New Idaho Laws in Effect July 1
By Sarah Clendenon • June 30, 2024Nearly all laws passed during an Idaho legislative session go into effect on July 1 of the same year. The entire list of laws passed in the 2024 session can be found here. We highlight several of interest here.
House Bill 406 – In order to minimize theft, injury, and death from the use of the drug fentanyl, the legislature imposed mandatory minimum sentencing for the trafficking of fentanyl. It also added a new section of law creating the felony crime of “drug-induced homicide.”
House Bill 417 – All agencies, boards, commissions, officials, and departments of the state who accept payments must accept cash without imposing any additional fees because of the use of cash.
Senate Bill 1232 – When the Idaho Department of Welfare initiates a child protection investigation, this new law ensures parents are notified of their rights. Parents now must be told they have the right to:
(a) Refuse to answer questions;
(b) Obtain an attorney at their own expense, consult with such attorney, and have such attorney present during an investigation; provided, however, that the department is not authorized to appoint or obtain an attorney for such parents, guardians, or persons;
(c) Refuse entry to their home or other real property; and
(d) Refuse the questioning of any minor children in their home or on their property, unless there is an order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction authorizing a particular entry or particular questioning or examination.
Senate Bill 1274 – Diversity statements may not be required for hiring or promotion decisions in Idaho colleges. The legislature wrote,
“Hiring and admissions decisions at any public postsecondary educational institution in the state of Idaho shall be made on merit. Hiring and admissions decisions shall not be conditioned on a requirement that applicants submit or ascribe to a diversity statement. No public postsecondary educational institution in the state of Idaho shall require or solicit a diversity statement as part of an admissions process, employment application process, hiring process, contract renewal process, or promotion process or as a condition of participation in any administrative or decision-making function of the institution.”
House Bill 498 – In an attempt to protect children from dangerous internet content, the Idaho legislature passed House Bill 498. It says in part,
“The provisions of this chapter are intended to provide a civil remedy for damages against commercial entities that publish or distribute material that is harmful to minors on the internet. The legislature finds that pornography is creating a public health crisis and having a corroding influence on minors.
Advertisement…it is the intent of the legislature to enable a minor person, or the parent or guardian of such person, who is exposed to harmful material on the internet to bring an action to recover damages.”
Senate Bill 1317 – This bill establishes a “Don’t Tread on Me” license plate. The funds from the sale of the new plates will support a gun safety education program.
House Bill 617 – Repeals the Syringe and Needle Exchange Act, which was passed in 2019.
House Bill 668 – With this bill, the legislature declared that no public money can be used for gender transition procedures or surgeries.
“The Legislature finds that the surgical operations and medical procedures described in section 18-1506C(3), Idaho Code, when used for purposes of altering the appearance of an individual in order to affirm the individual’s perception of the individual’s sex in a way that is inconsistent with the individual’s biological sex, carry substantial risks and have known harmful effects, including irreversible physical alterations and, in some cases, sterility and lifelong sexual dysfunction.
USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR GENDER TRANSITION PROCEDURES PROHIBITED.
Public funds shall not be used, granted, paid, or distributed to any entity, organization, or individual for the provision or subsidy of any surgical operation or medical intervention described in section 18-1506C(3), Idaho Code, for purposes of altering the appearance of an individual in order to affirm the individual’s perception of the individual’s sex in a way that is inconsistent with the individual’s biological sex regardless of whether the surgical operation or medical intervention is administered to a minor or an adult, except for exempted surgical operations or medical interventions.”
House Bill 597 – This new law establishes that vaccine exemptions are available to all students in Idaho, of any age, at all public and private schools including colleges and universities.
“Any student of majority age who submits a signed statement to school officials stating the student’s objections on religious or other grounds shall be exempt from any or all immunization requirements at every public, private, or parochial school in this state, including postsecondary, trade, college, university, or any other institute of primary, secondary, or higher learning.”
House Bill 710 – With this bill, the legislature instructs public libraries and public school libraries to prevent children from having access to certain books and materials. The statement of purpose explained,
“The Children’s School and Library Protection Act requires public schools and community libraries to take reasonable steps in restricting children’s access to obscene or harmful material. A parent or guardian of a minor child who accesses such material in violation of this policy would be entitled to bring a civil action against the school or library for damages and injunctive relief.”
The Idaho Democratic Party is so opposed to this new law, they are holding events at Boise libraries on July 1. You can find the information here.
“Come show your support for Boise librarians on July 1st! House Bill 710 is taking effect this day – a law that requires Idaho libraries to move books deemed inappropriate to an adult’s only section. This is detrimental as many libraries now must create these sections, many not having the means to do so. Come stand in solidarity and show that we do not support radical laws that ban books.”
Tags: 2024 Idaho Legislative Session, Idaho Legislature, July 1, New laws
Don ‘t want to build a special section for adult books? Keep them out!!! There is a special section for pornography and they are called “adult book stores”. They have age requirements to enter. Harmful Pornographic books have no business in a school or public library!!! Bottom line… why are you so adamant about showing children pornography? Pedophilia is illegal!!!
