Bills and Committees – Growing Freedom for Idaho

A citizen’s voice is heard the loudest and has the greatest impact at the committee level.

There are 14 House Committees organized by topic. Committees are where ideas become bills and bills live or die to become law. Over 95 percent of the bills that make it out of committee pass on the House floor to become law. The time to make your voice heard on an issue is when a bill is in committee.

Steps to make Idaho laws through the House of Representatives (legislation can also originate in the Senate):

Draft legislation called a “RS” (Routing slip) is introduced into the appropriate House Committee.
Committee members hear the RS and decide if it gets assigned a bill number to become a bill or not.
Numbered bills get put on the appropriate committee agenda by the committee chairman.
A hearing is held on the bill and committee members hear testimony. This is where public input is important! Committee members vote on the bill and determine if it will die or get referred it to the “Floor” for a vote by the entire body.
Once a bill passes the House Floor it will be sent to the Senate and goes through a similar process.

Codes	House Committees	Issues	Committee Members
AG	Agricultural Affairs Even Days, pm, Room EW42 Secretary: Joan Majors Email: hagri@house.idaho.gov Phone: 332-1137	Farm & Agricultural, Animal Rights, GMO	Chair Judy Boyle Vice Chair Caroline Nilsson Troy Thomas Dayley Ryan Kerby Thyra Stevenson Christy Zito Kevin Andrus Priscilla Giddings Bill Goesling Gary Marshall Tammy Nichols Jerald Raymond Mathew W. Erpelding (D) Sally Toone (D) Chris Abernathy (D)
APP	Appropriations Daily, am, Room C310 Secretary: Donna Warnock Email: happ@house.idaho.gov Phone: 334-4736	State budgets, revenue, appropriations, Building Codes, Minimum Wage	Chair Rick D. Youngblood Vice Chair Wendy Horman Neil A. Anderson Paul Amador Clark Kauffman Britt Raybould Scott A. Syme Caroline Nilsson Troy Melissa Wintrow (D) Sally Toone (D)
BUS	Business Odd Days, pm, Room EW41 Secretary: Jayne Feik Email: hbus@house.idaho.gov Phone: 332-1139	Banking/insurance issues licensing, credit union, investments, stocks	Chair Sage G. Dixon Vice Chair Gayann DeMordaunt Gary E. Collins Brent J. Crane Joe Palmer Vito Barbieri Thyra Stevenson Randy Armstrong Lance W. Clow Jason A. Monks Kevin Andrus Rodney G. Furniss Tammy Nichols Jerald Raymond Elaine Smith (D) Steve Berch (D) Brooke Green (D)
C&HR	Commerce and Human Resources Odd Days, pm, Room EW05 Secretary: Karen Westen Email: hcom@house.idaho.gov Phone: 332-1149	State Employees, firemen, wages/hours, unions, retirement	Chair James Holtzclaw Vice Chair Neil A. Anderson Steven Harris Mike Kingsley Scott A. Syme Chad Christensen Priscilla Giddings John Green Tony Wisniewski Sue Chew (D) Chris Abernathy (D) Jake Ellis (D)
EDU	Education Daily, am, Room EW41 Secretary: Erica McGinnis Email: hedu@house.idaho.gov Phone: 332-1148	Public schools, colleges, universities, homeschool, Common Core, Testing, STEM	Chair Lance W. Clow Vice Chair Ryan Kerby Paul E. Shepherd Judy Boyle Ron Mendive Gayann DeMordaunt Dorothy Moon Barbara Ehardt Bill Goesling Gary Marshall Jerald Raymond Tony Wisniewski John McCrostie (D) Chris Abernathy (D) Steve Berch (D)
EE&T	Environment, Energy and Technology Even Days, pm, Room EW41 Secretary: Kimberly Lowder Email: henv@house.idaho.gov Phone: 332-1128	Cyber-security, hazardous waste, sewage, recycling, power, utilities	Chair John Vander Woude Vice Chair Paul Amador Neil A. Anderson Robert Anderst Wendy Horman Dorothy Moon Heather Scott Barbara Ehardt Randy Armstrong Rodney G. Furniss Linda Wright Hartgen Laurie Lickley Britt Raybould Julianne Young Elaine Smith (D) Sue Chew (D) Jake Ellis (D) Rob Mason (D)
