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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho redefines daycare facilities to expand zoning and licensing criteria for sex offender proximity restrictions
Last action · March 18, 2026: Signed by Governor on 03/17/26 Session Law Chapter 38 Effective: 07/01/2026
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What This Bill Does
Idaho revises the statutory definition of a daycare to include facilities zoned, permitted, or approved by a city or county, altering proximity restrictions for registered sex offenders effective July 1, 2026.
Expands the legal scope of properties where registered sex offenders are prohibited from residing or ing near, changing compliance boundaries for offenders relative to locally permitted or zoned childcare locations.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Registered sex offenders
Must adhere to expanded residency and access restrictions around newly included locally zoned or permitted daycare facilities.
Daycare operators
Gain authority to issue written permission for registered sex offenders under specific parental exceptions and can adopt stricter safety requirements.
Local planning and zoning authorities
Their local daycare zoning, permits, and approvals now directly define legal proximity boundaries for registered sex offenders.
Key Facts
- Revises the definition of 'daycare' in Section 18-8329, Idaho Code, to include any facility that is licensed, zoned, permitted, or approved by a city or county for use as a daycare.
- Maintains prohibitions for registered sex offenders from entering school or daycare premises, loitering within 500 feet, or riding in school or daycare transport when children are present.
- Maintains residential restrictions preventing registered sex offenders from living within 500 feet of a school or daycare, subject to grandfathered residence dates of July 1, 2006, for schools and July 1, 2020, for daycares.
- Provides exceptions for registered sex offenders who are students, voters, postal patrons, or who obtain annual written permission for specific purposes such as being a parent dropping off a child.
Show all 6 facts
- Allows school districts and daycares to adopt more stringent safety and security requirements.
- Takes effect on July 1, 2026, under an declared emergency clause.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this bill change about daycares for sex offenders?
When does this law take effect?
Are there any exceptions for registered sex offenders who are parents?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
18 actions- Mar 18, 2026EnrolledSigned by Governor on 03/17/26 Session Law Chapter 38 Effective: 07/01/2026
- Mar 17, 2026Reported delivered to Governor at 4:10 p.m. on 03/16/26
- Mar 16, 2026Reported signed by the Speaker & ordered delivered to Governor
- Mar 16, 2026Received from Senate; Signed by Speaker; Returned to Senate
- Mar 13, 2026Reported enrolled; signed by President; to House for signature of Speaker
- Mar 12, 2026CommitteeReturned From House Passed; referred to enrolling
Show 12 earlier actions
- Mar 12, 2026FloorRead Third Time in Full – PASSED - 68-0-2 AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Berch, Bingham, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cheatum, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Egbert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson(Larsen), Fuhriman, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Green, Hall(Stone), Handy, Harris, Hawkins, Haws, Healey, Hill, Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Manwaring, Marmon, Mathias, McCann, Mendive, Mickelsen, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Nelsen, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Pohanka, Price, Rasor, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Rubel, Sauter, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Wisniewski, Mr. Speaker NAYS – None Absent – Church, Skaug Floor Sponsor - Beiswenger Title apvd - to Senate
- Mar 10, 2026U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar one legislative day
- Mar 9, 2026U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar one legislative day
- Mar 6, 2026Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
- Mar 5, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
- Feb 10, 2026IntroducedRead First Time, Referred to Judiciary, Rules & Administration
- Feb 10, 2026Received from the Senate, Filed for First Reading
- Feb 9, 2026FloorRead third time in full – PASSED - 34-0-1 AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Bjerke, Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Carlson, Cook, Den Hartog, Galloway, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lakey, Lenney, Lent, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Rabe, Ricks, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Shippy, Taylor, Toews, VanOrden, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow, Woodward, Zito, Zuiderveld NAYS – None Absent and excused – Foreman Floor Sponsor - Nichols Title apvd - to House
- Feb 6, 2026Read second time; filed for Third Reading
- Feb 5, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
- Jan 30, 2026CommitteeReported Printed; referred to Judiciary & Rules
- Jan 29, 2026IntroducedIntroduced; read first time; referred to JR for Printing
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.idaho.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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