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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho Senate Bill 1397 establishes public utility definitions and oversight rules for wastewater corporations
Last action · March 30, 2026: Returned from House Failed; to Secretary of Senate
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What This Bill Proposed
Idaho Senate Bill 1397 defines wastewater systems, service connections, and s, establishing that systems with fewer than 100 active or standby connections are exempt from regulation. The legislation adds wastewater corporations to the jurisdiction of the public utilities commission and sets an effective date of July 1, 2026, upon passing.
Changes regulatory oversight for small and large wastewater providers in Idaho, determining which facilities must comply with public utilities commission rules and fee assessments.
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.
Wastewater corporations
Subject to new statutory definitions, public utility classification rules, and potential fee assessments by the public utilities commission based on connection thresholds.
Public Utilities Commission
Gains regulatory jurisdiction over qualifying wastewater corporations and authority to assess reasonable oversight and regulation fees.
Key Facts
- Defines 'wastewater system' to include any facility or system designed for the collection, conveyance, storage, treatment, reuse, or disposal of wastewater or sewage.
- Defines 'wastewater service connection' as each individual physical point of discharge where a customer's private sewage piping connects to a wastewater system.
- Defines 'wastewater corporation' as any person or entity operating a wastewater system for compensation within the state.
- Exempts wastewater corporations serving fewer than one hundred (100) actively flowing or standby/capacity-reservation service connections from public utility regulation.
Show all 7 facts
- Authorizes the public utilities commission to assess reasonable regulatory and oversight fees on regulated wastewater corporations, capped at the commission's costs.
- Adds wastewater corporations that meet the classification criteria to the definition of a public utility under Idaho Code.
- Establishes an effective date of July 1, 2026, due to a declared emergency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which wastewater systems are exempt from regulation under this bill?
What authority does the Public Utilities Commission gain over wastewater corporations?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Failed in the Senate.
Procedural history
11 actions- Mar 30, 2026Returned from House Failed; to Secretary of Senate
- Mar 27, 2026Rules Suspended: Ayes 66 Nays 0 Abs/Excd 4, read in full as required – FAILED - 18-51-1 AYES – Berch, Bingham, Church, Egbert, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Green, Mathias, Nelsen, Petzke, Raybould, Raymond, Rubel, Sauter, Veile, Weber, Wheeler NAYS – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cheatum, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson, Fuhriman, Furniss, Hall(Stone), Handy, Harris, Hawkins, Healey, Hill(Brown), Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Manwaring, Marmon, McCann, Mendive, Mickelsen, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Palmer, Pickett, Pohanka, Price, Rasor, Redman, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Vander Woude, Wisniewski, Mr. Speaker Absent – Haws Floor Sponsor - Sauter Order ret’d to Senate
- 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, 2026IntroducedRead First Time, Referred to State Affairs
- Mar 25, 2026Received from the Senate, Filed for First Reading
Show 5 earlier actions
- Mar 25, 2026FloorRead third time in full – PASSED - 21-14-0 AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Cook, Galloway, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Lenney, Lent, Rabe, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Shippy, Taylor, Toews, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow, Woodward NAYS – Bjerke(Bjerke), Carlson, Den Hartog, Foreman, Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lakey, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Ricks, VanOrden, Zito, Zuiderveld Absent and excused – None Floor Sponsor - Woodward Title apvd - to House
- Mar 24, 2026Read second time; filed for Third Reading
- Mar 23, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
- Mar 17, 2026CommitteeReported Printed; referred to State Affairs
- Mar 16, 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 50)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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