IdahoIdaho schools will investigate reports of student online harassment
Starting July 1, 2026, Idaho school boards must investigate reports of covered student online behavior and impose proportionate discipline when they find it occurred.
What it does
School boards must investigate reports that a student's online messages harass, threaten, or bully school employees, students, parents, guardians, or volunteers. The messages may be sent at any time and from anywhere.
When a school board finds that a student engaged in covered online behavior, it must meet with the student and a parent or guardian and impose discipline suited to the conduct. Measures may range from a warning to expulsion.
Argument forSchool boards could investigate online harassment of employees and others in the school community, even when it happens off school grounds.
Argument againstStudents and families could face serious discipline, including suspension or expulsion, for covered online behavior away from school.
More detail
School boards must investigate reports and decide whether the claims are true. The process covers reports about student online communications that harass, threaten, or bully a public school employee, enrolled student, student's parent or guardian, or school volunteer. It includes communications during or outside school hours and on or off school property. The board must notify the student's parent or legal guardian about the report. The board may notify law enforcement if appropriate. The board must investigate after receiving a report.
If a board finds that a student engaged in the covered behavior, it must meet with the student and the student's parent or guardian and impose appropriate, proportionate discipline. This applies when a school district or public charter school board determines that a student engaged in the behavior covered by the law. Possible measures include a warning, an online behavior awareness program, temporary suspension, or expulsion. An affected person may still pursue other available legal remedies.
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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 174 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 - 32-1-2AYES – Adams, Anthon, Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Carlson, Cook, Den Hartog, 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 – ForemanAbsent and excused – Bernt, Bjerke(Bjerke)Floor Sponsor - ToewsTitle apvd - to HousePassed 2nd Chamber
- Mar 19Read second time; filed for Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 18Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second readingMinor
- Mar 10Introduced, read first time; referred to: EducationMinor
- Mar 10Received from the House passed; filed for first reading
- Mar 9Read Third Time in Full – PASSED - 65-0-5AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Berch, Bingham, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cheatum, Church, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Egbert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson(Larsen), Fuhriman, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Hall(Stone), Handy, Harris, Haws, Hill, Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Marmon, Mathias, Mendive, Mickelsen, 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 – Green, Hawkins, Healey, Manwaring, McCannFloor Sponsor - RedmanTitle apvd - to SenatePassed 1st Chamber
- Vote recorded Read Third Time in Full –. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 6Read second time; Filed for Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 5Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second ReadingMinor
- Feb 27Reported Printed and Referred to Education
- Feb 26Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for PrintingIntroduced
Education