House Bill 285 Summary

• Requires petition circulators for initiative and referendum petitions to register with the secretary of state and complete mandatory training on legal requirements before circulating petitions.

• Registration includes a $10 filing fee and requires circulators to provide their name, address, employer information, employment status, and list of petitions they will circulate.

• Makes petitions void if signatures are obtained by unregistered circulators or persons who are not Idaho residents at least 18 years old.

• Exempts unpaid volunteers from registration requirements.

• Secretary of state must maintain a publicly available database of registered signature gatherers and the petitions they circulate; registrations expire after the election date.

• Effective January 1, 2024, and applies to all petitions filed on or after that date.