Bill > H0656

This bill establishes provisions for the collection of aggregated student data regarding immigration status and nationality for students enrolled in Idaho public educational institutions, with the intent to better estimate educational costs and understand the financial impact of federal immigration policy on the state. Aggregated data refers to information that cannot be used to identify individual students, as defined in existing Idaho law. Immigration status is defined to include various legal statuses in the United States, such as lawful permanent residents, U.S. nationals, and qualified aliens, as well as non-qualified aliens who are unauthorized and not lawfully admitted. Public institutions of higher education are defined as state universities, colleges, and community colleges. The Idaho State Board of Education will collect this aggregated data, along with primary language information, from all public higher education institutions, charter schools, and school districts, ensuring it adheres to existing data protection and privacy requirements. This data will be used solely for analysis and will not be used to discriminate against any student, and the State Board of Education will submit an annual report to the legislature detailing the collected information. The bill also declares an emergency and sets an effective date of July 1, 2026.

Education

Education Committee (House)

https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/H0656/