2020 LEGISLATION
Kids Matter Index
Passed House & Senate, Vetoed by Governor Little
Stated purpose:
Idaho has a serious lack of residential substance abuse treatment for teens. This legislation offers an exemption from licensing from residential programs offering temporary drug and alcohol abuse treatment for those thirteen through seventeen years old.
Impact:
Teens would be placed in unlicensed, unreviewed and unproven facilities. Parents would have no access to professional information on the people running these facilities.
Failed in House
Stated Purpose:
This legislation removes the term "other person", "resident on a hospital staff", and "intern" from the list of individuals required to perform mandatory reporting while adding "other health care worker", "principal or other school personnel", "professional child care worker who is at least eighteen years of age", "counselor", "therapist", "other mental health professional", "substance abuse counselor", "law enforcement officer", or "probation or parole officer".
Impact:
Takes away the mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse/neglect from the public. More children would be shielded from help.
Passed House & Senate, Signed by Governor
Stated Purpose:
This bill will ensure that opportunities continue for girls and women competing in athletics. Boys and men will not be allowed to participate on girls or women's teams, as defined by their inherent differences that are physiological, chromosomal, and hormonal.
Impact:
Although we all want fairness in all sports, this bill discriminates against transgender student athletes. There are International Olympic Committee and Idaho Association of High School Athletics standards for the eligibility of transgender athletes to compete in place and working fairly, already.
Passed House & Senate, Signed by Governor
Stated Purpose:
This bill makes it a crime to knowingly give permission to permit female genital mutilation of a child. It also makes it a crime to knowingly remove or facilitate the removal of a child from the state in order to effectuate female genital mutilation.
Impact:
Protects females from an unnecessary and brutal mutilation of their body.
Passed House & Senate, Signed by Governor
Stated Purpose:
The purpose of this bill is to prevent forced or coerced marriages and the trafficking of children and to limit marriage to those with the ability to protect themselves from abuse. This bill restricts the age difference of individuals under age eighteen years of age and not less than sixteen years of age to three years. This bill also sets a minimum legal age for marriage at sixteen years of age.
Impact:
Raises the minimum age of marriage to 16, and for those under 18, the age difference cannot be more than 3 years.
Passed House & Senate, Signed by Governor
Stated Purpose:
The purpose of this legislation is to build out the career ladder allocation model and provide additional funding to school districts and charter schools so they can retain their most effective, experienced educators. The amendments in this bill build out the current salary-based apportionment model for instructional staff and pupil service staff over the next five years and adds a mechanism for the Legislature to consider increases after the five-year build out.
Impact:
Idaho teacher pay will be increased, teachers will be retained.
Passed House & Senate, Signed by Governor
Stated Purpose:
This legislation would amend the Prevention of Minors Access to Tobacco Act by incorporating electronic smoking devices into the definition of tobacco products, creating parity between traditional tobacco products and new, emerging electronic smoking devices and products. It also allows the Department of Health and Welfare to permit all retailers of electronic smoking devices and other vape products in the same manner that traditional tobacco product retailers are currently permitted through the state.
Impact:
Our children will be protected from vaping products and advertisements, the same as tobacco products.
Passed House & Senate, Signed by Governor
Stated Purpose:
This legislation amends and updates Idaho day care licensing statutes 39-1105,39-1106,39-1110, and39-1113 to align with Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP) standards. Specifically, this legislation: reduces redundant and/or obsolete language regarding criminal background check requirements for daycare owners and employees, adds three criminal offenses with an additional appeal process in the event of denial, suspension, or revocation, and updates health standards to include infant safe sleep practices.
Impact:
Standards for daycare facilities are improved, slightly.
Passed House & Senate, Signed by Governor
Stated Purpose:
This legislation amends Section 55-307 of Idaho Code to require that for residential properties, landlords provide at least 30days' written notice if the landlord is raising rent or intends not to renew the lease.
Impact:
Families have more time to find other housing accommodations if they cannot afford the rent increase, or the lease is not renewed.
Passed House & Senate, Signed by Governor
Stated Purpose:
This is the FY 2021 original appropriation bill for the State Board of Education's Division of College and Universities. It appropriates a total of $628,654,200 and does not cap the number of authorized full-time equivalent positions. This division includes the budgets for Boise State University, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College, the University of Idaho, and Systemwide Programs.
Impact:
Higher Education institutions in the state will be funded for the next year!