Rating: +1

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Bill Summary:

House Bill 365 adds a new section to Idaho Code (67-1417) granting the Idaho Attorney General concurrent authority to investigate and prosecute violations of the state’s election laws. This includes both civil and criminal offenses under Chapter 23, Title 18 (Corrupt Practices) and all provisions of Title 34 (Elections). The Attorney General’s authority is concurrent with that of county prosecutors, meaning both can act independently or simultaneously on election law violations.

The bill does not alter the role of local prosecutors but provides the Attorney General with statewide jurisdiction to ensure election law is upheld across all counties. It includes an emergency clause, making it effective July 1, 2025.

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Reason for Rating:

House Bill 365 reinforces the Idaho Republican Party’s commitment to election integrity by empowering the state’s chief legal officer to prosecute voter fraud, ballot mishandling, and other election-related violations. It ensures that state laws are not dependent on uneven local enforcement and gives the Attorney General the tools to hold bad actors accountable. The bill avoids expanding bureaucracy, respects local control through concurrent jurisdiction, and directly supports the platform’s principles of honest elections and strong law enforcement. For these reasons, H0365 is appropriately rated at +1.