Bill > H0776

This bill establishes a mandatory "Newborn Safety Review" process for children under one year of age in Idaho, aiming to protect them from abuse, neglect, and sexual exploitation by ensuring timely safety checks for infants born into high-risk situations. If a mandatory reporter, such as a doctor or teacher, reports a child under one year old to the department (referring to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare) and indicates that a parent, guardian, or legal custodian has specific risk factors, the department must verify these risk factors within 12 hours. These risk factors include the caregiver appearing in the department's child protection registry within the last 10 years, a conviction for child injury, a prior termination of parental rights due to abuse or neglect, or the child being born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (a withdrawal syndrome in newborns). If a risk factor is verified, the department must immediately initiate a priority response, defined by the department as a high-level response, and conduct a full written safety assessment, which includes evaluating the caregiver's compliance with court orders, the child's living environment, and any prior department investigations or services provided to the household. The bill also clarifies that "verify" means using internal department records and, when possible, official public records to confirm the risk factor, and it explicitly states that a medical condition alone does not create a presumption of abuse or neglect. If verification cannot be completed within 12 hours or if immediate escalation is deemed necessary for public safety, the department can proceed with a priority response and safety assessment without prior verification of the risk factor.

Health and Social Services

Health and Welfare Committee (House)

https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/H0776/