Earlier this month, the gavel fell, closing the 2026 Idaho budget session sine die. In legislative terms, “sine die” (Latin for “without day”) means the assembly finished its business and adjourned for the year without setting a specific date to return.
Here are some of the measures we tracked that were approved by the Legislature and Governor Brad Little.
HB 652 (State Sport) makes Idaho the first state to designate hunting as its official state sport.
HB 678 (Wolf Trap Monitoring) allows trappers to use remote monitoring technology for wolf traps.
HB 774 (Regulatory Cleanup) streamlines and cleans up outdated Department of Fish and Game regulations to make the code more efficient.
HB 855 (Lifetime Licenses) increases the residency requirement for lifetime hunting and fishing licenses to five years, ensuring these benefits are reserved for committed Idaho residents.
HB 939 (Technology) regulates the use of advanced tech, including thermal imaging and drones, during hunting seasons.
HB 964 (IDFG Funding) provides supplemental funding to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to enhance habitat and wildlife management.
S 1241 (Working Animal Protection) provides essential protections for working animals vital to our sporting dog and ranching communities.
S 1348 (Shotgun Complex) greenlights the development of a new shotgun sporting complex adjacent to Farragut State Park.
S 1430 (Firearm Preemption) strengthens state authority over firearms, preventing local governments from creating a patchwork of restrictive gun regulations.
SJM 111 (Public Lands) is a formal declaration by the Senate and House affirming the legislature’s commitment to keeping federal public lands in public hands.
Ongoing Advocacy and Monitoring
While the session is over, our work is not. Animal extremists and anti-hunting and gun groups never clock out. They are already pivoting to the interim period, looking for ways to bypass the legislature through ballot initiatives or administrative rule changes that threaten our traditions and lifestyle.
We’ve seen it in neighboring states: the moment we look away, they strike. We need you to stay engaged, keep your boots on the ground, and be ready to mobilize at a moment’s notice.
Review a complete list of monitored bills via the Interactive Legislative Map. Please share this message with fellow sportsmen to help defend our hunting, fishing, and trapping heritage in the Gem State.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler, and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
