Idaho Bills

Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding the collection of aggregated student data regarding immigration status and nationality for students enrolled in Idaho public educational institutions.

The landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Plyler v Doe (1982) ruled that public schools cannot deny any student enrollment based on immigration status. In order to more accurately assess the cost of educating children of people having foreign status, the purpose of this bill is to require public schools to collect and report the immigration status and language group of each enrolled student. This statute directs school districts to aggregate the immigration status already collected in student records per Idaho Code 33-133(1 )(j) and 33-133(3)( c) (vi), using categories specified in 8 U.S.C. 1101 and 8 U.S.C. 1641 of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. No personally identifiable information shall be reported for purposes of this act. This statute only requires aggregate data. These data are needed to better inform the state department of education and the Idaho legislature regarding the costs to educate these students.

Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding cardiac emergency response plans.

This legislation establishes requirements for public schools to develop and implement a cardiac emergency response program. The bill directs the Idaho Department of Education, in collaboration with school leadership and the Idaho High School Activities Association, to develop guidelines for cardiac emergency response plans. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, public school districts and public charter schools are required to adopt a written cardiac emergency response plan, including provisions for the placement, maintenance, and accessibility of automated external defibrillators and training of appropriate staff. Additional venue-specific requirements apply to schools that offer organized athletic programs. The bill also provides civil liability immunity consistent with existing Idaho law.

Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding certain limitations on scholarships.

In 2025, seven of Idaho’s eight universities and community colleges had roughly 250 foreign national student-athletes, most, if not all, of whom received some level of scholarship/financial assistance. Each has the opportunity to a earn valuable degree, but those degrees typically won’t be put to work in Idaho or the anywhere else in the United States. Foreign national student athletes by-and-large take the fruits of their free or discounted higher education back to their home countries to the benefit their own country’s workforce. In order to increase the chances that Idaho’s higher education institutions will produce more graduates who can become valuable and productive members of the workforce here in the State of Idaho as well as the United States, this bill proposes to limit the number of foreign nationals that can receive scholarships while participating in sports and instead increase the number of Idaho and U.S. student athletes who can receive those scholarships who then graduate and enter our workforce. This bill will result in more Idaho and U.S. student athletes at Idaho colleges and universities who will graduate and thereafter can become new teachers, medical professionals, police officers, mining and forestry experts, and farmers and ranchers, to name a few, here in Idaho and the United States of America.

Adds to existing law to provide that funds distributed by the state Department of Education for certain purposes shall not be used for other purposes, to provide that misused funds shall be reimbursed to the state, and to provide for a certain deduction.

This bill states that funding appropriated and distributed by the state to school districts and public charter schools must be used for the intended purposes.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding Idaho Digital Learning Academy funding.

This legislation makes changes to the funding formula for the Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA), emphasizing its core mission of being a gap filler in our public school system. It addresses concerns about students being double funded in specific situations, overuse by certain schools and students, elementary school programs, driver’s education costs, private school, homeschool, and virtual school program use, and alignment with the statewide general fund cut. It allows districts to pay directly for IDLA enrollments in those situations in which the state will no longer pay. The total fiscal impact of this bill is intended to address the cut proposed in the governor's recommended budget.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding student participation in nonacademic public school activities.

This legislation clarifies and strengthens rules governing dual enrollment for students educated in nonpublic schools, public charter schools, and traditional public schools. It refines academic eligibility requirements for participation in nonacademic public-school activities by requiring students to demonstrate grade‑level proficiency through state‑recognized tests or nationally normed assessments, and it assigns oversight of academic standards to the student’s primary education provider. This bill also clarifies residency requirements, ensures that charter‑enrolled students may participate in activities at their resident public school when those activities are not offered at their charter school, and reorganizes existing subsections for clarity.

Adds to existing law to provide for the Idaho Student Safety and Educator Disclosure Act.

