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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho prohibits health care providers from banning directed blood product transfusions
Last action · March 17, 2026: Reported Signed by Governor on March 16, 2026 Session Law Chapter 26 Effective: 07/01/2026
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What This Bill Does
Idaho law now prevents health care providers and facilities from stopping patients from using their own blood or blood from a directed donor for medical transfusions, starting July 1, 2026. Providers are also granted liability immunity when using patient-provided blood products, except in cases of . Exceptions apply for medical emergencies, insufficient time, or when the donation is detrimental to health.
Patients gain the legal right to supply their own blood or choose specific donors for medical procedures, while health care facilities are shielded from liability unless is involved.
- Directed blood product donations allow patients to receive blood from specific, known donors rather than anonymous inventory from a general blood bank supply. 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.
Patients
Patients gain the explicit right to provide their own blood or choose a directed donor for medical transfusions, subject to safety and timing exceptions.
Health care providers and facilities
Providers and facilities must allow directed blood transfusions when feasible and receive liability immunity for using patient-provided blood products absent gross negligence.
Key Facts
- Health care providers and facilities are prohibited from preventing patients from supplying their own blood or blood from a directed donor for transfusions.
- Blood products include whole blood, blood plasma, blood derivatives, blood platelets, and blood clotting agents.
- Directed donor blood must come from a blood establishment complying with federal collection requirements.
- Exceptions to the rule apply if the donation or transfusion would harm the donor or patient, if there is insufficient time before a procedure, or during emergency medical services.
Show all 7 facts
- Health care providers and facilities are immune from liability for injuries, damages, or death from using patient-provided blood products, unless gross negligence contributed to the outcome.
- The legislation does not conflict with federal law governing blood products.
- The law takes effect on July 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a hospital refuse to let me use my own blood for a surgery?
Are there situations where this rule does not apply?
Are doctors liable if something goes wrong with patient-provided blood?
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 17, 2026EnrolledReported Signed by Governor on March 16, 2026 Session Law Chapter 26 Effective: 07/01/2026
- Mar 12, 2026Delivered to Governor at 3:13 p.m. on March 12, 2026
- Mar 12, 2026Returned Signed by the President; Ordered Transmitted to Governor
- Mar 11, 2026Signed by President; returned to House
- Mar 11, 2026Received from the House enrolled/signed by Speaker
- Mar 10, 2026Reported Enrolled; Signed by Speaker; Transmitted to Senate
Show 12 earlier actions
- Mar 10, 2026FloorReturned from Senate Passed; to JRA for Enrolling
- Mar 9, 2026FloorRead third time in full – PASSED - 25-8-2 AYES – Anthon, Bjerke(Bjerke), Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Coho(Lenney), Den Hartog, Foreman, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lakey, Lent, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Ricks, Rundhaug(Carlson), Shippy, Toews, VanOrden, Woodward, Zito, Zuiderveld NAYS – Bernt, Cook, Rabe, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Taylor, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow Absent and excused – Adams, Galloway Floor Sponsor - Nichols Title apvd - to House
- Feb 25, 2026Read second time; filed for Third Reading
- Feb 24, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
- Feb 18, 2026IntroducedIntroduced, read first time; referred to: Health & Welfare
- Feb 18, 2026FloorReceived from the House passed; filed for first reading
- Feb 17, 2026FloorRead Third Time in Full – PASSED - 52-17-1 AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Berch, Bingham, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cheatum, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson, Garner, Green, Hall(Stone), Handy, Harris, Hawkins, Healey, Hill, Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Marmon, Mendive, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Nelsen, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Pohanka, Price, Rasor, Redman(Zaken), Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Vander Woude, Wisniewski, Mr. Speaker NAYS – Church, Egbert, Fuhriman, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Haws, Manwaring, Mathias, Mickelsen, Raybould, Raymond, Rubel, Sauter, Veile, Weber, Wheeler Absent – McCann Floor Sponsor - Bruce Title apvd - to Senate
- Feb 16, 2026U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar one legislative day
- Feb 13, 2026Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
- Feb 12, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
- Jan 27, 2026CommitteeReported Printed and Referred to Health & Welfare
- Jan 26, 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- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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