The Idaho Legislature's House Agricultural Affairs Committee is considering Senate Bill S1271, which would declare rats a public health nuisance and add Norway and roof rats to Idaho's existing lists of agricultural pests and invasive species. The bill would direct the Idaho State Department of Agriculture to map infestations, coordinate with counties and public health districts, and develop a statewide abatement plan. However, private pestcontrol experts raised concerns about potential overlapping authority and potential for counties or the state to perform abateement without the licensing and training required of private applicators.