The bill amends Section 49-402 of the Idaho Code to establish the Idaho State Parks and Trails Passport, which allows residents to access all Idaho state parks. The annual fee for this passport will increase from ten dollars ($10.00) to twenty dollars ($20.00) for one year and from twenty dollars ($20.00) to forty dollars ($40.00) for two years. Additionally, the bill specifies that from each passport fee collected, sixteen dollars ($16.00) from the one-year passport and thirty-two dollars ($32.00) from the two-year passport will be allocated to the park and recreation fund, while four dollars ($4.00) and eight dollars ($8.00) will be directed to a newly established Nonmotorized Recreation Fund.

The bill also introduces a new section, 67-7134, which establishes the Nonmotorized Recreation Fund to support various nonmotorized recreational activities. The fund will be administered by the Department of Parks and Recreation and will be used for securing land for public recreational use, maintaining and developing trails, financing user education programs, acquiring matching federal funds, enforcing regulations, and distributing grants to governmental entities and organizations. The bill emphasizes that the allocation of passport fees will not create additional liability for the state or its political subdivisions. An emergency clause is included, making the act effective on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 49-402