Read the full stored bill text
LEGISLATURE
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IDAHO
Sixty-eighth
Legislature
Second
Regular
Session
-
2026
IN
THE
HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE
BILL
NO.
794
BY
EDUCATION
COMMITTEE
AN
ACT
1
RELATING
TO
EDUCATION;
PROVIDING
LEGISLATIVE
FINDINGS;
AMENDING
CHAPTER
2
2,
TITLE
33,
IDAHO
CODE,
BY
THE
ADDITION
OF
A
NEW
SECTION
33
-
213,
IDAHO
3
CODE,
TO
ESTABLISH
PROVISIONS
REGARDING
PROHIBITIONS
ON
EXCUSED
AB
-
4
SENCES
FOR
CERTAIN
ACTIVITIES
IN
IDAHO
PUBLIC
SCHOOLS;
AND
DECLARING
AN
5
EMERGENCY.
6
Be
It
Enacted
by
the
Legislature
of
the
State
of
Idaho:
7
SECTION
1.
LEGISLATIVE
FINDINGS.
The
Legislature
finds
that
the
8
purpose
of
civic
education
is
to
instruct
students
about
the
history,
struc
-
9
ture,
and
operations
of
their
civic
institutions.
The
Legislature
finds
10
that
respect
for
the
views
of
a
politically
diverse
citizenry
and
the
tra
-
1
1
dition
of
political
neutrality
in
our
public
institutions
of
learning
means
12
that
political
activism
has
no
place
in
public
education.
The
Legislature
13
finds
that
granting
excused
absences
for
student
walkouts
or
lobbying
for
14
political
purposes
invites
political
favoritism
from
school
districts
and
15
places
inappropriate
political
pressures
on
students
with
diverse
views,
16
neither
of
which
have
a
place
in
the
public
education
system
of
Idaho.
17
SECTION
2.
That
Chapter
2,
Title
33,
Idaho
Code,
be,
and
the
same
is
18
hereby
amended
by
the
addition
thereto
of
a
NEW
SECTION
,
to
be
known
and
des
-
19
ignated
as
Section
33
-
213,
Idaho
Code,
and
to
read
as
follows:
20
33
-
213.
PROHIBITION
ON
EXCUSED
ABSENCES
FOR
CERTAIN
POLITICAL
ACTIVI
-
21
TIES.
(1)
As
used
in
this
section:
22
(a)
"School"
means
any
public
school
teaching
K
-
12
students
within
an
23
Idaho
school
district.
24
(b)
"School
district"
means
an
Idaho
public
school
district
and
in
-
25
cludes
Idaho
public
charter
schools.
26
(2)
No
school
district,
school,
or
teacher
shall
permit
or
grant
ex
-
27
cused
absences
to
any
student
for:
28
(a)
Participating
in
political
protests;
29
(b)
Working
or
volunteering
for
a
group
known
to
engage
in
political
30
protests;
or
31
(c)
Participating
in
student
walkouts.
32
(3)
Any
absence
based
on
the
activities
provided
in
subsection
(2)
of
33
this
section
shall
be
considered
an
unexcused
absence
for
the
day.
Such
ab
-
34
sences
shall
count
against
the
school
district's
average
daily
attendance.
35
(4)
School
districts
shall
report
annually
the
total
number
of
unex
-
36
cused
absences
based
on
the
activities
provided
in
subsection
(2)
of
this
37
section
to
the
Idaho
superintendent
of
public
instruction.
Beginning
in
38
January
2027,
the
state
superintendent
of
public
instruction
shall,
by
Jan
-
39
uary
15
of
each
year,
submit
an
annual
report
to
the
legislature
including
40
such
data.
41
2
(5)
The
state
board
of
education
shall
promulgate
rules,
subject
to
1
legislative
approval,
implementing
the
provisions
of
this
section.
2
SECTION
3.
An
emergency
existing
therefor,
which
emergency
is
hereby
3
declared
to
exist,
this
act
shall
be
in
full
force
and
effect
on
and
after
its
4
passage
and
approval.
5