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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho Legislature expands child neglect definition and state intervention criteria
Last action · February 17, 2026: Reported Printed and Referred to Judiciary, Rules & Administration
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What This Bill Proposed
CHILD PROTECTION – Amends existing law to revise the definition of “neglected.”
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 and Guardians
Subject to updated legal standards and definitions governing child custody, care requirements, and protective proceedings.
Department of Health and Welfare
Must apply the revised statutory definitions when investigating allegations of child neglect and managing protective cases.
Children
Subject to the revised legal thresholds governing state intervention, protective supervision, and custody determinations.
Key Facts
- House Bill 691 amends Section 16-1602, Idaho Code, to revise the definition of a neglected child.
- Neglected child criteria now include acts or omissions by a custodian resulting in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation.
- Neglect includes any act or failure to act presenting an imminent risk of serious harm to a child.
- Neglect applies when a parent or custodian is unable to discharge responsibilities, leaving the child lacking necessary care and having suffered or likely to suffer serious harm.
Show all 8 facts
- Placement of a child for care or adoption in violation of law constitutes neglect.
- Failure to comply with educational requirements under Section 33-202, Idaho Code, is classified as neglect.
- Parents choosing a second opinion regarding medical treatment are explicitly protected from having their child deemed neglected solely for that reason.
- Parents choosing treatment by spiritual means alone in lieu of medical treatment are protected from having their child deemed neglected solely for that reason.
Frequently Asked Questions
What changes under the revised definition of child neglect?
Does seeking a second medical opinion qualify as neglect under this bill?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 17, 2026CommitteeReported Printed and Referred to Judiciary, Rules & Administration
- Feb 16, 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.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.idaho.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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