Legislation

Right to Life of Idaho is your voice in the legislature, representing the pro-life community and speaking out for those who cannot defend themselves.

Over the years, Right to Life of Idaho has been instrumental in passing key legislation that protects the unborn, mothers, and the elderly. Here are some of the important laws we've helped enact.

The Basics: How a Bill Becomes a Law in Idaho (click to expand)
  1. The sponsor of the bill has Legislative Services Office (LSO) draft the bill.
  2. The bill is introduced in either the Senate or the House and given a Bill Number.
  3. The bill is sent to the germane committee in either the Senate or the House depending on which body it has originated.
  4. The germane committee holds a hearing on the bill. Pro and con public testimony is heard by this committee.
  5. After testimony the committee votes on the bill. If passed it is sent to the full chamber of either the Senate or the House for consideration.
  6. The bill is debated and voted on by the full body.
  7. If passed it is referred to the other chamber and goes through the same process of being sent to the germane committee in which public testimony is given. If passed by this committee it is then sent to the full body which debates and votes on the bill.
  8. If passed by the full chamber the bill then goes to the Governor for his signature. The Governor may either sign the bill into law or veto the bill.

Parental Notice

1981

Requires Parents' Notification before Minor Daughter's Abortion.

Informed Consent

1981, 1983

Requires Abortion Providers to Give Women Informed Consent on Fetal Development, Risks and Complications of Abortion, and Alternatives to Abortion.

Insurance Abortion Rider

1983

Requires Additional Rider for Abortion Coverage.

Overturned Wrongful Life

1984

Idaho Supreme Court Decision. Prior to This Bill, Parents Had Been Allowed to Sue for Wrongful Life of a Disabled Child.

Anti-Infanticide Bill

1986

Prohibits Infanticide of a Disabled Child.

Amended Living Will

1988

Removed Pro-Euthanasia Provisions.

Banned Abortion as a Means of Birth Control

HB 625 — 1990 (Vetoed)

Banned Most Abortions. Vetoed by Gov. Andrus.

Partial Birth Abortion Ban

1998

Prohibits this Type of D&E Abortion.

Parental Consent

1998, 2000

Parents Must Consent to Minor Daughter's Abortion.

Informed Consent

2000-2006

Abortion Providers Must Give Women Three Informed Consent Booklets Containing Information on Fetal Development, Risks and Complications of Abortion, and Alternatives to Abortion. Provided by Department of Health and Welfare.

Ban on Tax Funding of Medicaid Abortions

2001

Prohibits Tax-Payer Funded Abortion Except for Life of Mother. Adheres to Federal Hyde Amendment Restrictions.

Noah's Law — Unborn Victims of Violence Act

2002

Requires Unborn to be Considered Second Victim Under the Law.

Prenatal Care for Unborn Children

2003

Health Insurance Program Provision for Prenatal Care.

Ultrasound Right to View

2007

Abortion Providers Must Offer for Woman to See Ultrasound Before Abortion.

Parental Consent

2007

Parents Must Give Consent before Minor Daughter's Abortion. Allows Judicial Bypass for Minor as Required by Courts.

Pro-Euthanasia Bill Stopped

2008

Stopped in Committee.

Informed Consent

2008

Requires Three Booklets Containing Information on Fetal Development, Risks and Complications of Abortion, and Alternatives to Abortion to be placed on the Department of Health and Welfare Website.

Informed Consent

2009

Requires Abortion Provider to Perform Pregnancy Test on Woman Before Abortion.

Prevent Involuntary Denial of Medical Treatment

2009, 2010

Protects from involuntary denial of medical treatment.

Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

2011 (Not in Effect)

Ban on 20-Week Abortion When Child Can Feel Pain.

Physician Assisted Suicide Ban

2011

Prohibits Physician Assisted Euthanasia.

Opposition of Criminalization of Women

2011, 2017, 2019

Supports Criminalization of Those Making a Profit from Abortion.

Ultrasound Requirement

2012 (Passed Senate Only)

Abortion Provider Must Perform Ultrasound and Show Woman Before Abortion. Passed Senate Only.

Patients' Rights Protection Act

2012

Protects from Involuntary Denial of Medical Treatment. (Idaho's Bill is the Strongest in the Nation.)

