2004 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 669 – Public lands, contested cases

HOUSE BILL NO. 669

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Bill Status



H0669.........................................by RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION
PUBLIC LANDS - Amends existing law to revise procedures relating to the
duty of the Director of the Department of Lands in contested cases; to
provide that certain actions by the State Board of Land Commissioners
relating to direction, control or disposition of public lands shall not be
considered to be contested cases; and to provide for exceptions.
                                                                        
02/12    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/13    Rpt prt - to Res/Con
02/20    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/23    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
02/25    3rd rdg - PASSED - 55-12-3
      AYES -- Barraclough, Barrett, Bauer, Bayer, Bedke, Bell, Black,
      Block, Bolz, Bradford, Campbell, Cannon, Clark, Collins, Crow, Cuddy,
      Deal, Denney, Edmunson, Ellsworth, Field(18), Field(23), Gagner,
      Garrett, Harwood, Jones, Kellogg, Kulczyk, Lake, Langford, McGeachin,
      McKague, Meyer, Miller, Mitchell, Moyle, Naccarato, Nielsen,
      Raybould, Ridinger, Ring, Roberts, Rydalch, Sali, Schaefer, Shepherd,
      Shirley, Skippen, Smith(24), Smylie, Snodgrass, Stevenson, Trail,
      Wills, Wood
      NAYS -- Andersen, Boe, Douglas, Henbest, Jaquet, Langhorst, Martinez,
      Pasley-Stuart, Ringo, Robison, Sayler, Smith(30)
      Absent and excused -- Eberle, Eskridge, Mr. Speaker
    Floor Sponsor - Bedke
    Title apvd - to Senate
02/26    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to Res/Env
03/04    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/05    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/16    3rd rdg - PASSED - 26-9-0
      AYES -- Andreason, Bailey, Brandt, Bunderson, Burtenshaw, Calabretta,
      Cameron, Compton, Darrington, Gannon, Geddes, Goedde, Hill, Ingram,
      Keough, Little, Lodge, McWilliams, Noble, Noh, Pearce, Richardson,
      Sorensen, Stegner, Sweet, Williams
      NAYS -- Burkett, Davis, Kennedy, Malepeai, Marley, McKenzie,
      Schroeder, Stennett, Werk
      Absent and excused -- None
    Floor Sponsor - Little
    Title apvd - to House
03/17    To enrol
03/18    Rpt enrol - Sp signed
03/19    Pres signed - To Governor
03/23    Governor signed
         Session Law Chapter 184
         Effective: 07/01/04

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-seventh Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 2004
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 669
                                                                        
                          BY RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LANDS; AMENDING SECTION 58-122, IDAHO  CODE,  TO
  3        REVISE PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE DUTY OF THE DIRECTOR IN CONTESTED CASES,
  4        TO  PROVIDE  THAT CERTAIN ACTIONS BY THE STATE BOARD OF LAND COMMISSIONERS
  5        RELATING TO THE DIRECTION, CONTROL OR DISPOSITION OF  PUBLIC  LANDS  SHALL
  6        NOT BE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTESTED CASES AND TO PROVIDE FOR EXCEPTIONS.
                                                                        
  7    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  8        SECTION  1.  That  Section  58-122, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
  9    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 10        58-122.  CONTESTED CASES -- PROCEDURE. It shall be the duty of the  direc-
 11    tor of the department of lands in any or all contested cases, at the direction
 12    of  the  board, to appoint hearing officers, receive evidence, issue subpoenas
 13    and to hold contested  case  hearings  in  accordance  with  sections  67-5240
 14    through  67-5271, Idaho Code, when hearings are necessary and witnesses may be
 15    required to be examined, to set a date for hearing such  cases.  The  director
 16    shall  duly  advise the contestants and their accredited attorneys of the date
 17    set for such hearing, and on the date appointed the director is hereby  empow-
 18    ered  to  administer  oaths and to hear and receive evidence, after the manner
 19    and procedure established by the United States in the district  land  offices,
 20    or  in  accordance with the rules that are or may be adopted by the board gov-
 21    erning such cases. All evidence given and provided in such  cases  before  the
 22    director shall be at the contestant's own cost, and shall be fully transcribed
 23    and  arranged, and shall form a part of the records of the office of the state
 24    board of land commissioners. The director shall, as soon as  convenient  after
 25    such hearings, present a full transcript of the proceedings to the state board
 26    of  land  commissioners,  who  shall render a decision in accordance therewith
 27    Provided however, that when the state board of land commissioners is  exercis-
 28    ing  its  duties and authorities concerning the direction, control or disposi-
 29    tion of the public lands of the state pursuant to sections 7  and  8,  article
 30    IX,  of the constitution of the state of Idaho, such actions shall not be con-
 31    sidered to be contested cases as defined in subsection (6) of section 67-5201,
 32    Idaho Code, and section 67-5240, Idaho Code, unless the board, in its  discre-
 33    tion,  determines  that a contested case hearing would be of assistance to the
 34    board in the exercise of its duties and authorities.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                             RS 13921
     The purpose of this bill is to exempt the State Board of
Land Commissioners from contested cases and contested case
hearing when the Board is exercising its fiduciary trust duties
in making management decisions concerning endowment lands.  In a
recent District Court Case, Western Watersheds Project v. State
Land Board, Ada County Case No. CV OC0100158D, Judge Bail ruled
that the contested case procedures of the Idaho Administrative
Procedures Act must be followed to resolve any controversy over
who is to be awarded a State grazing lease when there is a
conflict auction (April 30, 2002).  Rather than appeal this
decision, the Land Board proceeded to hold contested case
proceedings on the lease conflicts that were the subject of the
lawsuit.  The Department of Lands has incurred considerable
expense in conducting these contested cases.  The Department
feels that the Land Board should be exempt from these hearings
when it is making endowment trust management decisions. 
Otherwise, any conflict auction or any other management decision
could put the State to considerable expense and negate any
benefit to be gained from the bidding or other transaction.  This
exemption will not apply when the Board is functioning as a
regulatory agency, such a regulation of Lake encroachments (Idaho
Code Title 58, Chapter 13) or surface mining (Idaho Code Title
47, Chapter 15).
                          FISCAL IMPACT


     This provision could save money from the General Fund to the
extent that the State can avoid the cost of conducting contested
hearings that are required under the Administrative Procedures
Act.  It will also save money from the public school and other
endowment funds to the extent that the cost of contested cases
hearings, such as the time for employees of the Department of
Lands to attend the hearings, testify, and related tasks, are
funded through the endowments.


Contact
Name: Winston Wiggins, Director, Idaho Dept. of Lands 
Phone: (208) 334-0242




STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                     H 669