H0715 • 2026

PUBLIC LIBRARIES – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the powers and duties of library boards of trustees to hire and terminate library directors.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
Last action: 2026-03-26
Official status: LAW
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

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

PUBLIC LIBRARIES – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the powers and duties of library boards of trustees to hire and terminate library directors.

What This Bill Does

PUBLIC LIBRARIES – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the powers and duties of library boards of trustees to hire and terminate library directors.

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

2026-03-26 Idaho State Legislature
Reported Signed by Governor on March 26, 2026 Session Law Chapter 150 Effective: 07/01/2026
2026-03-25 Idaho State Legislature
Returned Signed by the President; Ordered Transmitted to Governor
2026-03-25 Idaho State Legislature
Delivered to Governor at 12:10 p.m. on March 25, 2026
2026-03-24 Idaho State Legislature
Reported Enrolled; Signed by Speaker; Transmitted to Senate
2026-03-24 Idaho State Legislature
Received from the House enrolled/signed by Speaker
2026-03-24 Idaho State Legislature
Signed by President; returned to House
2026-03-23 Idaho State Legislature
Read third time in full – PASSED - 28-6-1 AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Carlson, Cook, Den Hartog, Foreman, Galloway, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lakey, Lenney, Lent, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Ricks, Shippy, Toews, VanOrden, Woodward, Zito, Zuiderveld NAYS – Rabe, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Taylor, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow Absent and excused – Bjerke(Bjerke) Floor Sponsor - Toews Title apvd - to House
2026-03-23 Idaho State Legislature
Returned from Senate Passed; to JRA for Enrolling
2026-03-17 Idaho State Legislature
Retained on calendar
2026-03-13 Idaho State Legislature
Read second time; filed for Third Reading
2026-03-12 Idaho State Legislature
Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
2026-03-03 Idaho State Legislature
Received from the House passed; filed for first reading
2026-03-03 Idaho State Legislature
Introduced, read first time; referred to: Local Government & Taxation
2026-03-02 Idaho State Legislature
Read Third Time in Full – PASSED - 59-8-3 AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Bingham, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cheatum, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson, Fuhriman, Garner, Hall(Stone), Handy, Harris, Hawkins, Healey, Hill(Brown), Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Manwaring, Marmon, McCann, Mendive, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Nelsen, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Pohanka, Price, Rasor, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Sauter, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Wisniewski, Mr. Speaker NAYS – Berch, Church, Egbert, Galaviz, Gannon, Green, Haws(Woller), Mathias Absent – Furniss, Mickelsen, Rubel Floor Sponsor - Cornilles Title apvd - to Senate
2026-02-27 Idaho State Legislature
U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar until Monday, March 2, 2026
2026-02-26 Idaho State Legislature
Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
2026-02-25 Idaho State Legislature
Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
2026-02-18 Idaho State Legislature
Reported Printed and Referred to Local Government
2026-02-17 Idaho State Legislature
Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for Printing

Official Summary Text

PUBLIC LIBRARIES – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the powers and duties of library boards of trustees to hire and terminate library directors.