Web-Cam Ban

2015 (Repealed 2016)

Prohibited Telemedicine Abortion. Required Presence of Abortion Provider. Passed and Signed into Law 2015; Challenged by Planned Parenthood; Repealed in 2016; Not in Effect.

Ultrasound Enhancement Bill

2016

Department of Health and Welfare Must List All Medical Pregnancy Centers that Provide Free Ultrasounds.

Unborn Infants Dignity Act

2016, 2017

Prohibits Sale of or Experimentation on Aborted Baby.

Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion

2016 (Only Printed)

Prohibited this Type of D&E Abortion on a Living Unborn Child.

Abortion Pill Reversal Informed Consent

2017, 2018

Informs a Woman that Should She Change her Mind after Taking the First Abortion Pill, There is a Possibility of Reversing the Chemical Abortion. Department of Health and Welfare Must List Abortion Pill Reversal Providers on Their Website.

Abortion Complications Reporting

2018

Enhances Abortion Reporting.

Opposed Medicaid Expansion

Summer and Fall 2018

Reason: It Would Give More Funding to Planned Parenthood.

Partial Birth Abortion Ban

2019

Idaho Law Conformed to Federal Language.

Abortion Complications Reporting Revised

2019

Revised abortion complications reporting.

Campaign Finance

2019

Opposed & Stopped Bill Limiting Non-Profit Organizations.

Medicaid Expansion Sideboard

2019

Pro-life Provision Directing Funds Away from Planned Parenthood.

Abortion Pill Reversal

Summer 2019

Implements Stronger Abortion Pill Reversal Language on Department of Health and Welfare Website.

Choose Life License Plate, SB 1249

2020 (Passed)

This Law Creates a New "Choose Life" Specialty License Plate, Available Starting January 2021. Proceeds from the Sale of These License Plates is Distributed to Pro-life Pregnancy Care Centers to Increase Care for the Needs of Women Facing Unexpected Pregnancies.

Abortifacient Mandate, SB 1275

2020 (Opposed. Failed.)

This Legislation, Supported by Planned Parenthood, Would Have Required That Insurance Companies Cover a Six-Month Supply of Contraceptives. This Would Have Covered "all FDA approved contraceptives," Including Abortion-Causing Drugs, such as "Plan B" and "Ella."

Defunding of Planned Parenthood, HB 525

2020 (Stalled in Senate)

Prohibits Any Public Funds From Going to Any Individual or Organization that Provides Abortions.

Idaho's Simon's Law, HB 578

2020 (Passed)

This Law Prevents Doctors from Withdrawing a Child's Life-Sustaining Treatment or Placing "Do Not Resuscitate" Orders in a Child's File Without Parental Notification.

The Trigger Bill, SB 1385

2020 (Passed)

This Law Takes Effect Upon the Reversal of Roe v Wade by the US Supreme Court. It Helps Restore Idaho's Protective Pre-Roe Laws.

Dismemberment Abortion Ban

2021

Bans the Late Term Abortion Procedure Which Dismembers the Baby.

Downs Syndrome Bill

2021

Requires the Department of Health and Welfare to Make Information Available to Women Who Receive a Down Syndrome Prenatal Diagnosis so That They are Better Informed with Regard to the Positive Outcomes of Giving Birth to a Downs Baby.

The Heartbeat Bill

2020, 2021, 2022

Protects the Baby When a Heartbeat is Detected.

Unlawful Trafficking of a Pregnant Minor

2023 (Passed. Challenged by Planned Parenthood.)

Prohibits the Taking of a Pregnant Minor Across State Lines to Obtain an Abortion Without Parental Consent.

Choose Life License Plate Tax Credit

2024

Not considered.

Safe Haven

2024 (Passed)

Adds to the Idaho Safe Haven Law, Allowing Safe Haven Facility to Install and Receive Surrendered Newborn Infants Through a Specified Newborn Safety Device.

MedEd

2024 (Proposed Legislation)

Clarifies What Medical Professionals Can Do to Save the Life of a Mother Experiencing a Physical Life-Threatening Pregnancy. Provides for the Development of a Video and Accompanying Materials Which Will Help Educate Doctors Regarding Pro-life Laws.