POLISCOPE
Back to bills
Part ofWildlife Management →

The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.
H 653IDAHOSession 2026State Billdead
Did Not Advance

Idaho Revises Wildlife Relocation Rules, Director Powers, and Disease Testing

Original title: WILDLIFE – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding wildlife relocation.

Last action · February 13, 2026: Reported Printed and Referred to Resources & Conservation

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Proposed

Official description

WILDLIFE – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding wildlife relocation.

Why it matters

County commissioners gain the authority to vote on and reject planned wildlife movements following public hearings, while landholders and agricultural permittees gain specific notification requirements within a five-mile radius of release sites.

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.

Directly affected

Idaho Department of Fish and Game

The department must comply with new 30-day advance notice requirements, establish public hearing processes with county commissioners, maintain public reports on responsive movements, and coordinate disease testing with the Department of Agriculture.

Directly affected

County Commissioners

Boards of county commissioners receive advance notices of planned wildlife movements, conduct public hearings upon request, and vote to approve or reject proposed relocations.

Directly affected

Grazing Permittees and Private Landowners

Permittees and landowners within a five-mile radius of a proposed release site receive advance notice of planned movements and must be consulted regarding livestock operations and disease transmission risks.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What notice must be given before wildlife is relocated?
Notice must be given at least thirty days prior to a to the boards of county commissioners in the proposed release counties, and to affected federal and state land grazing permittees and private landowners within a five-mile radius of the release site.
Can county commissioners block a wildlife relocation?
Yes. Affected persons may request a hearing within 10 days of notice, and the board of county commissioners must conduct a public hearing and vote to approve or reject the , with their vote being final and binding on the director.
What is the difference between planned and responsive movement?
refers to scheduled or discretionary relocations for habitat modification, population management, or research that do not pose an immediate threat. refers to immediate relocations required because an animal enters a populated area, becomes trapped, or poses a direct danger to human life or property.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.

Procedural history

2 actions
  1. Feb 13, 2026Committee
    Reported Printed and Referred to Resources & Conservation
  2. Feb 12, 2026Introduced
    Introduced, 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

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Decentralization of Wildlife Relocation Authority

The legislation shifts authority by allowing local county commissioners to issue binding votes rejecting planned wildlife movements following public hearings.

Idaho Department of Fish and GameIdaho Fish and Game Commission

Connected Entities

Idaho Department of Fish and Game, House Resources and Conservation Committee, Senate Resources and Environment Committee and 3 more
OrganizationIdaho Department of Fish and Game“State agency responsible for wildlife management”Map →
OrganizationHouse Resources and Conservation Committee“Committee receiving notices of responsive movements”Map →
OrganizationSenate Resources and Environment Committee“Committee receiving notices of responsive movements”Map →
OrganizationRESOURCES AND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE“House committee sponsoring House Bill 653”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Agriculture“State agency collaborating on animal health and disease testing”Map →
OrganizationIdaho Fish and Game Commission“Commission overseeing the Department of Fish and Game”Map →

Sources

Open source document

legislature.idaho.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
  • Controversy60
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz35
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record