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LEGISLATURE
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IDAHO
Sixty-eighth
Legislature
Second
Regular
Session
-
2026
IN
THE
HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE
BILL
NO.
592
BY
HEALTH
AND
WELFARE
COMMITTEE
AN
ACT
1
RELATING
TO
PATIENT
IMMIGRATION
STATUS;
AMENDING
CHAPTER
13,
TITLE
39,
IDAHO
2
CODE,
BY
THE
ADDITION
OF
A
NEW
SECTION
39
-
1397,
IDAHO
CODE,
TO
ESTAB
-
3
LISH
PROVISIONS
REGARDING
PATIENT
IMMIGRATION
STATUS
DATA
COLLECTION
4
AND
TO
DEFINE
A
TERM;
AND
DECLARING
AN
EMERGENCY
AND
PROVIDING
AN
EFFEC
-
5
TIVE
DATE.
6
Be
It
Enacted
by
the
Legislature
of
the
State
of
Idaho:
7
SECTION
1.
That
Chapter
13,
Title
39,
Idaho
Code,
be,
and
the
same
is
8
hereby
amended
by
the
addition
thereto
of
a
NEW
SECTION
,
to
be
known
and
des
-
9
ignated
as
Section
39
-
1397,
Idaho
Code,
and
to
read
as
follows:
10
39
-
1397.
PATIENT
IMMIGRATION
STATUS
DATA
COLLECTION.
(1)
Every
hospi
-
1
1
tal
that
accepts
medicaid
shall
include
a
provision
on
its
patient
admission
12
or
registration
forms
for
the
patient
or
the
patient's
representative
to
13
state
or
indicate
the
immigration
status
of
the
patient,
including
whether
14
the
patient
is
a
United
States
citizen
or
lawfully
present
in
the
United
15
States
or
is
not
lawfully
present
in
the
United
States.
The
inquiry
shall
16
be
followed
by
a
statement
that
the
response
will
not
affect
patient
care
17
or
result
in
a
report
of
the
patient's
immigration
status
to
immigration
18
authorities.
19
(2)
Every
hospital
shall
submit
a
quarterly
report
to
the
Idaho
depart
-
20
ment
of
health
and
welfare
within
thirty
(30)
days
after
the
end
of
each
cal
-
21
endar
quarter.
Such
report
shall
include
the
number
of
hospital
admissions
22
or
emergency
department
visits
within
the
previous
quarter
that
were
made
by
23
a
patient
self
-
reporting
as
a
citizen
of
the
United
States,
as
being
lawfully
24
present
in
the
United
States,
or
as
being
not
lawfully
present
in
the
United
25
States.
26
(3)
By
March
1
of
each
year,
the
department
of
health
and
welfare
shall
27
submit
a
report
to
the
governor,
the
president
pro
tempore
of
the
senate,
and
28
the
speaker
of
the
house
of
representatives.
The
report
shall
include
the
29
total
number
of
hospital
admissions
and
emergency
department
visits
for
the
30
previous
calendar
year
broken
down
by
the
three
(3)
categories
described
in
31
subsection
(2)
of
this
section.
The
report
shall
also
describe
information
32
relating
to
the
costs
of
uncompensated
care
for
aliens
who
are
not
lawfully
33
present
in
the
United
States,
the
impact
of
uncompensated
care
on
the
cost
34
or
ability
of
hospitals
to
provide
services
to
the
public,
hospital
funding
35
needs,
and
other
related
information.
36
(4)
The
department
of
health
and
welfare
may
promulgate
rules,
subject
37
to
legislative
approval,
relating
to
the
format
of
and
information
to
be
con
-
38
tained
in
quarterly
reports
and
the
acceptable
formats
for
hospitals
to
use
39
in
requesting
information
regarding
a
patient's
immigration
status
on
hos
-
40
pital
admission
or
registration
forms.
The
rules
may
not
require
the
disclo
-
41
2
sure
of
patient
names
or
any
other
personal
identifying
information
to
the
1
department
of
health
and
welfare.
2
(5)
As
used
in
this
section,
"immigration
status"
means
a
person's
le
-
3
gal
status
in
the
United
States
as
governed
by
the
immigration
and
national
-
4
ity
act.
"Immigration
status"
includes
the
following
groups:
5
(a)
Individuals
with
citizenship
who
are
born
within
the
territorial
6
limits
of
the
United
States
or
who
have
successfully
completed
the
natu
-
7
ralization
process
after
living
as
a
permanent
resident
for
a
specified
8
period;
9
(b)
Permanent
residents,
including
lawful
permanent
residents
who
10
are
granted
authorization
to
live
and
work
in
the
United
States
in
-
1
1
definitely
and
conditional
permanent
residents
who
have
gained
status
12
through
marriage
or
certain
investor
programs,
which
status
is
contin
-
13
gent
on
fulfilling
specific
conditions;
14
(c)
Nonimmigrants
who
are
authorized
to
enter
the
United
States
only
15
temporarily
for
certain
purposes,
such
as
students
or
temporary
work
-
16
ers;
17
(d)
Refugees
and
asylees
who
have
been
admitted
to
the
United
States
18
as
a
refugee,
have
been
granted
asylum,
or
can
provide
documentary
evi
-
19
dence
that
they
have
applied
for
asylum;
and
20
(e)
Undocumented
migrants
or
illegal
aliens
who
have
overstayed
their
21
visa
or
entered
the
United
States
without
authorization
regardless
of
22
any
temporary
status
they
may
have
been
granted
by
the
department
of
23
homeland
security
allowing
them
to
be
present
in
the
United
States.
24
SECTION
2.
An
emergency
existing
therefor,
which
emergency
is
hereby
25
declared
to
exist,
this
act
shall
be
in
full
force
and
effect
on
and
after
26
July
1,
2026.
27