H&W	Health and Welfare Daily, am, Room EW20 Secretary: Irene Moore Email: hhel@house.idaho.gov Phone: 332-1138	Health/childcare, welfare, disabilities, Medicaid, e-cigarettes, naturopathy, mental illness, vaccinations	Chair Fred Wood Vice Chair Jarom Wagoner John Vander Woude Marc Gibbs Megan Blanksma Mike Kingsley Bryan Zollinger Chad Christensen John Green Laurie Lickley Sue Chew (D) Ilana Rubel (D) Muffy Davis (D)
JR&A	Judiciary, Rules and Administration Odd Days, pm, Room EW42 Secretary: Wendy Carver-Herbert Email: hjud@house.idaho.gov Phone: 332-1127	Courts, prisons, attorneys, juvenile justice, Law enforcement, Prisons, victim issues, detention centers	Chair Thomas Dayley Vice Chair Greg Chaney Ryan Kerby Paul Amador Christy Zito Bryan Zollinger Barbara Ehardt Bill Goesling Linda Wright Hartgen Gary Marshall Doug Ricks Heather Scott Caroline Nilsson Troy Julianne Young John Gannon (D) John McCrostie (D) Melissa Wintrow (D) Muffy Davis (D)
LG	Local Government Even Days, pm, Room EW05 Secretary: Karen Westen Email: hloc@house.idaho.gov Phone: 332-1147	City/county governance, taxing districts, Urban Renewal, Eminent domain	Chair Ron Mendive Vice Chair Mike Kingsley Vito Barbieri Lance W. Clow Gary E. Collins Bryan Zollinger Chad Christensen John Green Jarom Wagoner Tony Wisniewski John McCrostie (D) Steve Berch (D) Brooke Green (D)
R&CON	Resources and Conservation Odd Days, pm, Room EW40 Secretary: Tracey McDonnell Email: hres@house.idaho.gov Phone: 332-1136	Water quality/rights, fish and game, river restoration, water adjudication, oil, mining, federal lands, endowment lands, hunting fishing & trapping, natural resources	Chair Marc Gibbs Vice Chair Terry Gestrin Mike Moyle Paul E. Shepherd Fred Wood Judy Boyle John Vander Woude Ron Mendive Clark Kauffman Megan Blanksma James S. Addis Laurie Lickley Dorothy Moon Britt Raybould Mathew W. Erpelding (D) Ilana Rubel (D) Rob Mason (D) Sally Toone (D)
R&TAX	Revenue and Taxation Daily, am, Room EW42 Secretary: Lorrie Byerly Email: hrev@house.idaho.gov Phone: 332-1125	Sales/property/income taxes, Tax Credits, Levy’s & Taxes, grocery tax	Chair Gary E. Collins Vice Chair Thyra Stevenson Mike Moyle Robert Anderst Thomas Dayley Greg Chaney Terry Gestrin James S. Addis Sage G. Dixon Rodney G. Furniss Priscilla Giddings Tammy Nichols Doug Ricks Mathew W. Erpelding (D) Jake Ellis (D) Rob Mason (D)
SA	State Affairs Daily, am, Room EW40 Secretary: Julia Grief Email: hstaf@house.idaho.gov Phone: 332-1145	Statewide policy issues, such as elections, abortion, electric utility deregulation, e-cigs, tobacco/alcohol license, guns, Article 5 convention, bully, transgender GBLT, gambling	Chair Steven Harris Vice Chair Randy Armstrong Brent J. Crane Joe Palmer Vito Barbieri James Holtzclaw Jason A. Monks Christy Zito Heather Scott Kevin Andrus Linda Wright Hartgen Julianne Young Elaine Smith (D) John Gannon (D) Brooke Green (D)
T&D	Transportation and Defense Even Days, pm, Room EW40 Secretary: Joyce McKenzie Email: htran@house.idaho.gov Phone: 332-1146	Fuel taxes, state/local highways, motor vehicle issues, Nat guard, civil air patrol, Militia	Chair Joe Palmer Vice Chair Paul E. Shepherd Terry Gestrin Clark Kauffman Rick D. Youngblood Sage G. Dixon Steven Harris James Holtzclaw Jason A. Monks Gayann DeMordaunt Scott A. Syme Megan Blanksma James S. Addis Doug Ricks Melissa Wintrow (D) John Gannon (D) Muffy Davis (D) Ilana Rubel (D)
W&M	Ways and Means On Call, pm, Room EW05 Secretary: Amie “Ivi” Taylor Email: hway@house.idaho.gov Phone: 332-1159	Used to quickly introduce legislation, usually at the end of a session.	Chair Robert Anderst Mike Moyle Jason A. Monks Megan Blanksma Mathew W. Erpelding (D) Ilana Rubel (D) Elaine Smith (D)