Idaho Code
Idaho Code

Idaho Code § 31-3501 (2026)

Powers and duties of county commissioners. 

✓ current as of May 2026
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Powers and duties of county commissioners. 

The county commissioners in their respective counties shall, under such limitations and restrictions as are prescribed by law, have the jurisdiction and power to provide county hospitals and public general hospitals for the county and others who are sick, injured, maimed, aged and infirm and to erect, enlarge, purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire, and to officer, maintain and improve hospitals, hospital grounds, nurses’ homes, shelter care facilities and residential or assisted living facilities as defined in section 39-3301, Idaho Code, superintendent’s quarters, medical clinics, as that term is defined in section 39-1319, Idaho Code, medical clinic grounds or any other necessary buildings, and to equip the same, and to replace equipment, and for this purpose said commissioners may levy an additional tax of not to exceed six hundredths percent (.06%) of the market value for assessment purposes on all taxable property within the county. The term "public general hospitals" as used in this subsection shall be construed to include nursing homes.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 38 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1975–2023 · leading case: St. Luke's Magic Valley Reg'l Med. Ctr., Ltd. v. Bd. of Cnty. Commissioners, 237 P.3d 1210 (Idaho 2010).
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St. Luke's Magic Valley Reg'l Med. Ctr., Ltd. v. Bd. of Cnty. Commissioners, 237 P.3d 1210 (Idaho 2010). · cites it 20× “Our starting point is the Legislature's express declaration found in I.C. § 31-3501 [4] : "It is the policy of this state that each person, to the maximum extent possible, is responsible for his or her own medical care.”
Saint Alphonsus Reg'l Med. Ctr. v. Gooding Cnty., 356 P.3d 377 (Idaho 2015). · cites it 10× “The Hospital, on the other hand, asserts that Idaho Code section 73-109 directly controls the computation of time in this ease, and that the district court correctly concluded that the date of admission must be excluded when determining the application deadline. The policy…”
St. Luke's Reg'l Med. Ctr., Ltd. v. Bd. of Commissioners, 203 P.3d 683 (Idaho 2009). · cites it 6× “On June 6, 2006, O’Brien filed an application for county assistance with Ada County under the Medical Indigency Act, Idaho Code § 31-3501 , et seq. On June 8, 2006, O’Brien submitted a separate application for Medicaid coverage with the Idaho State Department of Health & Welfare.”
Powers v. Canyon Cnty., 703 P.2d 1342 (Idaho 1985). · cites it 10× “I.C. § 31-3501 states the legislative declaration of policy as follows: “In order to safeguard the public health, safety, and welfare, and to provide suitable facilities and provisions for the care and hospitalization of persons in this state, and, in the case of indigent…”
Univ. of Utah Hosp. v. Clerk of Minidoka Cnty., 760 P.2d 1 (Idaho 1988). · cites it 8× “I.C. § 31-3501 (`DECLARATION OF POLICY. — In order to safeguard the public health, safety and welfare, and to provide suitable facilities and provisions for the care and hospitalization of indigent persons in this state, and to provide for the payment thereof, the respective…”
Braun v. Ada Cnty., 643 P.2d 1071 (Idaho 1982). · cites it 8× “I.C. § 31-3501 (Supp. 1979) constitutes the legislature's declaration of policy concerning the provision of medical care for the indigent sick at the time this case arose.”
Univ. of Utah Hosp. Ex Rel. Scarberry v. Bd. of Cnty. Commissioners, 776 P.2d 443 (Idaho 1989). · cites it 12× “See I.C. § 31-3501, et seq. That application was not filed until eighteen days after the bankruptcy court had isolated Scarberry's assets and placed them beyond the reach of his creditors.”
Carpenter v. Twin Falls Cnty., 691 P.2d 1190 (Idaho 1984). · cites it 4× “I.C. § 31-3501 ("DECLARATION OF POLICY. — In order to safeguard the public health, safety and welfare, and to provide suitable facilities and provisions for the care and hospitalization of indigent persons in this state, and to provide for the payment thereof, the respective…”
Idaho Falls Consol. Hospitals, Inc. v. Bingham Cnty. Bd., 642 P.2d 553 (Idaho 1982). · cites it 6× “The revenue section, former I.C. § 31-3501, which had its origin in Sections 1 and 2 of the 1864 Act to provide for the care of indigent sick, now became I.”
Saint Alphonsus Reg'l Med. Ctr. v. Elmore Cnty., 350 P.3d 1025 (Idaho 2015). · cites it 4× “3d 735, 737 (2011) (citing I.C. § 31-3501). “In construing [the Act], this Court has stated that the legislature’s general intent in enacting the medical indigency assistance statutes is twofold: to provide indigents with medical care and to allow hospitals to obtain…”
Intermountain Health Care, Inc. v. Bd. of Commissioners, 707 P.2d 1051 (Idaho 1985). · cites it 8× “By this appeal we are asked to determine whether a United States born child of illegal alien parents may be denied coverage for medical care pursuant to the Idaho medical indigency statutes, I.C. §§ 31-3501 et seq. Karen Regalado was born in Blaine County, Idaho.”
Ada Cnty. v. Browning, 489 P.3d 443 (Idaho 2021). · cites it 4× “See I.C. §§ 31-3501–3558. Because a different limitation period is not prescribed, medical indigency liens are subject to the rules enumerated in Title 5.”
Show all 38 citing cases →
— Idaho Code § 31-3501(1) — 3 cases
St. Luke's Magic Valley Reg'l Med. Ctr., Ltd. v. Bd. of Cnty. Commissioners, 237 P.3d 1210 (Idaho 2010). “Our starting point is the Legislature's express declaration found in I.C. § 31-3501 [4] : "It is the policy of this state that each person, to the maximum extent possible, is responsible for his or her own medical care.”
St. Luke's Health Sys. v. Bd. of Commissioners of Gem Cnty. (Idaho 2021).
St. Alphonsus Reg'l Med. v. Ada Cnty. (Idaho 2021).
— Idaho Code § 31-3501(19) — 1 case
Owens v. Ada Cnty. Bd. of Commissioners (Idaho 2023).
— Idaho Code § 31-3501(2) — 3 cases
St. Luke's Magic Valley Reg'l Med. Ctr., Ltd. v. Bd. of Cnty. Commissioners, 248 P.3d 735 (Idaho 2011).
Bd. of Cnty. Commissioners v. Idaho Health Facilities Auth., 531 P.2d 588 (Idaho 1975).
Saint Alphonsus Reg'l Med. Ctr. v. Elmore Cnty., 350 P.3d 1025 (Idaho 2015). “3d 735, 737 (2011) (citing I.C. § 31-3501). “In construing [the Act], this Court has stated that the legislature’s general intent in enacting the medical indigency assistance statutes is twofold: to provide indigents with medical care and to allow hospitals to obtain…”
— Idaho Code § 31-3501(23) — 1 case
St. Luke's Magic Valley Reg'l Med. Ctr., Ltd. v. Bd. of Cnty. Commissioners, 237 P.3d 1210 (Idaho 2010). “Our starting point is the Legislature's express declaration found in I.C. § 31-3501 [4] : "It is the policy of this state that each person, to the maximum extent possible, is responsible for his or her own medical care.”
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