IdahoChild protection officials must review safety risks for infants
Child protection officials must review listed safety risks within 12 hours when reports involve infants under one year and certain caregiver histories.
What it does
Child protection officials must quickly check listed safety risks involving infants under one and assess the child’s home, caregivers, and prior agency history.
When law enforcement reports a case involving an infant under one, it must include any known or reported risk factors listed in the child-safety rules.
Argument forFaster checks and home assessments could help officials identify serious safety concerns sooner for infants in high-risk situations.
Argument againstThe 12-hour review may require quick decisions from officials, especially when records or medical information are difficult to verify.
More detail
The department must check reported safety risks within 12 hours and complete a written safety assessment when a risk is verified. This applies to reports from mandatory reporters about a child under one year whose parent, guardian, or legal custodian has a listed risk factor. Listed risk factors include certain child-abuse registry records from the past 10 years, a conviction for injuring a child, prior termination of parental rights, or a child born with neonatal abstinence syndrome. If the department verifies a risk factor, it must start a priority I response and complete the assessment. The assessment must cover compliance with related court orders or treatment, the home and household, and prior child-protection investigations and services. The law does not presume abuse or neglect based only on a medical condition, diagnosis, or indicator. The department must verify the reported risk within 12 hours after receiving the report. If verification cannot be completed within that time, or immediate escalation would better protect public safety, it may begin the priority I response and assessment without verified risk.
A law enforcement agency must include known or reported listed risk factors in its report to the department. This applies when law enforcement reports a case to the department under the state’s mandatory child-abuse reporting law involving a child under one year. The included information covers the risk factors listed for newborn safety reviews. The department may act on reported information under the review and escalation rules described in the section. The information must be included when the law enforcement agency makes its report to the department.
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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
- Apr 2Reported Signed by Governor Brad Little on April 2, 2026 Session Law Chapter 276 Effective: 04/02/2026Became Law
- Apr 1Delivered to Governor at 12:50 p.m. on April 1, 2026To Governor
- Apr 1Returned Signed by the President; Ordered Transmitted to GovernorMinor
- Mar 31Signed by President; returned to HouseMajor
- Mar 31Received from the House enrolled/signed by SpeakerMajor
- Mar 31Reported Enrolled; Signed by Speaker; Transmitted to SenateMajor
- Mar 30Returned from Senate Passed; to JRA for EnrollingMinor
- Vote recorded Read third time in full –. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 30Read third time in full – PASSED - 27-8-0AYES – Adams, Bernt, Bjerke(Bjerke), Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Carlson, Cook, Den Hartog, Galloway, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Lakey, Lent, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Rabe, Ricks, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Shippy, Taylor, Toews, VanOrden, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow, WoodwardNAYS – Anthon, Foreman, Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lenney, Zito, ZuiderveldAbsent and excused – NoneFloor Sponsor - NicholsTitle apvd - to HousePassed 2nd Chamber
- Mar 25Read second time; filed for Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 24Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second readingMinor
- Mar 19Introduced, read first time; referred to: Health & WelfareMinor
- Mar 19Received from the House passed; filed for first reading
- Mar 18Rules Suspended: Ayes 66 Nays 0 Abs/Excd 4, read in full as required – PASSED - 49-18-3AYES – Beiswenger, Berch, Bingham, Boyle, Cheatum, Church, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Egbert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson, Fuhriman, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Green, Handy, Harris, Haws, Healey, Hill, Holtzclaw, Mathias, McCann, Mickelsen, Miller, Nelsen, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Pohanka, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Rubel, Sauter, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug(Chadwick), Tanner(13), Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Mr. SpeakerNAYS – Alfieri, Barbieri, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cayler, Hawkins, Hostetler, Leavitt, Marmon, Mendive, Mitchell, Monks, Price, Rasor, Scott, Tanner(14), Thompson, WisniewskiAbsent – Cannon, Hall(Stone), ManwaringFloor Sponsor - Tanner(13)Title apvd - to SenatePassed 1st Chamber
- Vote recorded Rules Suspended: Ayes 66 Nays 0 Abs/Excd 4, read in full as required –. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 18Read second time; Filed for Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 17Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second ReadingMinor
- Feb 26Reported Printed and Referred to Health & Welfare
- Feb 25Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for PrintingIntroduced
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