Education

in committee · Idaho · House Feb 26, 2026

H 780: EDUCATION – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding participation in nonacademic public school activities for dual enrollment.

This Idaho bill (H 780) updates rules for students enrolled in nonpublic schools (private or homeschool) who participate in public school activities. It requires these students to meet the same academic proficiency standards as public school students - demonstrated through state tests or approved assessments - to join nonacademic activities like sports or clubs. The bill clarifies that dually enrolled students do not count toward public charter school enrollment limits, establishes fees for nonpublic students joining activities, and allows credits from postsecondary institutions to count toward high school graduation. It directly affects nonpublic school students, public schools, and charter schools in Idaho. The changes take effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRequires nonpublic school students to meet academic standards for public school activity participation, restricting access to extracurriculars like sports.85% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Choice

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passed · Idaho · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SCR 121: EDUCATION – States findings of the Legislature, declares that the existing public school funding formula requires review and modernization, and requests that the Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction present draft legislation to the Legislature.

SCR 121 is a resolution requesting Idaho's Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop draft legislation modernizing the state's public school funding formula. It directs the Superintendent to create new funding legislation based on specific principles, including addressing student needs (like special education), supporting rural and virtual schools, ensuring funding stability, and aligning with Idaho's constitutional duty to fund public schools. The resolution requires the draft to include financial breakdowns for all school districts and charter schools, with a report due before the next legislative session. This bill does not change current funding but formally asks for a revised formula to replace the 1994 system.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequests modernization of school funding formula to address student needs, support rural/virtual schools, and ensure stability - directly advancing educational funding and policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding Special Education

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passed both · Idaho · House Feb 18, 2026

HJM 10: ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS – States findings of the Legislature and urges federal lawmakers to prohibit inclusion of artificial sweeteners in school meal programs.

Idaho's legislature passed HJM 10, a joint memorial urging federal agencies to prohibit six artificial sweeteners - specifically aspartame, acesulfame potassium, advantame, neotame, saccharin, and sucralose - from school meal programs under federal law. The bill cites insufficient long-term research on children's health impacts and Idaho's economic ties to sugar beets (a $1 billion industry) as reasons to support natural sugar alternatives. It does not create new law but formally requests the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to ban these sweeteners in school nutrition programs. The resolution directly affects federal policy on school meals, not state regulations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill targets school meal programs (K-12) to remove artificial sweeteners for child health, supporting student well-being in educational environment.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

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signed · Idaho · House Feb 25, 2026

H 515: EDUCATION – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding requirements for harassment, intimidation, or bullying information and professional development.

This bill requires Idaho school districts and public charter schools to annually share clear information about harassment, intimidation, or bullying (as defined by Idaho law) with all staff, parents, and students, including that staff must intervene. It mandates ongoing professional development for school staff to prevent and address these issues, and requires school policies to include graduated consequences for offenders and procedures for mandatory reporting of incidents leading to student suspensions. Schools must also annually report bullying incidents to the state education department using a standardized format. These changes apply to all Idaho public schools and aim to standardize prevention, response, and reporting practices.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires anti-bullying policies, staff training, and reporting procedures to enhance school safety and student well-being in educational settings.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety

signed · Idaho · House Mar 17, 2026

H 531: EPINEPHRINE DELIVERY SYSTEMS – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the use of epinephrine in schools.

Idaho's H 531 amends school medication policies to improve access to epinephrine for students with severe allergies. It allows students to self-administer epinephrine auto-injectors and requires schools to maintain stock supplies for emergency use by trained staff. The bill mandates staff training on recognizing allergic reactions, proper storage/administration, and reporting incidents. It also provides legal protection for schools and staff acting reasonably during emergencies, while requiring prescriptions for student-specific use. This directly affects students with life-threatening allergies, school nurses, and designated school personnel.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill enhances K-12 student safety by improving epinephrine access and staff training, directly supporting school health policies under education framework.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill improves emergency epinephrine access for students with allergies via school stock supplies, self-administration, and staff training, directly advancing healthcare access in schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

signed · Idaho · House Apr 2, 2026

H 516: EDUCATION – Amends and adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding the prohibition of taxpayer funding of teachers unions.

This Idaho bill (H 516) prohibits public school staff from providing classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity to students in kindergarten through grade 12. It requires schools to adopt policies banning such instruction unless it is age-appropriate and developmentally suitable per state standards. The law directly affects Idaho public schools and their curriculum decisions for all K-12 students. Key mechanisms include mandating school policies that prevent classroom lessons on these topics, while allowing age-appropriate discussions that align with educational standards. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill explicitly prohibits K-12 classroom instruction on sexual orientation/gender identity, restricting curriculum content per Idaho law.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education

signed · Idaho · Senate Mar 19, 2026

S 1227: EDUCATION – Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding generative artificial intelligence in public education.

Idaho's S 1227 establishes rules for using generative artificial intelligence (like AI that creates text or images) in public K-12 schools. It requires the state education department to create a framework prioritizing student privacy, safety, and human oversight, while mandating school districts to adopt local policies aligned with this framework. The bill also directs the development of AI literacy standards for students, teacher training programs, and guidelines for purchasing AI tools that comply with privacy laws. These requirements take effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates AI safety frameworks, student literacy standards, and teacher training for K-12 AI integration, advancing educational technology use with safeguards.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyPrioritizes student privacy/safety in AI use, mandates framework for responsible integration, aligns with data privacy protection indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Teachers Artificial Intelligence

passed both · Idaho · House Feb 23, 2026

HJM 11: EDUCATION – States findings of the Legislature and calls on Congress to pass and fully fund legislation that fulfills the 40% federal funding commitment in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

This non-binding Idaho Joint Memorial (HJM 11) urges Congress to fully fund the federal commitment under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which requires 40% of the national average per-pupil cost for special education services. It highlights that federal funding currently covers only about 12% in Idaho, placing financial strain on schools and families. The memorial specifically calls for Congress to pass legislation that meets the 40% funding target through mandatory, sustained increases within a defined timeline. It also directs Idaho’s education department to annually report on how federal IDEA funding supports special education services in the state.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly calls for full federal funding under IDEA (40% commitment), addressing school funding strain for special education, directly advancing educational funding support.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding Special Education

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