H0498 • 2026

LEGISLATURE – Adds to existing law to authorize the Legislature to employ counsel in addition to the Attorney General in actions against the federal government.

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Last action: 2026-02-18
Official status: S St Aff
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

LEGISLATURE – Adds to existing law to authorize the Legislature to employ counsel in addition to the Attorney General in actions against the federal government.

What This Bill Does

LEGISLATURE – Adds to existing law to authorize the Legislature to employ counsel in addition to the Attorney General in actions against the federal government.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-02-18 Idaho State Legislature
Received from the House passed; filed for first reading
2026-02-18 Idaho State Legislature
Introduced, read first time; referred to: State Affairs
2026-02-17 Idaho State Legislature
Read Third Time in Full – PASSED - 61-8-1 AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Bingham, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cheatum, Church, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson, Fuhriman, Furniss, Galaviz, Garner, Green, Hall(Stone), Handy, Harris, Hawkins, Healey, Hill, Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Manwaring, Marmon, Mendive, Mickelsen, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Nelsen, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Pohanka, Price, Rasor, Raybould, Raymond, Redman(Zaken), Sauter, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Wisniewski, Mr. Speaker NAYS – Berch, Egbert, Gannon, Haws, Leavitt, Mathias, Rubel, Thompson Absent – McCann Floor Sponsor - Skaug Title apvd - to Senate
2026-02-16 Idaho State Legislature
U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar one legislative day
2026-02-13 Idaho State Legislature
Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
2026-02-12 Idaho State Legislature
Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
2026-01-20 Idaho State Legislature
Reported Printed and Referred to State Affairs
2026-01-19 Idaho State Legislature
Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for Printing

Official Summary Text

LEGISLATURE – Adds to existing law to authorize the Legislature to employ counsel in addition to the Attorney General in actions against the federal government.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

LEGISLATURE
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IDAHO
Sixty-eighth
Legislature
Second
Regular
Session
-
2026
IN
THE
HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE
BILL
NO.
498
BY
STATE
AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE
AN
ACT
1
RELATING
TO
THE
LEGISLATURE;
AMENDING
CHAPTER
4,
TITLE
67,
IDAHO
CODE,
BY
THE
2
ADDITION
OF
A
NEW
SECTION
67
-
465A,
IDAHO
CODE,
TO
AUTHORIZE
THE
PRESI
-
3
DENT
PRO
TEMPORE
OF
THE
SENATE
AND
THE
SPEAKER
OF
THE
HOUSE
OF
REPRESEN
-
4
TATIVES
TO
EMPLOY
COUNSEL
IN
ADDITION
TO
THE
ATTORNEY
GENERAL
TO
PUR
-
5
SUE
ACTIONS
AGAINST
THE
FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT
ON
BEHALF
OF
THE
STATE;
AND
6
DECLARING
AN
EMERGENCY
AND
PROVIDING
AN
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
7
Be
It
Enacted
by
the
Legislature
of
the
State
of
Idaho:
8
SECTION
1.
That
Chapter
4,
Title
67,
Idaho
Code,
be,
and
the
same
is
9
hereby
amended
by
the
addition
thereto
of
a
NEW
SECTION
,
to
be
known
and
des
-
10
ignated
as
Section
67
-
465A,
Idaho
Code,
and
to
read
as
follows:
1
1
67
-
465A.
EMPLOYMENT
OF
PRIVATE
COUNSEL
IN
ACTIONS
AGAINST
THE
FEDERAL
12
GOVERNMENT.
When,
in
the
judgment
of
the
president
pro
tempore
of
the
senate
13
and
the
speaker
of
the
house
of
representatives,
the
interest
of
the
state
14
requires
counsel
in
addition
to
the
attorney
general
to
pursue
an
action
15
against
the
federal
government
on
behalf
of
the
state,
the
president
pro
16
tempore
of
the
senate
and
the
speaker
of
the
house
of
representatives
may
17
jointly
employ
such
counsel
to
pursue
such
actions.
18
SECTION
2.
An
emergency
existing
therefor,
which
emergency
is
hereby
19
declared
to
exist,
this
act
shall
be
in
full
force
and
effect
thirty
days
af
-
20
ter
its
passage
and
approval.
21