Rating: –1

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Bill Summary:

House Bill 290 moves Idaho’s childhood vaccine mandates from administrative rule into state statute, formally codifying the list of required immunizations for children attending licensed daycare facilities and K–12 schools. The bill specifies the types and doses of vaccines required at various grade levels and includes provisions for both medical and religious exemptions. It also repeals the Idaho Childhood Immunization Policy Commission and voids existing administrative rules under IDAPA 16.02.11 and 16.02.15.

However, the bill grants the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare authority to randomly inspect daycare facilities for compliance and allows the Department to exclude exempted children from daycare or school in the event of a declared disease outbreak, even if those children have legally submitted exemption forms. These provisions apply across public, private, and parochial schools, as well as higher education institutions.

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Reason for Rating:

While H0290 removes vaccine requirements from administrative rule and reaffirms exemptions, it ultimately strengthens the statutory basis for vaccine mandates in Idaho and expands state authority to enforce them. By embedding vaccine schedules directly into law, the bill makes mandates more difficult to reverse and grants state agencies the ability to discriminate against children whose families exercise medical or religious exemptions.

The Department’s authority to exclude exempted children during outbreaks creates a de facto penalty for exercising constitutionally protected rights, undermining the Idaho Republican Party Platform’s positions on parental rights, religious liberty, limited government, and medical freedom. Additionally, the bill empowers government agencies to surveil and enforce compliance within private childcare facilities—expanding bureaucratic oversight and eroding local autonomy. For these reasons, House Bill 290 is appropriately rated at –1.