This bill establishes the Idaho Student Safety and Educator Disclosure Act to improve student safety by requiring schools to follow clear, statewide disclosure rules when hiring employees. Schools must obtain information about any past misconduct, pending investigations, or resignations during investigations, and must report required matters to law enforcement. This bill promotes transparency, prevents the concealment of misconduct, and ensures accurate reporting to the Idaho Professional Standards Commission.

Adds to existing law to provide for the Idaho Education Whistleblower Protection Act.

This legislation establishes the Idaho Education Whistleblower Protection Act to protect school employees and personnel who report sexual misconduct related to student safety. Fear of retaliation often discourages reporting, allowing misconduct to continue unchecked. This bill prohibits educational entities from retaliating against individuals who report in good faith, participate in investigations, or refuse to conceal misconduct.

Amends and adds to existing law to revise and establish provisions regarding civics education.

This legislation establishes new requirements for civics curricula developed or adopted by a public school district or charter school. It establishes that one of the primary ends of Idaho's K-12 education system is to help students cultivate the virtue and knowledge necessary for self-government, stipulates that secondary students must take two credits in American history and two credits in American government, and mandates instruction in the history of Western Civilization in 8th grade by the 2030-2031 school year. This legislation also stipulates that curricula developed or adopted by a public school district or charter school include instruction on certain key principles, concepts, and documents from and about the American Founding and the history of Communism. Moreover, this legislation moves the first year of implementation for the civics assessment to the 2027-2028 school year. Lastly, this legislation establishes that all curricular materials adopted by a public school district or charter school must satisfy certain criteria.

Adds to existing law to require public schools to offer daily recess to students in kindergarten through grade 5 and to encourage public schools to offer unstructured activity breaks for students in grades 6 through 8.

This legislation adds a new section of code to require public schools to provide daily recess for students in kindergarten through grade five and encourage schools to provide unstructured activity breaks for students in grades six through eight. This aligns with extensive evidence that recess is not a luxury but a necessary component of healthy child development including boosting learning, behavior, health and happiness

Proposes an amendment to the state constitution to remove language allowing for the Legislature to require school attendance and to add language regarding the right of the people to educate their children without government regulation outside of public schools.

This constitutional amendment accomplishes two changes to Idaho’s constitution. First, it strikes the current language in section 9 of Article IX which concerns the legislature’s ability to compel Idaho’s children to physically attend the public schools of the state. The current language also grants the legislature to determine the means that are the exception to public school attendance. In 1925 (Pierce v. Society of Sisters) and 1972 (Wisconsin v. Yoder), the US Supreme Court issued opinions that states cannot compel public school attendance because of protections in the US constitution. This amendment also inserts language into section 9 of Article IX concerning the right to educate children outside of the public schools without burdensome regulation. This mirrors Idaho’s current statutes. The right recognized in this amendment concerns a right to educate – it is not a right to NOT educate. Neither California, Oregon, Washington nor Montana have compulsory school attendance in their constitutions, yet all of those states still possess the power to require children to be educated. Even with this amendment, Idaho may still require children to be educated.

Amends, repeals, and adds to existing law to revise provisions regarding the Idaho Digital Learning Academy.

This legislation updates the governance, oversight, and funding structure of the Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA) to improve accountability, transparency, and fiscal sustainability. The bill revises the composition and duties of the IDLA board of directors, transitions the academy to a user-funded fee model, and establishes a targeted funding mechanism to support high school students in geographically isolated areas who have limited access to advanced coursework. These changes preserve IDLA as an educational option while better aligning state support with student access needs and responsible use of public funds.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the Model School Facility Council.

RS33803 / S1439 This legislation amends 33-917 of Idaho Code, pushing the model school facility plan deadline from 2026 to 2027. This ensures proper time to meet the objectives of said plan, which include outlining plans for school facility construction, potential variability of school properties, and consulting experts on proper use of funds from the modernization facilities fund.