Idaho : 2026 Regular Session : JOINT_MEMORIAL HJM015
States findings of the Legislature and requests federal action.
Sponsor: Rep Environment, Energy and Technology Committee & Rep Joe Alfieri & Rep Rob Beiswenger & Rep Lucas Cayler & Rep Brent Crane & Rep Kyle Harris & Rep David Leavitt & Rep Kent Marmon & Rep Cornel Rasor & Rep Jordan Redman & Rep Tony Wisniewski & Rep Clint Hostetler
Bill Details
WEATHER MODIFICATION -- States findings of the Legislature and requests federal action.
GeoLawWatch Bill Summary
HJM015 is a Joint Memorial, not a binding statute. It creates no new state law, imposes no penalties, and establishes no enforcement mechanisms within Idaho. Instead, it is a formal petition from the Idaho Legislature to the United States Congress, urging federal action. The memorial requests that Congress take the following steps:
Prohibit the intentional injection, dispersion, or release of chemical, biological, or radiological substances into the atmosphere for weather modification, solar radiation modification, or environmental geoengineering purposes without the express approval of the State of Idaho.
Ban the use of unmarked aircraft, drones, balloons, or space-based platforms to conduct geoengineering modifications over Idaho.
Make unauthorised geoengineering acts a federal felony offence with substantial fines and criminal penalties per violation.
Encourage enforcement partnerships between relevant federal law enforcement agencies, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and state law enforcement.
Formally reject any federal, international, or foreign-sponsored geoengineering programs conducted over Idaho airspace without full disclosure, state consent, and public transparency.
The memorial further urges all elected officials, agencies, and candidates to support legislation that preserves Idaho's natural skies and asserts constitutional control over state airspace. As a memorial, the only procedural action it triggers is the Chief Clerk of the House forwarding a copy to the President of the United States, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Idaho's congressional delegation. There are no enforcement mechanisms, penalties, or regulatory requirements created at the state level.
History
HJM015 was introduced on February 17, 2026, read for the first time in the House, and referred to the Joint Rules and Administration (JRA) Committee for printing. This is a standard opening procedural step for a joint memorial in Idaho — a first reading is a formal announcement of the bill's introduction rather than a substantive vote, and referral to JRA for printing simply means the document is being prepared in its official published form before it proceeds to a standing committee for review.
A joint memorial is a distinct category of legislative document that requires passage by both chambers but does not go to the Governor for signature, since it carries no legal force within the state. Its sole purpose is to communicate the Legislature's position to an outside body — in this case, the U.S. Congress. Idaho's 2026 session began January 12, 2026, and is scheduled to adjourn April 10, 2026, giving the memorial a viable window for floor consideration if it advances from committee.
- Tue 17 Feb 2026 Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for Printing
- Wed 18 Feb 2026 Reported Printed and Referred to Environment, Energy & Technology
Consolidated Bill Text
Sixty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2026
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 15
BY ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
A JOINT MEMORIAL
TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION REPRESENTING THE STATE OF IDAHO IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.
We, your Memorialists, the House of Representatives and the Senate of the State of Idaho assembled in the Second Regular Session of the Sixty-eighth Idaho Legislature, do hereby respectfully represent that:
WHEREAS, it is documented that federal agencies, military contractors, nongovernmental organizations, and private entities acting on behalf of or at the request of the federal government are engaging in geoengineering experiments, including but not limited to solar radiation modification, stratospheric aerosol injection, and other weather modification attempts by dispersing chemicals or particulates into the atmosphere, all without public knowledge or consent; and
WHEREAS, such activities involve substances such as aluminum oxide, barium, sulfur dioxide, or other compounds with unknown or unreported impacts on human health, livestock, crops, ecosystems, and weather stability being emitted into the atmosphere without public knowledge or consent; and
WHEREAS, such activities are currently allowed without oversight in Idaho's airspace; and
WHEREAS, under the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, it is the constitutional duty of state government to safeguard public health, defend private property, protect agricultural integrity, and assert state sovereignty over activities conducted within its borders and above its skies; and
WHEREAS, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is charged with protecting the safety and quality of the state's air, water, and soil and must be empowered to investigate and stop unauthorized atmospheric contamination within Idaho's jurisdiction; and
WHEREAS, multiple states, including Tennessee and Florida, have now enacted legislation prohibiting geoengineering modifications, and dozens more are considering similar laws to preserve natural climate systems and ensure transparency in all atmospheric activity.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the Second Regular Session of the Sixty-eighth Idaho Legislature, the House of Representatives and the Senate concurring therein, that the Idaho Legislature supports and urges the United States Congress passing legislation to: prohibit the intentional injection, dispersion, or release of chemical, biological, or radiological substances into the atmosphere for the purpose of weather modification, solar radiation modification, or environmental geoengineering without the express approval of the State of Idaho; ban the use of unmarked aircraft, drones, balloons, or space-based platforms to conduct geoengineering modifications over the State of Idaho; make such unauthorized acts a felony offense, with substantial fines and criminal penalties per violation; encourage partnerships between the relevant federal law enforcement agencies, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and relevant state law enforcement entities to enforce such felonies; and formally reject any federal, international, or foreign-sponsored geoengineering programs conducted over Idaho airspace without full disclosure, state consent, and public transparency.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Idaho Legislature urges all elected officials, agencies, and candidates to support legislation that preserves Idaho's natural skies, defends individual and agricultural health, and asserts constitutional control over state airspace.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives be, and she is hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this Memorial to the President of the United States, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Congress, and the congressional delegation representing the State of Idaho in the Congress of the United States.
Supplementary documents
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS33167C1 / HJM015
The purpose of this joint memorial is to urge the United States Congress to prohibit unauthorized geoengineering and atmospheric modification activities conducted over the State of Idaho without state approval, public disclosure, or transparency.
This memorial asserts Idaho's responsibility under the Tenth Amendment to protect public health, private property, agriculture, and environmental integrity from potential harm caused by intentional atmospheric interventions, including weather modification and solar radiation management. It expresses concern that such activities may occur without sufficient oversight, consent, or evaluation of long-term impacts on human health, livestock, crops, ecosystems, and weather stability.
The memorial calls upon Congress to establish clear prohibitions and penalties for unauthorized geoengineering activities, ensure coordination with state and federal enforcement agencies, and respect state sovereignty over activities conducted within and above Idaho's borders.
FISCAL NOTE
This legislation causes no increase or decrease in revenue, or additional expenditure of funds at the state or local level of government; therefore, this legislation has no fiscal impact.
Contact:
Representative Clint Hostetler
(208) 332-1000
DISCLAIMER: This statement of purpose and fiscal note are a mere attachment to this bill and prepared by a proponent of the bill. It is neither intended as an expression of legislative intent nor intended for any use outside of the legislative process, including judicial review (Joint Rule 18).