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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho grants both parents equal access to minor child records regardless of custody status
Last action · March 25, 2026: Take bill off General Orders; referred to Judiciary, Rules & Administration
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What This Bill Proposed
Idaho House Bill 857 establishes that each parent has equal access to all records relating to their minor child—including medical, educational, childcare, law enforcement, and court records—regardless of their , starting July 1, 2026.
Noncustodial parents gain a statutory right to obtain school and healthcare documents directly, and s must fulfill written requests within fourteen calendar days unless a court order restricts access or federal law prohibits disclosure.
- House Bill 857 was introduced by the Ways and Means Committee during the Second Regular Session of the Sixty-eighth Idaho Legislature. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Parents
Obtain equal statutory access to their minor child's medical, educational, childcare, law enforcement, and court records regardless of custodial status.
Records Custodians
Must fulfill written requests for minor children's records within fourteen calendar days unless a court order restricts access or federal law prohibits it.
Key Facts
- Repeals existing Section 32-717A, Idaho Code, and replaces it with a new Section 32-717A governing parents' access to records.
- Grants each parent equal access to all records relating to their minor child, including medical, educational, childcare, law enforcement, and court records, regardless of custodial status.
- Requires records custodians to provide copies within fourteen calendar days upon written request, unless a shorter period is required by law.
- Permits restriction of access only by a court order containing written findings that the restriction is necessary to prevent substantial harm to the child.
Show all 5 facts
- Prohibits any disclosure that would violate federal law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a noncustodial parent have the right to access a child's school and medical records under this bill?
How quickly must records custodians provide copies after receiving a request?
Can parent access to records be restricted?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Mar 25, 2026CommitteeTake bill off General Orders; referred to Judiciary, Rules & Administration
- Mar 16, 2026Reported out of Committee, Recommend place on General Orders
- Mar 10, 2026CommitteeReported Printed and Referred to Judiciary, Rules & Administration
- Mar 10, 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.
Standardization of Parental Access
The legislation explicitly delinks record access rights from custodial status, ensuring noncustodial parents maintain equal statutory standing for records requests.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.idaho.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy35Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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