New Year, New Laws
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho will be ringing in the new year with eight new laws on the books on January 1st.
The measures passed in the 2025 Legislature will cover a range of issues – from changes to how property taxes are assessed to anti-SLAPP legislation.
Senate Bill 1001 protects freedom of speech by allowing courts to quickly throw out Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, known as SLAPPs. The measure aims to protect individuals’ rights to speak out on issues of government and community interest.
House Bill 354 and Senate Bill 1216 change how property taxes are assessed.
Under the new laws, if the value of a home goes up more than 10 percent in a year and the homeowner would like to appeal that decision, the county assessor must provide the burden of proof for the increase.
In the past, it was up to the homeowner to prove the home's value had not exceeded 10 percent in the previous year.
Additionally, the property tax on electric utilities is being replaced with a tax based on kilowatt hours sold.
Lawmakers also expanded breast cancer screening coverage for “magnetic resonance imaging, contrast mammogram imaging and people at higher risk for breast cancer,” according to the law.
The new laws are among 340 pieces of legislation that passed in Idaho last year.
