Senate Bill 1155 Summary

• Repeals outdated contested case procedures (sections 67-5240, 67-5242 through 67-5254, 67-5270, 67-5271, and 67-5273 through 67-5279) and replaces them with modernized procedures for administrative hearings.

• Establishes qualifications for presiding officers requiring three (3) years of legal practice in Idaho and prohibits conflicts of interest; includes procedures for disqualification and substitution of presiding officers.

• Creates new procedures for contested cases including notice requirements, discovery (30-day advance notice), intervention, subpoenas, default orders, and hearing record maintenance; allows electronic hearings by telephone or video conference with consent.

• Establishes judicial review standards and timelines requiring exhaustion of administrative remedies, with 28-day filing deadlines for petitions; courts apply substantial and competent evidence test to facts and freely review questions of law.

• Updates cross-references in multiple Idaho Code sections to reflect the reorganized administrative procedure provisions.