Welcome to the IACI Scorecard Quiz! The Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry publicly supported or opposed several dozen bills in the 2024 legislative session. Of those, 17 were "scored" (13 total for each chamber) and lawmakers' votes on these bills calculated into their scores. All bills are from the 2024 legislative session, and votes are scored based on IACI's support or opposition. The title of each question is the bill title itself, and the additional text comes straight from each bill's statement of purpose. You must choose to support or oppose each of the 17 bills to complete the quiz — just like our lawmakers, voting "present" is not an option! After the quiz you will be scored just like IACI scored our lawmakers. Some bills are very similar to each other. IACI scored several similar bills that were only heard in one chamber or the other in 2024. This quiz does not collect any personal information. If you close the browser window or refresh the page it will start over. IMMIGRATION – States findings of the Legislature and requests the President of the United States and the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States take action to secure the border, to stop illegal immigration, and to adopt and implement targeted immigration reform. The Federal government controls immigration, naturalization and entry to the United States. The Federal government has failed to meet its responsibility to secure our Nation, at and within its borders, and has failed to provide a guestworker Visa program that can meet the labor demands of domestic business, particularly as it relates to year-round agriculture, construction, food processing, manufacturing and hospitality industries. This Memorial expresses the desire of Idaho citizens and business that the Federal immigration system be modernized to secure the border, to provide for a legal workforce of guestworkers, to prohibit amnesty for illegal aliens, and asks that Idaho's delegation become national leaders on this topic. Support Oppose None FORESTS – Amends and adds to existing law to provide for duties and authority of the Idaho Department of Lands and to provide for the Good Neighbor Authority Fund. This bill creates a new chapter in Title 38, entitled “Sustainable Management of National Forests Act” recognizing the many benefits derived from proper forest management of federal forests throughout Idaho. The bill authorizes the Department of Lands to enhance and further implement the existing Good Neighbor Authority program as authorized in 16 U.S.C. Section 2113a (2016) creating accounts in the state treasury for Good Neighbor forest management, and authorizes appropriations from those accounts to carry out provisions of the Good Neighbor policy. Support Oppose None APPROPRIATIONS – WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL – Relates to the appropriation to the Workforce Development Council for fiscal year 2025. This appropriation to the Workforce Development Council provides enhancements to the FY2025 maintenance budget that includes funding for the Launch Grants from the In-Demand Careers Fund, 3.00 FTP and grant manager funding, and the additional 2% CEC. This appropriation provides an additional $71,199,600 and an additional 3.00 FTP to the maintenance appropriation provided to the Workforce Development Council found in House Bill 459. The total budget for the Workforce Development Council is $85,557,700. Support Oppose None EQUALITY IN FINANCIAL SERVICES – Adds to existing law to provide for equality in financial services. This legislation prohibits large financial institutions from discriminating against customers based on their political or religious views. It applies only to banks with assets over $100,000,000,000 or payment processing companies that process over $100,000,000,000 per year. These institutions would be prohibited from using social credit scores or any nonfinancial criteria. Social credit scores do not include assessing financial risks based on impartial and quantifiable financial risk-based standards. If a customer is denied access to financial services, he or she has the right to request the reason for the denial from the financial institution. Enforcement of the legislation resides with the Attorney General. Support Oppose None IDAHO LAUNCH GRANT PROGRAM – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the Idaho Launch Grant Program and the In-Demand Careers Fund. This legislation makes changes to the Idaho Launch program. These include changes to the definition of In Demand Careers to include more factors instead of just the number of job openings, excludes careers that require graduate level education from eligibility, changes an eligibility date to align with schools whose school year goes into June, and gives the council a legal mechanism for means testing. Support Oppose None EMPLOYMENT SECURITY LAW – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding personal eligibility conditions to qualify for unemployment benefits. This legislation would define what qualifies as a “work search” activity that unemployment claimants must engage in to receive unemployment insurance benefits. Specifically, this bill requires claimants to conduct five work search actions per week in order to receive benefits. Idaho currently only requires two work search activities per week as outlined by administrative rule. The legislation also defines “work search” activities and requires these claimants to report to the Department which qualified “work search” activities they have conducted weekly. The final provision in this bill would explicitly prohibit the practice of “ghosting” of an employer interview by unemployment insurance claimants and would require the Department to maintain an email address and web portal for employers to report claimant “ghosting.” Support Oppose None INCOME TAXES – Amends existing law to clarify that military retirement benefits are exempt regardless of the age or disability status of the retired military member or such member’s widow or widower. When military members leave the service, they bring with them valuable knowledge and skills to the civilian workforce. Employers benefit from this as they get employees who are already trained, hardworking, have leadership skills know how to work in a team. Idaho’s veteran population is in decline and has been for many years. Thirty-seven (37) states do not currently tax military pensions, Idaho does until age sixty-five (65). As a result, veterans choose to move to much more military friendly states and Idaho loses the highly skilled individuals. Support Oppose None EMPLOYMENT SECURITY LAW – Amends existing law to adjust the desired fund size multiplier. This legislation adjusts the desired fund size multiplier from 1.3 to 1.2 to temper the increase in unemployment insurance tax rates for calendar year 2024 (IdahoCode72-1350(3)). Without adjusting the multiplier, a large tax increase would normally occur after three years of frozen tax rates. Reducing the desired fund size multiplier lowers