IAC Releases 2025 Templates for Proposed Legislative and Policy Resolutions

While the 2024 Idaho Legislative Session may have just wrapped, it is time to consider policy changes needed in 2025. This year, the Idaho Association of Counties (IAC) is providing two separate templates for proposed resolutions: the 2025 Proposed Legislative Resolution template and the new 2025 Proposed Policy Resolution template. 

Why Have Two Templates?

To comply with IAC’s bylaws, the legislative resolution template should be used by members interested in proposing a change to Idaho Code. This is the traditional template our members are most familiar with and are used to seeing.

The second template may be used by IAC members who would like to see IAC adopt a policy that does not advocate for a legislative change. For example, a few years ago, there was a proposal for IAC to support commemorating the 100th anniversary of adopting the 19th amendment to the US Constitution granting women the right to vote. County clerks ordered special “I voted” stickers to celebrate the achievement as part of the commemoration. IAC chose to adopt the proposed policy but, through the process, discovered that a separate template would be helpful when advocating for this type of policy proposal. This led to an IAC Bylaws amendment to create a mechanism for policy proposals that do not require or advocate for changing statutes in state law.

Tips for Proposal Success

While individual members are welcome to submit legislative and policy resolutions for consideration, IAC highly recommends that you work with your affiliates, IAC Districts, and IAC steering committees to seek their input by vetting policies before proposing them to the general membership. This collaborative approach ensures that the sponsor has time to receive feedback and address concerns before finalizing the proposal, thus strengthening the possibility of your proposal’s adoption by the membership.

All legislative and policy proposals must be submitted electronically to IAC staff by September 1st to be considered for adoption by the IAC. If you have a proposal that you would like to share with affiliates, districts, or steering committees, please reach out to Sara Westbrook, IAC Director of Government Affairs. She will help ensure that your policy proposal is shared for discussion purposes.

Notable Dates

If you have a proposed resolution that you would like to discuss with any of the affiliates or districts meeting this summer, there are numerous opportunities on the horizon. Please let Westbrook know whom you would like to vet your proposed resolution with and get your proposal to her at least three days before the following meeting dates for timely distribution and discussion:

District 4: May 9, 2024

District 3: May 23, 2024 (Virtual)

Idaho Association of Commissioners and Clerks: June 4-6, 2024 // Register Here

IT Leaders: June 6, 2024 // Learn More

District 2: July 10, 2024

District 6: July 10, 2024

District 1: July 12, 2024

District 5: July 18, 2024

Idaho Association of County Treasurers: August 5-9, 2024 // Learn More

Idaho Association of County Recorders & Clerks: August 13-15, 2024 // Learn More

Idaho Association of County Assessors: August 20-22, 2024 // Learn More

While the other affiliates and steering committees do not have meetings scheduled before September 1st, IAC policy staff can still help distribute proposed resolutions to the affiliates and steering committees for feedback from the other respective affiliates upon request.