Bill Analyses and Ratings

Rating: –1

Bill Summary:

House Bill 286 expands the Idaho Board of Pharmacy from five to seven members, adding one additional licensed pharmacist and creating a new seat for a certified registered pharmacy technician. It also outlines detailed qualifications for the pharmacy technician member, including Idaho residency, current certification, and at least three years of experience in pharmacy practice. The bill retains the governor’s authority to appoint all members and includes an emergency clause, making the act effective July 1, 2025.

Reason for Rating:

While framed as a modernization effort, H0286 expands the size and scope of a regulatory board without clear justification. Adding board seats—especially one specifically reserved for a regulated class of professionals—creates a permanent structural increase in government bureaucracy and introduces the risk of regulatory capture, where special interests influence rulemaking for their own benefit.

The bill lacks a sunset clause, fiscal impact analysis, or any evidence that the current five-member board is insufficient, violating the Idaho Republican Party Platform’s principles of limited government, transparency, and opposition to unnecessary regulatory growth. By institutionalizing industry representation within a regulatory agency, H0286 contributes to government creep and undermines the platform’s free-market values. Therefore, it is appropriately rated at –1.