Bill Description: House Bill 545 would expand the existing prohibition against local rent-control ordinances by protecting property owners from being forced to participate in any federal housing assistance program.

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Does it give government any new, additional, or expanded power to prohibit, restrict, or regulate activities in the free market? Conversely, does it eliminate or reduce government intervention in the market?

Section 55-307(2), Idaho Code, says, "A local governmental unit shall not enact, maintain, or enforce an ordinance or resolution that would have the effect of controlling the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential property. This provision does not impair the right of any local governmental unit to manage and control residential property in which the local governmental unit has a property interest."

House Bill 545 would amend this subsection to replace the somewhat generic term "controlling the amount of rent" with a more detailed prohibition against "mandating Idaho property owners to be forced to participate in an optional federal housing assistance program or any other program or law that would otherwise regulate rent, fees, or deposits charged for leasing private residential property."

It also amends another subsection of code to clarify that "a local governmental unit shall not enact, maintain, or enforce an ordinance or resolution that would have the effect of regulating rent charged for leasing private residential property."

Taken together, these changes should maintain existing prohibitions while also protecting property owners from being forced to participate in a federal housing assistance program.

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