CHILD PROTECTION – Adds to existing law to provide for safety checks for children under one year of age.

Idaho's H 776 requires immediate safety checks for infants under one year old when parents or caregivers have specific risk factors, such as a history of child abuse, a conviction for child injury, terminated parental rights, or a newborn with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Within 12 hours of receiving a report, child protection agencies must verify these risk factors using internal records and public databases, then conduct a full safety assessment. The assessment reviews the caregiver’s compliance with court orders, the child’s living situation, and prior investigations into abuse or neglect in the household. The law explicitly states it does not presume abuse based solely on medical conditions and allows for urgent action if verification takes too long.