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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho prohibits courts from enforcing foreign laws that violate constitutional rights
Last action · March 30, 2026: Reported Signed by Governor on March 26, 2026 Session Law Chapter 183 Effective: 07/01/2026
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What This Bill Does
Idaho House Bill 602 voids court rulings, arbitration decisions, and contractual choices of law or jurisdiction that rely on foreign laws failing to grant fundamental liberties guaranteed by the U.S. and Idaho constitutions, effective July 1, 2026.
Parties entering into contracts or facing litigation in Idaho can no longer rely on foreign legal codes or international tribunals if those systems abridge constitutional liberties like due process, free speech, or religious freedom.
- State legislatures across the United States have periodically introduced bills addressing the potential application of foreign or religious legal systems in domestic court proceedings. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Idaho citizens
Citizens are protected from having foreign laws or unconstitutional foreign court rulings applied to their legal disputes within Idaho adjudicative bodies.
Idaho state courts and administrative agencies
Courts and administrative authorities are prohibited from enforcing foreign laws, contracts, or forum selections that violate state public policy regarding constitutional rights.
Religious organizations
Religious organizations retain their rights regarding the free exercise of religion and are protected from court interference in internal ecclesiastical matters.
Key Facts
- Idaho House Bill 602 establishes that state public policy prohibits applying foreign laws that violate fundamental rights guaranteed by the U.S. or Idaho constitutions.
- The law defines 'foreign law' as any law, legal code, or system outside of any U.S. state or territory, excluding Indian tribal laws and English common law.
- Any court ruling, board decision, arbitration, or administrative agency action based on foreign laws that fail to grant similar constitutional liberties is void and unenforceable.
- Contractual provisions or choice of law clauses selecting foreign laws that violate Idaho public policy are rendered void and unenforceable.
Show all 10 facts
- Contractual provisions granting in personam jurisdiction to foreign courts or panels incorporating conflicting foreign laws are void and unenforceable.
- Idaho courts are directed to deny forum non conveniens claims if moving litigation to a foreign forum would likely violate a nonclaimant's fundamental constitutional rights.
- The chapter does not apply to business entities (corporations, partnerships, LLCs) to the extent they contract to subject themselves to foreign law outside the U.S.
- The chapter exempts contracts entered into prior to the effective date of July 1, 2026.
- The law does not limit the free exercise of religion or authorize courts to adjudicate internal ecclesiastical matters of religious organizations.
- The provisions do not conflict with valid federal treaties or international agreements that preempt state law.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is considered a 'foreign law' under this new Idaho statute?
Does this law affect existing contracts signed before July 1, 2026?
Are business entities exempt when dealing with foreign jurisdictions?
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 30, 2026EnrolledReported Signed by Governor on March 26, 2026 Session Law Chapter 183 Effective: 07/01/2026
- Mar 26, 2026Delivered to Governor at 12:58 p.m. on March 26, 2026
- Mar 26, 2026Returned Signed by the President; Ordered Transmitted to Governor
- Mar 25, 2026Signed by President; returned to House
- Mar 25, 2026Received from the House enrolled/signed by Speaker
- Mar 25, 2026Reported Enrolled; Signed by Speaker; Transmitted to Senate
Show 12 earlier actions
- Mar 24, 2026FloorReturned from Senate Passed; to JRA for Enrolling
- Mar 24, 2026FloorRead third time in full – PASSED - 28-6-1 AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Carlson, Cook, Den Hartog, Foreman, Galloway, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lakey, Lenney, Lent, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Ricks, Shippy, Toews, VanOrden, Woodward, Zito, Zuiderveld NAYS – Rabe, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Taylor, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow Absent and excused – Bjerke(Bjerke) Floor Sponsor - Lenney Title apvd - to House
- Mar 20, 2026Read second time; filed for Third Reading
- Mar 19, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
- Feb 24, 2026IntroducedIntroduced, read first time; referred to: Judiciary & Rules
- Feb 24, 2026FloorReceived from the House passed; filed for first reading
- Feb 23, 2026FloorRead Third Time in Full – PASSED - 61-6-3 AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Bingham, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cheatum, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson, Fuhriman, Furniss, Garner, Hall(Stone), Handy, Harris, Hawkins, Healey, Hill, Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Manwaring, Marmon, McCann, Mendive, Mickelsen, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Nelsen, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Pohanka, Price, Rasor, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Sauter, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Wisniewski, Mr. Speaker NAYS – Egbert, Galaviz, Gannon, Green, Mathias, Rubel Absent – Berch, Church, Haws Floor Sponsor - Moyle Title apvd - to Senate
- Feb 20, 2026U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar until Monday, February 23, 2026
- Feb 19, 2026Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
- Feb 18, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
- Feb 9, 2026CommitteeReported Printed and Referred to Judiciary, Rules & Administration
- Feb 6, 2026IntroducedIntroduced, read first time, referred to JRA 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.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Establishment of Statutory Public Policy on Foreign Law
Idaho enacted a comprehensive statutory framework in Title 73 to explicitly govern and restrict the enforceability of foreign legal codes, contractual choices of law, and forum selections within state adjudicative bodies.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.idaho.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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