Leave the children alone!!!!
Exactly! So sick of Creepy Libraries and Creepy Librarians protecting perversion, predators, and pornography!
Well said and Amen!!! Democrats are determined to destroy our nation and like the Nazis begin with indoctrination of our children with pornagraphic materials in public schools and libraries. Only a virtuous nation can retain its liberties and Democrats have fully embraced Marxist ideologies that strip individuals of their liberties. Thank you to those who supported this bill. It restores my faith in Idaho.
I think the book burning of the Nazis was these kind of books they are talking about, and commie books. We are repeating the same mistakes of the Weimar Republic of Germany. Do some research of that time and tell me none of that is happening now right here in the United States. Rinse and Repeat
Who’s burning books?? It simply requires the books be moved to a different section, not removed.
Yes, I’m segestiing you do your own research instead of guessing. The books targeted for burning were those viewed as being subversive or as representing ideologies opposed to Nazism. The bulk of the book targeted were written by Jewish, half-Jewish, authors. Any published materials that supported or contained content about Jews or Judaism. Which included the Torah, Bible and the Qur’an. The Nazism goal was a godless society and the Jews represented gods children.
You are telling lies. The books burned by the nazis were exactly the ones this new law is attempting to protect our children from: books promoting transgenders, pedophilia, homosexuality, even sex with animals and necrophilia. Berlin in the Weimar era was the most depraved and degenerate place on Earth- until today in the former usa.
You are serving the servants of the LIE, those who deny Christ as the messiah, and are attempting to destroy Western culture, our faith, and our families.
Anyone doing any research on their own will reach the same conclusion.
What kind of librarians are we employing? Grounds for dismissal? If they worked for me in the private sector in any capacity they would either be repenting or finding another job.
The dependentocrats that are complaining about House Bill 710 have a totally false pretense. There is no need to add space for the adult books. Books are not being added, just a special area for the trash. Just keep them from our children, sad they cannot be kept from all. As a previous poster stated, adult book stores…
Thank you for highlighting some of the exceptional bills passed in 2024. I hope to see even more good ones — and a few better ones — passed in 2025.
(Yes, the Boise librarians appear to be out of control. How about the “move it or lose it doctrine?” And by “lose it,” I mean the adult-themed books, not their minds. Surely, a suitably-sized bin or a parking-lot storage locker could accommodate their adult books. Do they really have so many?)
I have appreciated Sarah Clendenon’s journalism over the years and glad that her work is featured in the Idaho Dispatch.
What is difficult to grasp for us all is what the significance of bills which contain “states of emergency” declarations (all of them!) should mean and the absence of “severability” clauses (all of them!). It’s NOT an implementation schedule as we are told.
The elephant in the China closet is that Idaho’s administrative process is now routed through the Office of Emergency Management. “Martial law”?
https://savebenewahcounty.com
So many legislators and citizens hacking at the branches…
Eliminate the Library system and all non-essential programs and 99% of these issues would be resolved. The only purpose for a governemnt to exist, according to God, is to punish evil and reward good. There is no requirement or command to be a caretaker or provider for the People. That includes the responsibility to educate. When I ran for office twenty years ago, the public education system in Idaho constituted 60% of the state budget. The public education system in Idaho is a Golden Calf for the vast majority of people.
House bill 710 is poorly written and too broad. The governor was invited to visit local libraries and talk to librarians and he declined. There are some books that should have never made it into school libraries but this bill will also rid libraries of classic, beloved books that could be misconstrued as harmful.
Where do you think sneaky kids will go for the questions they don’t want to ask mom and dad. The internet, not the library, and they’ll get more than they asked for.
Anything this Governor is invited too, or suggested to work with the people is never taken up or addressed. He will only work with large businesses in Idaho and never the small business in Idaho whilst telling everybody Micron, Idaho Power, Intermountain Gas, and Boise State are considered small business. He is still part of the 30 year Good Old Boy government in Idaho. I personally tried to talk with him, his office, and the Mayor during the pandemic as I represented my small business and industry and never even received an e-mail back from either of them. This is Idaho’s planned dictatorship.
This is solid. Best comment on this thread. Would love to see the spotlight turned to the actions/inactions of our Governor. So many are in the dark, a change is needed.
Most laws are written too broad, which is why they can be warped to use by the powers that be enemies. That said, the public library is no place for porn etc. I doubt literary classics will be removed, as this is NOT a book ban as the ignorant class calls it. These other laws are one of the reasons I moved here besides escaping the communism in Washington. Idaho was perceived by me as a conservative state, I’ve been disappointed with the reality but it’s getting back on the right track. The state budget is out of control funding crap that doesn’t belong, departments out of control ignoring the legislature and law…. I can go on but this is a start.
Agree 100%!
Pretty common sense stuff that is being passed in Idaho. Go Legislators!
Everything on this site is a lie.
You’re really swimming in the shallow end of the thought pool, aren’t you?