 865 restricts Public Utilities Commission ex parte communications and caps commissioner gift values
Last action · March 10, 2026: Reported Printed and Referred to State Affairs
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What This Bill Proposed
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION – Amends existing law to establish rules for ex parte communications to and from the Public Utilities Commission and to limit the amount that a commissioner or staff member may receive as a gift.
The measure alters how utilities and lobbyists can interact with state regulators, imposing a $20 limit on gifts for commission personnel while creating misdemeanor offenses and civil fines up to $2,500 for non-compliance.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Public Utilities Commission commissioners and employees
Commissioners and staff must comply with new ex parte communication prohibitions, create written summaries of unauthorized contacts within seven business days, and adhere to a reduced twenty-dollar gift limit.
Public utilities and associated lobbyists or attorneys
Regulated utilities, their agents, lobbyists, and attorneys are barred from making off-the-record communications to commission staff regarding pending matters under threat of civil penalties.
Key Facts
- Commissioners and employees of the Public Utilities Commission are prohibited from soliciting or considering off-the-record communications regarding any matter pending or reasonably expected to come before the commission.
- Public utilities, agents, parties, lobbyists, and attorneys representing public utilities are prohibited from making off-the-record communications to commission members or staff about pending matters.
- Communications limited solely to ministerial, scheduling, or public hearing matters are exempt from the ex parte communication restrictions.
- If an unauthorized communication is received, the commissioner or employee must create a written summary and place it in the commission records within seven business days, sending a copy to adverse parties.
Show all 7 facts
- Violations of the ex parte communication provisions carry civil penalties not exceeding $250 for individuals and $2,500 for entities other than individuals, enforceable by the attorney general or prosecuting attorney within two years.
- The exception allowing trivial benefits for public servants is lowered from $50 to $20 specifically for commissioners and employees of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission.
- An offense under the revised gift section is classified as a misdemeanor punishable under state law.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an ex parte communication under this bill?
What is the new gift limit for Public Utilities Commission members?
What happens if a prohibited communication is received by a commission employee?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Mar 10, 2026CommitteeReported Printed and Referred to State Affairs
- Mar 10, 2026IntroducedIntroduced, read first time, referred to JRA for Printing
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.idaho.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy30Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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