IdahoIdaho law counts sexually intended touching in correctional staff rules
Idaho law includes mouth-to-body contact and sexually intended touching in felony rules governing correctional staff and supervising officers, with an exception for their spouses.
What it does
Rules for correctional staff and supervising officers count mouth-to-body contact and sexually intended touching, including through clothing, as sexual contact. Contact with their spouses is excluded.
Argument forCounting sexually intended touching through clothing could help hold correctional staff accountable for abuse that does not involve intercourse.
Argument againstIncluding touching meant to satisfy sexual desire could lead to disputes about staff members’ intent when the contact itself is ambiguous.
More detail
The law defines sexual contact to include specified sexual acts, mouth-to-body contact, and intentional touching meant to arouse or satisfy sexual desire. The definition applies to adult and juvenile corrections employees and officers, employees, or agents of state, local, or private correctional facilities. It covers prisoners and juvenile offenders from inside or outside Idaho, along with people on parole or probation who have contact with supervising officers. The rules exclude contact with the staff member’s or officer’s spouse. For supervising officers, the offense requires knowingly having sexual contact. Intentional touching can occur over or under clothing and can be intended to arouse or satisfy any person’s sexual desire. The law took effect on July 1, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed 1st Chamber
- Passed 2nd Chamber
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 30Reported Signed by Governor Brad Little on March 26, 2026 Session Law Chapter 176 Effective: 07/01/2026Became Law
- Mar 26Delivered to Governor at 12:58 p.m. on March 26, 2026To Governor
- Mar 26Returned Signed by the President; Ordered Transmitted to GovernorMinor
- Mar 25Signed by President; returned to HouseMajor
- Mar 25Received from the House enrolled/signed by SpeakerMajor
- Mar 25Reported Enrolled; Signed by Speaker; Transmitted to SenateMajor
- Mar 24Returned from Senate Passed; to JRA for EnrollingMinor
- Vote recorded Read third time in full –. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 24Read third time in full – PASSED - 34-0-1AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Carlson, Cook, Den Hartog, Foreman, Galloway, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lakey, Lenney, Lent, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Rabe, Ricks, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Shippy, Taylor, Toews, VanOrden, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow, Woodward, Zito, ZuiderveldNAYS – NoneAbsent and excused – Bjerke(Bjerke)Floor Sponsor - NicholsTitle apvd - to HousePassed 2nd Chamber
- Mar 20Read second time; filed for Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 19Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second readingMinor
- Mar 6Introduced, read first time; referred to: Judiciary & RulesMinor
- Mar 6Received from the House passed; filed for first reading
- Mar 5Read Third Time in Full – PASSED - 68-0-2AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Berch, Bingham, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cheatum, Church, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Egbert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson, Fuhriman, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Hall(Stone), Handy, Harris, Hawkins, Haws, Healey, Hill, Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Manwaring, Marmon, Mathias, McCann, Mendive, Mickelsen(Athay), Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Nelsen, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Pohanka, Price, Rasor, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Rubel, Sauter, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Wisniewski, Mr. SpeakerNAYS – NoneAbsent – Dygert, GreenFloor Sponsor - EricksonTitle apvd - to SenatePassed 1st Chamber
- Vote recorded Read Third Time in Full –. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 4U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar one legislative day
- Mar 3Read second time; Filed for Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 2Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second ReadingMinor
- Feb 17Reported Printed and Referred to Judiciary, Rules & Administration
- Feb 16Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for PrintingIntroduced
Criminal Justice