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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho House Bill 894 guarantees the right to record public agency meetings starting July 1, 2026
Last action · April 2, 2026: Reported Signed by Governor on April 2, 2026 Session Law Chapter 281 Effective: 07/01/2026
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What This Bill Does
Idaho public agencies are now explicitly prohibited from preventing or prohibiting attendees from recording open public meetings using audio, video, or photographic equipment, effective July 1, 2026. Governing bodies may enforce measures to maintain orderly conduct but cannot unreasonably restrict recording or remove individuals for recording. This recording right does not apply to s, facilities owned or operated by the Idaho Department of Correction or Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections, or meetings conducted by the Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole.
Residents attending open government meetings gain explicit legal protections to capture audio, video, or photographs of proceedings without fear of exclusion, barring specific correctional and parole settings.
- Idaho's open meeting laws govern how state and local public agencies conduct business, ensuring transparency and public access to deliberations and decisions. 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.
Members of the public
Individuals attending open public meetings gain the explicit right to record proceedings using audio, video, or photographic equipment without being excluded.
Public agency governing bodies
Bodies are barred from prohibiting attendees from recording open public meetings and must permit recording equipment, subject only to order-maintenance measures.
Idaho Department of Correction
Facilities owned or operated by the department are exempt from the new public meeting recording provisions.
Key Facts
- Public agency governing bodies are prohibited from preventing or prohibiting any person from recording open public meetings starting July 1, 2026.
- Recording is defined as the capturing of audio, video, or photographs by electronic, digital, or other means.
- Governing bodies are explicitly forbidden from removing or excluding individuals from meetings for recording.
- Governing bodies retain the authority to take measures to ensure the orderly conduct of their open public meetings.
Show all 10 facts
- The recording protections do not apply to executive sessions.
- The recording protections do not apply to meetings or hearings held in facilities owned or operated by the Idaho Department of Correction.
- The recording protections do not apply to meetings or hearings held in facilities owned or operated by the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections.
- The recording protections do not apply to any meetings or hearings conducted by the Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole.
- Governing bodies are barred from making any decisions at meetings by secret ballot.
- Telecommunications devices such as telephone or video conferencing may be used for meetings, provided at least one member or chief administrative officer is physically present at the designated meeting notice location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a local government council ban me from recording their meeting with my phone?
Are all state meetings and hearings subject to this recording right?
When does this new recording rule take effect?
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
17 actions- Apr 2, 2026EnrolledReported Signed by Governor on April 2, 2026 Session Law Chapter 281 Effective: 07/01/2026
- Apr 1, 2026Delivered to Governor at 4:12 p.m. on April 1, 2026
- Apr 1, 2026Returned Signed by the President; Ordered Transmitted to Governor
- Apr 1, 2026Signed by President; returned to House
- Apr 1, 2026Received from the House enrolled/signed by Speaker
- Apr 1, 2026Reported Enrolled; Signed by Speaker; Transmitted to Senate
Show 11 earlier actions
- Mar 31, 2026FloorReturned from Senate Passed; to JRA for Enrolling
- Mar 31, 2026FloorRead third time in full – PASSED - 33-0-2 AYES – Adams, Bernt, Bjerke(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, VanOrden, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow, Woodward, Zito, Zuiderveld NAYS – None Absent and excused – Anthon, Toews Floor Sponsor - Harris Title apvd - to House
- Mar 27, 2026Read second time; filed for Third Reading
- Mar 26, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
- Mar 25, 2026IntroducedIntroduced, read first time; referred to: State Affairs
- Mar 25, 2026FloorReceived from the House passed; filed for first reading
- Mar 24, 2026FloorRules Suspended: Ayes 67 Nays 0 Abs/Excd 3, read in full as required – PASSED - 67-1-2 AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Berch, Bingham, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cheatum, Church, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Egbert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson, Fuhriman, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Green, Hall(Stone), 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, Rubel, Sauter, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Wisniewski, Mr. Speaker NAYS – Handy Absent – Redman, Vander Woude Floor Sponsor - McCann Title apvd - to Senate
- Mar 24, 2026Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
- Mar 23, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
- Mar 16, 2026CommitteeReported Printed and Referred to State Affairs
- Mar 13, 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.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.idaho.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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