BOISE, ID – The Idaho Senate is calling for an end to the rapid increase in the number of bills introduced each year by the Idaho Legislature.
In a unanimous, bipartisan vote on Wednesday, the Idaho Senate signed off on a new rule that would limit the number of draft bills that legislators can have prepared each year.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 114 seeks to create a new Joint Rule 24 in the Idaho Legislature. If it is also adopted by the Idaho House of Representatives, the proposed joint rule would limit every member of the Idaho Legislature to requesting a maximum of 25 pieces of draft legislation each fiscal year and no more than 10 completed pieces of legislation prepared for introduction called routing slips, or RSs.
Sen. Jim Guthrie, R-McCammon, sponsored the proposed new rule limiting the number of new bills that can be requested. Guthrie argued that the Idaho Legislature is intended to be a part-time, citizen-driven legislature that acts efficiently and effectively. He warned the increase in legislation introduced recently changes the Idaho Legislature.
“I think sometimes the volume of legislation gets to a point that is not necessarily compatible with that directive, that expectation,” Guthrie said.
Guthrie said the limits would reduce stress on legislative bill drafters and help keep the Idaho Legislature efficient and focused.
“I just think at this juncture the volume (of legislation) we’re seeing is maybe getting to be a level of concern,” Guthrie said.
The proposed new rule includes exceptions for budget bills and if House or Senate leaders wish to make an exception to the limit.
Data shows sharp increase in number of bills Idaho Legislature has introduced over the past two years
In 2025 the Idaho Capital Sun reported that there were more pieces of legislation prepared during the 2025 legislative session than in any session for at least 30 years – if not ever.
This year, legislators have prepared even more bills than last year.
Through the first nine weeks of the 2026 legislative session, there have been 893 pieces of legislation prepared, according to the week-to-week progress report published by the Idaho Legislative Services Office. That compares to just 857 pieces of legislation prepared during the first nine weeks of the 2025 legislative session. In contrast, legislators had prepared 739 pieces of legislation during the first nine weeks of the 2021 legislative session, records show.
Based on the volume of bills introduced in 2025 and 2026, the Idaho House could introduce a House Bill 1000 for perhaps the first time in state history this year. Bills are numbered sequentially, and the most recent bill introduced in the Idaho House on Wednesday was House Bill 932.
In order to avoid confusion between House bills and Senate bills, House bills are given numbers sequentially starting with House Bill 1, while Senate Bills start with Senate Bill 1001. The bill numbers start over every two years after a new Idaho Legislature is elected. Clerks on the House floor Wednesday said they were not aware of any time in state history when the Idaho House has introduced a bill with a number as high as House Bill 1000.
The proposed legislative rule limiting the number of draft bills a legislator may request heads next to the Idaho House of Representatives for consideration.
It takes a two-thirds supermajority vote in each legislative chamber to amend joint rules.
Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: info@idahocapitalsun.com.
