Bill Analyses and Ratings
Bill Information: S1348 – Public Outdoor Shotgun Sporting Complex, Farragut Park
Bill Summary
Senate Bill 1348 adds Section 36-1808 to Idaho Code, directing the Idaho Fish and Game Commission to plan and construct a public shotgun sporting complex inside Farragut State Park by December 31, 2040. The complex must include at minimum six combination trap and skeet fields, fifteen sporting clay stations with at least sixty mechanical target throwers, a five-stand station with ten throwing machines, a clubhouse, bathrooms, trailer parking, outdoor seating, off-highway vehicle pathways, and storage facilities. Funding comes primarily from Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act federal funds and state matching dollars previously appropriated under House Bill 304 (2023), with a pathway for additional legislative appropriations if those funds prove insufficient.
While the new complex is being planned and built, the bill prohibits the Department of Fish and Game from allowing the existing Kootenai County skeet and trap shooting range—home to the Coeur d’Alene Skeet and Trap Club, founded in 1947—to cease operations. The department must lease the Kootenai County land and keep the range open regardless of whether a private concessionaire is available, taking on direct operational responsibility if no concessionaire can be found or if one fails. The bill also imposes ongoing transparency requirements, including a long-term development plan presentation to legislative committees during the 2027 session, five-year plan reviews, and annual written reports on all acquisition, lease, and planning activities submitted to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee and both legislative resource committees.
Overall Assessment
Senate Bill 1348 creates new, permanent government obligations to build, operate, and maintain a public shooting sports facility in Farragut State Park while simultaneously requiring the state to lease and operate an existing private shooting range in Kootenai County. This expansion of state government into a recreational sector historically served by nonprofits and private clubs raises concerns about government responsibility and fiscal prudence, earning a negative score under Article I. The bill does advance wildlife management goals by channeling Pittman-Robertson funds toward recreational shooting infrastructure and expanding public access to hunting-related shooting sports, earning a positive score under Article XI.
All other evaluation metrics are unaffected by this legislation, as the bill’s scope is narrowly focused on shooting sports infrastructure in north Idaho and does not materially impact areas such as education, agriculture, water, energy, private property rights, family policy, or law and order. The bill’s total score of zero reflects the balance between its negative impact on responsible government and its positive contribution to wildlife management infrastructure.
Rating Breakdown
ARTICLE I. RESPONSIBILITY IN GOVERNMENT (-1)
The bill creates a new, permanent government obligation to build, operate, and maintain a public shooting sports facility while simultaneously requiring the state to lease and operate an existing private shooting range—expanding the footprint and cost of state government in a recreational sector historically served by nonprofits and private clubs. This represents a growth in government responsibility and expenditure that raises fiscal prudence concerns. The mandate for the Department of Fish and Game to assume direct operational responsibility if no private concessionaire is available further entrenches the state in an ongoing operational role.
ARTICLE II. CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT (0)
Senate Bill 1348 does not substantively affect the mechanisms by which citizens participate in or engage with their government. The bill's transparency and reporting requirements are directed at legislative oversight rather than expanding public input or civic engagement processes.
ARTICLE III. EDUCATION (0)
Senate Bill 1348 is focused entirely on shooting sports infrastructure and has no bearing on Idaho's educational institutions, curriculum, or policies. No provisions of the bill affect education funding, governance, or outcomes.
ARTICLE IV. AGRICULTURE (0)
The bill addresses recreational shooting facilities within a state park and has no connection to agricultural policy, farming operations, or rural land use in an agricultural context. No agricultural interests are implicated by this legislation.
ARTICLE V. WATER (0)
Senate Bill 1348 contains no provisions related to water rights, water quality, irrigation, or water resource management. The bill's scope is limited to shooting sports facility development and does not intersect with Idaho's water policy framework.
ARTICLE VI. NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT (0)
While the bill involves development within Farragut State Park, its primary focus is on recreational infrastructure rather than natural resource conservation or environmental policy. The bill does not establish new environmental protections or resource management frameworks, and its net effect on natural resources and the environment is neutral.
ARTICLE VII. ENERGY (0)
Senate Bill 1348 has no provisions related to energy production, transmission, regulation, or policy. The bill's subject matter is entirely confined to shooting sports facility development and does not affect Idaho's energy sector.
ARTICLE VIII. IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORIES (0)
The bill makes no reference to and has no impact on the Idaho National Laboratories or related federal research and energy programs. This metric is entirely unaffected by the legislation.
ARTICLE IX. PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS (0)
Senate Bill 1348 does not implicate private property rights in a meaningful way. The bill involves state park land and a lease arrangement for existing range property, but does not involve takings, regulatory burdens on private landowners, or changes to property rights law.
ARTICLE X. STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS (0)
Although the bill directs development within Farragut State Park and involves a lease of Kootenai County land, it does not alter the fundamental management framework, ownership, or transfer of state or federal lands. The bill's land use provisions are incidental to its primary purpose of establishing shooting sports facilities.
ARTICLE XI. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT (1)
The bill channels Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act federal funds toward recreational shooting infrastructure, directly reinforcing the Fish and Game Commission's statutory role in expanding hunting and shooting opportunities for Idaho residents and visitors. By guaranteeing the continued operation of the Coeur d'Alene Skeet and Trap Club's range and building a new public complex, the bill meaningfully expands public access to shooting sports that support hunting culture and wildlife management goals.
ARTICLE XII. ECONOMY (0)
Senate Bill 1348 may generate modest local economic activity through construction and operation of the new shooting complex, but it does not represent a significant or broad-based economic policy initiative. The bill's economic effects are localized and secondary to its primary recreational and wildlife management purposes.
ARTICLE XIII. HEALTH AND WELFARE (0)
The bill does not address health care, public health policy, social services, or welfare programs. Its focus on recreational shooting infrastructure has no direct bearing on Idaho's health and welfare policy landscape.
ARTICLE XIV. AMERICAN FAMILY (0)
Senate Bill 1348 does not contain provisions that directly affect family structure, parental rights, or family-oriented policy. While expanded recreational shooting access may benefit families incidentally, the bill does not target or substantively advance family policy goals.
ARTICLE XV. OLDER AMERICANS (0)
The bill makes no provisions specifically addressing the needs, rights, or services of older Idahoans. Its recreational focus may incidentally benefit older shooting sports enthusiasts, but it does not constitute a meaningful policy intervention for older Americans.
ARTICLE XVI. LAW AND ORDER WITH JUSTICE (0)
The bill preserves and expands access to lawful firearm sports by guaranteeing the continued operation of an established shooting range and mandating construction of a new public facility, supporting a culture of responsible, lawful gun use and marksmanship. By investing in structured, supervised shooting sports infrastructure, the bill reinforces legal and safe firearm practices among Idaho residents.
ARTICLE XVII. NATIONAL DEFENSE – SECURING THE BORDER (0)
Senate Bill 1348 is a state recreational infrastructure bill with no provisions related to national defense, military readiness, or border security. This metric is unaffected by the legislation.
ARTICLE XVIII. ELECTION OF JUDGES AND IDAHO SUPREME COURT JUSTICES (0)
The bill has no bearing on judicial elections, the selection of judges, or the composition of the Idaho Supreme Court. This metric is entirely outside the scope of the legislation.
ARTICLE XIX. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY (0)
Senate Bill 1348 contains no provisions that affect religious liberty, the free exercise of religion, or government entanglement with religious institutions. This metric is unaffected by the legislation.