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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho reorganizes off-highway vehicle and snowmobile accounts, funding formulas, and advisory committees
Last action · March 20, 2026: Referred to Resources & Conservation
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What This Bill Would Do
Senate Bill 1378 revises the distribution, management, and use of state funds for snowmobiles and off-highway vehicles (OHVs), effective July 1, 2026. The legislation updates account allocations for search and rescue, avalanche reporting, county law enforcement grants, and department administration.
Changes how millions in recreation fees are distributed to county sheriffs, avalanche centers, and land managers, while establishing new administrative oversight requirements and advisory committees for snowmobilers and OHV users.
- Idaho's recreational trails and public lands are managed through dedicated accounts funded largely by vehicle registration fees, user certificates, and matching federal funds. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Snowmobile and OHV Owners/Operators
Subject to revised certificate fees, handling fees, registration rules, trail use regulations, and a $100 fine for infractions.
County Sheriffs
Eligible to receive grant allocations from the off-highway vehicle law enforcement fund based on safety classes, inspections, citations, and use area designations.
Idaho Department of Lands
Receives dedicated fund allocations to provide recreational opportunities and repair damage related to snowmobile and OHV use.
Key Facts
- Revises the Off-Road Motor Vehicle Account and OHV recreation account to authorize land acquisition, trail development, rider education, and facility maintenance.
- Adjusts fee allocations from snowmobile certificates of number, directing $1.00 to the state snowmobile search and rescue fund, $1.00 to the state snowmobile avalanche fund, and $1.00 to the Idaho Department of Lands.
- Requires counties with bona fide snowmobile programs to receive 85% of moneys generated for that county, with up to 15% usable for law enforcement upon advisory committee recommendation.
- Establishes the State Snowmobile Avalanche Fund Committee (SSAFC) consisting of five members appointed by the park and recreation board.
Show all 8 facts
- Sets fines for violating chapter provisions or department rules at a $100 infraction, plus accountability for property damage and potential trespass charges for closed lands.
- Provides that OHV law enforcement programs must be sponsored by a county sheriff and overseen by an advisory committee including at least one sheriff/deputy and two non-law-enforcement OHV users.
- Revises the Off-Road/Off-Highway Vehicle Advisory Committee to nine members representing motorbikes, ATVs, UTVs, and other interests across three state regions.
- Declares an emergency, setting the effective date as July 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to unencumbered funds allocated to the Department of Lands?
Who serves on the State Snowmobile Avalanche Fund Committee?
What is the penalty for violating snowmobile or OHV rules under this act?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently passed both. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.
Procedural history
9 actions- Mar 20, 2026CommitteeReferred to Resources & Conservation
- Mar 20, 2026Reported out of Committee, Returned to the Desk for re-referral
- Mar 19, 2026IntroducedRead First Time, Referred to Transportation & Defense
- Mar 19, 2026Received from the Senate, Filed for First Reading
- Mar 19, 2026FloorRead third time in full – PASSED - 20-15-0 AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Cook, Den Hartog, Guthrie, Harris, Lent, Rabe, Ricks, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Shippy, Taylor, VanOrden, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow, Woodward NAYS – Bjerke(Bjerke), Carlson, Foreman, Galloway, Grow, Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lakey, Lenney, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Toews, Zito, Zuiderveld Absent and excused – None Floor Sponsor - Harris Title apvd - to House
- Mar 17, 2026Read second time; filed for Third Reading
Show 3 earlier actions
- Mar 16, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
- Mar 10, 2026CommitteeReported Printed; referred to Resources & Environment
- Mar 9, 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.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Standardization of Three-Year Unencumbered Fund Returns
Multiple accounts managed by the Department of Lands now explicitly require unencumbered funds to be returned to the state treasurer after three fiscal years.
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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