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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho revises Forest Products Commission structure, assessment rules, and voids administrative procedures
Last action · March 3, 2026: Reported Signed by Governor on March 2, 2026 Session Law Chapter 8 Effective: 07/01/2026; 07/01/2026 IDAPA Sunset Clause – SECTION 5
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What This Bill Does
House Bill 502 amends Idaho Code to revise definitions, commissioner terms, and officer election rules for the Idaho Forest Products Commission, while updating assessment calculations and voiding existing administrative rules in 15.03.01 effective July 1, 2026.
The measure alters how the state's forest products industry is represented and assessed financially, establishing new governance procedures, payment schedules, and collection mechanisms for timber manufacturers, transporters, and landowners starting July 1, 2026.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Idaho Forest Products Commission
The commission's governance structure, officer terms, assessment authorities, and administrative rules are revised by the legislation.
Forest product manufacturers
Manufacturers are subject to revised board foot assessment caps, payment schedules, and late fee provisions on harvested or processed timber.
Timber harvest and transport businesses
These businesses are subject to employee-based assessment limits, collection coordination with state agencies, and penalties for late payments.
Private forest landowners
Owners of more than 10,000 acres of private forest land are subject to acreage-based assessment caps and payment deadlines.
Key Facts
- The legislation voids all administrative rules contained in IDAPA 15.03.01 regarding the Idaho Forest Products Commission on July 1, 2026.
- The commission is composed of five voting members appointed by the governor from district nominations submitted by financial supporters.
- Advisory members include the director of the department of lands, a US forest service representative, the dean of the university of Idaho college of natural resources, representatives from commerce and agriculture, and the executive director of associated logging contractors.
- Assessments for forest products manufacturers are capped at fifty cents per thousand board feet for logs harvested or processed in Idaho.
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- Assessments for timber harvest or transport businesses are capped at twenty-five dollars per employee based on department of labor records.
- Entities owning more than 10,000 acres of private forest land in Idaho face an assessment cap of ten cents per acre.
- Entities qualifying for multiple assessment categories are assessed only under the greater category.
- Commission chairs and vice-chairs serve one-year terms commencing on July 30 of each year.
- Delinquent assessment accounts accrue a one percent interest per calendar month starting thirty-one days after notice mailing, plus potential late penalties up to fifteen percent per annum and collection costs.
- Financial supporters may pay assessments in one full payment due thirty days after notice or in four equal payments with full payment due by December 31.
- The act takes effect on July 1, 2026, under an emergency declaration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are members of the Idaho Forest Products Commission selected?
What are the assessment limits for timber and forest product businesses?
What happens to current administrative rules for the commission under this act?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
19 actions- Mar 3, 2026EnrolledReported Signed by Governor on March 2, 2026 Session Law Chapter 8 Effective: 07/01/2026; 07/01/2026 IDAPA Sunset Clause – SECTION 5
- Mar 2, 2026Delivered to Governor at 2:55 p.m. on February 27, 2026
- Feb 27, 2026Returned Signed by the President; Ordered Transmitted to Governor
- Feb 26, 2026Signed by President; returned to House
- Feb 26, 2026Received from the House enrolled/signed by Speaker
- Feb 25, 2026Reported Enrolled; Signed by Speaker; Transmitted to Senate
Show 13 earlier actions
- Feb 25, 2026FloorReturned from Senate Passed; to JRA for Enrolling
- Feb 24, 2026FloorRead third time in full – PASSED - 35-0-0 AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Bjerke, 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 – None Floor Sponsor - Harris Title apvd - to House
- Feb 17, 2026Read second time; filed for Third Reading
- Feb 16, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
- Feb 10, 2026IntroducedIntroduced, read first time; referred to: Resources & Environment
- Feb 10, 2026FloorReceived from the House passed; filed for first reading
- Feb 9, 2026FloorRead Third Time in Full – PASSED - 66-1-3 AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Bingham, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cheatum, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Egbert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson, Fuhriman, Furniss, Gannon, Garner, Green, Hall(Stone), Handy, Harris, Hawkins, Haws, Healey, Hill, Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Manwaring, Marmon, Mathias, McCann, Mendive, Mickelsen, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Nelsen, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Pohanka, Price, Rasor, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Rubel, Sauter, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Mr. Speaker NAYS – Berch Absent – Church, Galaviz, Wisniewski Floor Sponsor - Boyle Title apvd - to Senate
- Feb 6, 2026U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar until Monday, February 9, 2026
- Feb 5, 2026Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
- Feb 4, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
- Feb 4, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
- Jan 21, 2026CommitteeReported Printed and Referred to Resources & Conservation
- Jan 20, 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.
Complete Nullification of Existing Administrative Rules
The legislature explicitly voids the entire administrative code chapter IDAPA 15.03.01 effective July 1, 2026, requiring new rulemaking to govern commission procedures.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.idaho.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance55How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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