future rates. The legislation reduces the multiplier from 1.3 to 1.2, resulting in $44 million in net savings to employers in the first year. By the end of five years the reduced multiplier would provide an estimated $117 million in tax savings. The new multiplier of 1.2 will establish a target reserve balance equivalent to 14.4 months of benefit payments at levels similar to the Great Recession. Support Oppose None MASK MANDATES – Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding the prohibition of mask mandates. The purpose of this legislation is to prevent the State of Idaho, its political subdivisions, or any state officers from mandating the use of face masks, face shields, or other face coverings to prevent or slow the spread of a contagious or infectious disease; it also provides relevant definitions. Support Oppose None IDAHO IMMUNIZATION ASSESSMENT BOARD – Amends session law to extend a sunset date to 2029. This bill resets the sunset date for the Board from July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2029. Support Oppose None PESTICIDES – Adds to existing law to allow certain labels to satisfy any requirements for a warning regarding health or safety or any other provision or doctrine of state law. This legislation amends Idaho Code, Title 22, Chapter 34 and Idaho Code, Title 48, Chapter 6 regarding pesticides and the Idaho Consumer Protection Act. Pesticide labeling is regulated by state and federal laws under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). This legislation clarifies that existing regulations of pesticide labels shall be sufficient to satisfy any requirements for a warning regarding health or safety of such products. Support Oppose None IMMIGRATION – States findings of the Legislature and calls on Congress to impeach the President and to prioritize laws tightening border security and immigration. The Federal government controls immigration, naturalization and entry to the United States. President Biden’s administration has failed to meet its responsibility to enforce our immigration laws and secure our Nation’s borders. This Memorial expresses the desire of Idaho citizens to hold President Biden and the Federal government accountable for the invasion at our southern border. Enforcing immigration laws, securing our border and reducing the flow of illegal drugs and sex trafficking must be at the forefront of any policy discussion with the need for labor absolutely secondary. Support Oppose None LIABILITY FOR PUBLISHERS AND DISTRIBUTORS OF MATERIAL HARMFUL TO MINORS ON THE INTERNET – Adds to existing law to establish provisions to protect minors from harmful material on the internet. This legislation establishes the Online Child Safety Act. Our kids are afflicted with a destructive pornography epidemic, and there are no real accountability measures that prevent online publishers from making it accessible to them. In keeping with Article III section 24 of the Idaho Constitution, which states that "The foremost concern of all good government is the virtue and sobriety of the people, and the purity of the home," Idaho Code § 18-1515 already prohibits "disseminating material harmful to minors." Today's internet environment thwarts the enforceability of the existing language. This legislation empowers parents of harmed children with standing to sue perpetrating content providers for a civil remedy if they fail to take reasonable steps to ensure they are not providing such content to minors. Support Oppose None EDUCATION – Amends existing law to revise the definition of “in-demand careers” for the Idaho Launch Grant program. This legislation updates the definition of "in-demand careers" to establish additional criteria for weighing economic output and mobility. Factors include but are not limited to, the number of openings, rate of growth, skill transferability, length of program training, and wage potential. In addition, any in-demand careers that require more than a bachelor's degree are excluded from grant consideration. Support Oppose None DIGITAL ASSETS – Amends and adds to existing law to establish provisions for central bank digital currencies. This legislation protects the right to mine, store and transfer digital assets. This legislation amends the Idaho Digital Assets Act to add definitions and clarifies digital assets and exempt from taxation when used as a form of payment in a transaction. Finally, it defines central bank digital currency and excludes it from the Idaho Uniform Commercial Code’s definition of money and prohibits state engagement with the protocol. Support Oppose None DISTRIBUTED LEDGER TECHNOLOGY – Adds to existing law to establish the Distributed Ledger Technology Act to provide for certain rights regarding the use of distributed ledger technology. This legislation adds a new chapter to Idaho Code related to distributed ledger technology (DLT). It contains legislative findings that DLT brings positive economic value to individuals, corporations and other interests in the state. This legislation will protect the right of individuals and businesses to use DLT in the state of Idaho by prohibiting regulations that impose prohibitive requirements on its use. This legislation prohibits local regulations that would unfairly impair the use of DLT by businesses or at home. The legislation protects DLT tokens and wallets as a private property right. It also prohibits special taxes from being enacted solely because distributed ledger technology is used as a method of payment in a transaction. Support Oppose None TAXATION – Amends, repeals, and adds to existing law to revise provisions regarding tax rates, school facilities funding, and school district bond and tax levy elections. This legislation provides the largest state investment in school facilities through three main avenues. First, it dedicates $125 million in ongoing sales tax revenue to the new School Modernization Facilities Fund for bonding, while providing the legislature with expanded options to cover annual service on the bonds in the event of economic downturns. Second, this legislation increases the funding to the School District Facility Fund in two ways. It increases the sales tax revenue directed to the fund from 2.25% to 3.25% which is projected to be $25 million in FY 2025, and redirects existing lottery dividends to the fund, which is projected to be approximately $50 million in FY 2025. This fund will help school districts with paying down school bonds, levies, and plant facility levies, with any remaining funds being used at the district level for additional school facility projects. Third, this legislation reduces income taxes from 5.8% to 5.695%, allowing Idahoans to have more money to better support local bonds and levies related to school facilities. Additional changes and technical edits are made to related Code provisions. Combined, this bill provides unprecedented state support for school facility improvements in every school district in the state while ensuring appropriate accountability. Support Oppose None Time's up