4 Important New Idaho Laws That Start in January 2025

We’re just days away from the start of the new legislative session. As many of us clean up confetti from our New Year’s Eve celebrations, lawmakers living outside the Treasure Valley are getting ready to head back to Boise for the beginning of the new session on January 6.

Before they get to work, a few bills that were signed into law last session go into effect on January 1. Here’s a quick look.

Senate Bill 1233

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Idaho lawmakers were hyper focused on libraries in 2024. The more controversial “Children’s School and Library Protection Act,” nicknamed the “library porn bill” went into effect in July. While that’s the piece of legislation that most Idahoans are familiar with, this one also affects libraries. According to the statement of purpose for this bill, starting on January 1, 2025 any elected library district trustees will serve a four year term, rather than a six year term.

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House Bill 596

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If you’re someone that requires prescription drugs to feel like your best self, this one should be something you’re interested in. This one changes the way that Pharmacy Benefit Managers operate in Idaho. According to the statement of purpose for the bill, PBMs decide which pharmacies are included in a plan’s network and how much that pharmacy will make for their services. KREM 2 explains the new law will require the PBMs to share how much prescription drugs cost and if there are any discounts attached by them.

Senate Bill 1350

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According to the statement of purpose for this particular bill, this bill will help develop standardized training, screening and assessment tools for Human Trafficking Victims. The Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections will assist in the creation of these new tools. It passed unanimously and almost unanimously in the senate (there were no nays, but two lawmakers were absent the day of the vote.)

House Bill 542

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According to East Idaho News, all but one of Idaho’s counties have a shortage of primary care physicians. This legislation is a way to hopefully close that gap by allowing internationally-trained physicians to get licensed in Idaho if they have a job offer from a provider in Idaho and have practiced abroad or in the US. Their first license is temporary, but can be expanded to a full license after three years.

Most of Idaho’s new legislation from the 2024 season went into effect in July 2024. You can click HERE if you missed those laws. Many were far more controversial than these.