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.
715
BY
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
COMMITTEE
AN
ACT
1
RELATING
TO
PUBLIC
LIBRARIES;
AMENDING
SECTION
33
-
2607,
IDAHO
CODE,
TO
2
REVISE
PROVISIONS
REGARDING
THE
POWERS
AND
DUTIES
OF
PUBLIC
LIBRARY
3
BOARDS
OF
TRUSTEES
AND
TO
MAKE
TECHNICAL
CORRECTIONS;
AMENDING
SECTION
4
33
-
2608,
IDAHO
CODE,
TO
REVISE
PROVISIONS
REGARDING
LIBRARY
DIRECTORS
5
OF
PUBLIC
LIBRARIES
AND
TO
MAKE
TECHNICAL
CORRECTIONS;
AND
DECLARING
AN
6
EMERGENCY
AND
PROVIDING
AN
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
7
Be
It
Enacted
by
the
Legislature
of
the
State
of
Idaho:
8
SECTION
1.
That
Section
33
-
2607,
Idaho
Code,
be,
and
the
same
is
hereby
9
amended
to
read
as
follows:
10
33
-
2607.
POWERS
AND
DUTIES
OF
TRUSTEES.
In
addition
to
the
powers
1
1
elsewhere
contained
in
this
chapter
and
notwithstanding
the
provisions
of
12
title
50,
Idaho
Code,
the
board
of
trustees
of
each
city
library
shall
have
13
the
following
powers
and
duties:
14
(1)
To
establish
bylaws
for
its
own
governance;
15
(2)
To
establish
policies
and
rules
of
use
for
the
governance
of
the
li
-
16
brary
or
libraries
under
its
control;
to
exclude
from
the
use
of
the
library
17
any
and
all
persons
who
violate
such
rules;
18
(3)
To
establish,
locate,
maintain
,
and
have
custody
of
libraries
to
19
serve
the
city,
and
to
provide
suitable
rooms,
structures,
facilities,
fur
-
20
niture,
apparatus
,
and
appliances
necessary
for
library
service;
21
(4)
With
the
approval
of
the
city:
22
(a)
To
acquire
real
property
by
purchase,
gift,
devise,
lease
,
or
oth
-
23
erwise;
24
(b)
To
own
and
hold
real
and
personal
property
and
to
construct
build
-
25
ings
for
the
use
and
purposes
of
the
library;
26
(c)
To
sell,
exchange
,
or
otherwise
dispose
of
real
or
personal
prop
-
27
erty
when
no
longer
required
by
the
library;
and
28
(d)
To
insure
the
real
and
personal
property
of
the
library;
29
(5)
To
prepare
and
adopt
a
budget
for
review
and
approval
by
the
city
30
council;
31
(6)
To
control
the
expenditures
of
money
budgeted
for
the
library;
32
(7)
To
accept
or
decline
gifts
of
money
or
personal
property,
in
accor
-
33
dance
with
library
policy,
and
under
such
terms
as
may
be
a
condition
of
the
34
gift;
35
(8)
To
hire,
supervise
and
evaluate
the
library
director
supervise
and
36
evaluate
the
library
director
and,
with
the
approval
of
a
majority
of
the
37
members
of
the
city
council,
to
hire
and
terminate
the
library
director
;
38
(9)
To
establish
policies
for
the
purchase
and
distribution
of
library
39
materials;
40
(10)
To
attend
all
meetings
of
the
board
of
trustees;
41
(11)
To
maintain
legal
records
of
all
board
business;
42

2
(12)
To
exercise
such
other
powers,
not
inconsistent
with
law,
neces
-
1
sary
for
the
orderly
and
efficient
management
of
the
library.
2
SECTION
2.
That
Section
33
-
2608,
Idaho
Code,
be,
and
the
same
is
hereby
3
amended
to
read
as
follows:
4
33
-
2608.
LIBRARY
DIRECTOR
-
-
DUTIES
-
-
OTHER
EMPLOYEES.
(1)
The
board
5
of
trustees
of
each
city
library
shall
appoint
the
library
director
,
who
6
shall
serve
at
the
pleasure
of
the
board.
with
the
approval
of
a
majority
of
7
the
members
of
the
city
council.
The
board
may
terminate
the
library
direc
-
8
tor
with
the
approval
of
a
majority
of
the
members
of
the
city
council.
The
9
library
director
shall
advise
the
board,
implement
policy
set
by
the
board,
10
supervise
all
library
staff
,
and
shall
acquire
library
materials,
equip
-
1
1
ment
,
and
supplies.
The
library
director
shall
attend
all
board
meetings
but
12
shall
not
vote.
13
(2)
With
the
recommendation
of
the
library
director,
the
board
shall
14
budget
to
hire
other
employees
as
may
be
necessary
for
the
operation
of
the
15
library.
The
library
director
shall
hire
or
oversee
the
hiring
of
all
other
16
employees
based
on
the
policies,
procedures,
and
job
descriptions
of
the
17
city.
These
employees
shall
be
employees
of
the
city
and
subject
to
the
18
city's
personnel
policies
and
classifications
unless
otherwise
provided
by
19
city
ordinance.
20
SECTION
3.
An
emergency
existing
therefor,
which
emergency
is
hereby
21
declared
to
exist,
this
act
shall
be
in
full
force
and
effect
on
and
after
22
July
1,
2026.
23