PRIA Logo™
IdahoH 08952026 regular legislative sessionHouse

DATA CENTERS – Adds to existing law to establish limitations on consumptive use of water for cooling certain data centers.

Sponsored By: WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE

Signed by Governor

DATA CENTERS

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

Limits on data center cooling water

Beginning July 1, 2026, new data centers in Idaho face limits on water used for cooling. If construction starts on or after that date, cooling water cannot count as consumptive use (used up and not returned) unless it comes from a municipal water system, a water district, or a combined water and sewer district. When reviewing new water right applications or transfers for data centers, the Department of Water Resources must weigh local public interest, conservation of Idaho’s water, and local economic effects. The law uses Idaho’s existing definition of a data center.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE

    Affiliation unavailable

Cosponsors

  • Van T. Burtenshaw

    Republican • Senate

  • Britt Raybould

    Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 90 • No: 11

Senate vote • 3/31/2026

Senate Floor Vote

Yes: 32 • No: 1

House vote • 3/20/2026

House Floor Vote

Yes: 58 • No: 10

Actions Timeline

  1. Reported Signed by Governor on April 2, 2026 Session Law Chapter 291 Effective: 07/01/2026

    4/2/2026

  2. Delivered to Governor at 4:12 p.m. on April 1, 2026

    4/1/2026

  3. Returned Signed by the President; Ordered Transmitted to Governor

    4/1/2026Senate

  4. Signed by President; returned to House

    4/1/2026Senate

  5. Received from the House enrolled/signed by Speaker

    4/1/2026Senate

  6. Reported Enrolled; Signed by Speaker; Transmitted to Senate

    4/1/2026House

  7. Returned from Senate Passed; to JRA for Enrolling

    3/31/2026House

  8. Read third time in full – PASSED - 32-1-2

    3/31/2026Senate

  9. Read second time; filed for Third Reading

    3/27/2026Senate

  10. Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading

    3/26/2026Senate

  11. Introduced, read first time; referred to: Resources & Environment

    3/23/2026Senate

  12. Received from the House passed; filed for first reading

    3/23/2026Senate

  13. Rules Suspended: Ayes 70 Nays 0 Abs/Excd 0, read in full as required – PASSED - 58-10-2

    3/20/2026House

  14. Read second time; Filed for Third Reading

    3/20/2026House

  15. Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading

    3/19/2026House

  16. Reported Printed and Referred to Resources & Conservation

    3/16/2026House

  17. Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for Printing

    3/13/2026House

Bill Text

Related Bills

Back to State Legislation