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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho approves Coeur d’Alene Tribe water rights settlement and establishes tribal water supply bank
Last action · March 30, 2026: Reported Signed by Governor on March 26, 2026 Session Law Chapter 181 Effective: 03/26/2026
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What This Bill Does
Idaho ratifies the 2026 Coeur d’Alene Tribe water rights settlement agreement and directs state agencies to execute its terms. The legislation creates the Coeur d’Alene tribal to facilitate off-reservation lease and rental of held by or for the tribe.
Establishes a legal framework for managing tribal water rights and allows off-reservation leasing of certain water rights through a local rental committee, affecting water availability and management within the Coeur d’Alene-Spokane river basin.
- The Coeur d’Alene-Spokane River Basin Adjudication (CSRBA) is a comprehensive court proceeding in Idaho to determine water rights within the river basin. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Coeur d’Alene Tribe
Tribal water rights settlement agreement is ratified and a tribal water supply bank is created to lease federal reserved water rights.
Water resource board
Must appoint a local rental committee and apply water supply bank rules to tribal water rights leases.
Water users within the Coeur d’Alene-Spokane river basin
Gains access to off-reservation lease and rental options for consumptive use federal reserved water rights.
Key Facts
- The 2026 Coeur d’Alene Tribe water rights settlement agreement is officially approved, ratified, and confirmed.
- Executive branch agencies and officers of the state are directed to perform all actions necessary to implement the agreement.
- A new Coeur d’Alene tribal water supply bank is established for off-reservation lease and rental of federal reserved water rights.
- The water resource board must appoint a local rental committee to facilitate the operation of the tribal water supply bank.
Show all 7 facts
- Consumptive use federal reserved water rights held by or on behalf of the tribe may be rented out for beneficial use outside the Coeur d’Alene Indian reservation.
- Water rights under the tribal reservation may be accepted into the water supply bank to satisfy minimum stream flow water rights held by the water resource board.
- The act takes effect immediately upon passage and approval due to an emergency clause.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the new Coeur d’Alene tribal water supply bank do?
Who manages the operation of the tribal water supply bank?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
18 actions- Mar 30, 2026EnrolledReported Signed by Governor on March 26, 2026 Session Law Chapter 181 Effective: 03/26/2026
- Mar 26, 2026Delivered to Governor at 12:58 p.m. on March 26, 2026
- Mar 26, 2026Returned Signed by the President; Ordered Transmitted to Governor
- Mar 25, 2026Signed by President; returned to House
- Mar 25, 2026Received from the House enrolled/signed by Speaker
- Mar 25, 2026Reported Enrolled; Signed by Speaker; Transmitted to Senate
Show 12 earlier actions
- Mar 24, 2026FloorReturned from Senate Passed; to JRA for Enrolling
- Mar 24, 2026FloorRead third time in full – PASSED - 34-0-1 AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Carlson, Cook, Den Hartog, Foreman, Galloway, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lakey, Lenney, Lent, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Rabe, Ricks, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Shippy, Taylor, Toews, VanOrden, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow, Woodward, Zito, Zuiderveld NAYS – None Absent and excused – Bjerke(Bjerke) Floor Sponsor - Hart Title apvd - to House
- Mar 23, 2026Retained on calendar
- Mar 17, 2026Read second time; filed for Third Reading
- Mar 16, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
- Mar 10, 2026IntroducedIntroduced, read first time; referred to: Resources & Environment
- Mar 10, 2026FloorReceived from the House passed; filed for first reading
- Mar 9, 2026FloorRead Third Time in Full – PASSED - 64-0-6 AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Berch, Bingham, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cheatum, Church, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Egbert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson(Larsen), Fuhriman, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Hall(Stone), Handy, Harris, Haws, Hill, Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Marmon, Mathias, Mendive, Mickelsen, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Nelsen, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Price, Rasor, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Rubel, Sauter, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Wisniewski, Mr. Speaker NAYS – None Absent – Green, Hawkins, Healey, Manwaring, McCann, Pohanka Floor Sponsor - Mendive Title apvd - to Senate
- Mar 6, 2026Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
- Mar 5, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
- Mar 2, 2026CommitteeReported Printed and Referred to Resources & Conservation
- Feb 27, 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.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Establishment of Tribal Water Supply Bank
The state creates a dedicated mechanism for the off-reservation lease and rental of federal reserved water rights held by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.idaho.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy30Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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