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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho mandates 30-day public comment period for fish and game season settings starting July 2026
Last action · January 30, 2026: Reported Printed; referred to Resources & Environment
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What This Bill Proposed
Senate Bill 1238 requires the Idaho Fish and Game Commission to provide a minimum thirty-day public comment period before adopting, repealing, or amending any season-setting , taking effect July 1, 2026.
Hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreationists gain a guaranteed review window before wildlife bag limits and hunting seasons are finalized by the state.
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.
Hunters and Anglers
Individuals who take fish and wildlife are provided a guaranteed thirty-day comment window before season rules are finalized.
Idaho Fish and Game Commission
The commission must publish advance notices, provide a thirty-day comment period, and distribute official pamphlets without charge.
Key Facts
- Senate Bill 1238 establishes a mandatory minimum thirty-day public comment period for any commission adoption, repeal, or amendment of season-setting proclamations.
- Emergency proclamations are explicitly exempt from the thirty-day public comment period requirement.
- Notice of proposed proclamations must be published in the Idaho administrative bulletin and provided in the same manner as an open meeting.
- Notice must be given to the director of the legislative services office for review by the germane joint subcommittee as soon as possible after adoption.
Show all 5 facts
- Proclamations must be published in a pamphlet or brochure and distributed without charge to the public, serving as the official text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all wildlife proclamations subject to the thirty-day comment period?
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in Senate committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jan 30, 2026CommitteeReported Printed; referred to Resources & Environment
- Jan 29, 2026IntroducedIntroduced; read first time; referred to JR 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 60)
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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