All Roll Calls
Yes: 98 • No: 1
IdahoS 10142025 regular legislative sessionSenateWALLET
HEALTH AND SAFETY – Amends, repeals, and adds to existing law to establish procedures regarding required tests and blood specimen collection for infants and newborns.
Sponsored By: HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE
Signed by Governor
HEALTH AND SAFETY
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Newborn blood tests follow set schedules
Healthy newborns need a dried blood sample at 24–48 hours and a required repeat, preferably at 10–15 days. Parents must receive a repeat-test kit and instructions; birth attendants handle collection for births outside hospitals. Babies entering neonatal intensive care need a sample on admission, before transfusion, intravenous nutrition, or dialysis when possible. Low-birth-weight babies, those hospitalized for illness for at least three weeks, and other intensive-care babies follow a serial collection schedule. That schedule includes samples on intensive-care admission, at 24–48 hours, and at 28 days, or four weeks. Before hospital transfers, the sending hospital must ensure collection or document that the baby is too sick and notify the receiving hospital.
Required disease and heart checks for newborns
Beginning July 1, 2025, Idaho’s statutory screening framework replaces the old newborn screening rules in IDAPA 16.02.12. Hospitals, care facilities, and birth registrars must ensure screening for six conditions; state rules can add more. These include biotinidase deficiency, congenital hypothyroidism, critical congenital heart disease, galactosemia, maple syrup urine disease, and phenylketonuria. For births outside hospitals, attendants must ensure a pulse oximetry heart check at 24–48 hours using the state’s screening method. Heart screening results and status must appear on birth certificates for hospital and out-of-hospital births. Abnormal results require referral, immediate for out-of-hospital births, and notice to parents or guardians about needed care.
Required eye protection for Idaho newborns
Beginning July 1, 2025, Idaho doctors and midwives must give newborns antibiotic eye medicine to prevent gonorrhea-related eye infections. Treatment follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidance, subject to the chapter’s exceptions. The attending doctor or midwife must record whether treatment was given on the birth report. People and facilities assisting with births must report specified newborn eye inflammation and other reportable diseases to state or local health officials.
Newborn lab safeguards come with fees
Institutions must collect an adequate blood sample before discharge, regardless of discharge time, and keep collection records and a written protocol. Sample cards must identify the infant, attending provider, collection date, collector, and tracking number; collection must appear on the birth certificate. Samples must be mailed within 24 hours, or at the first available pickup after a weekend or holiday service gap. Labs must process samples within 24 hours of receipt or by the end of the next business day. Labs must promptly report unusable samples, request repeats, and report positive or suspicious results with follow-up advice to the attending provider or birth registrar. Providers must send requested repeats, and confirmed cases of the five specified blood-screened conditions must be reported under state rules. The state must provide access to screening lab services; users pay the cost of kits, analysis, and follow-up before receiving kits. Institutions may also charge for collection and seek available reimbursement; no dollar amounts or required family share are set.
Religious exemption lets parents decline newborn care
A parent or guardian can exempt a child from the chapter’s requirements, including newborn screening and preventive eye treatment. The objection must concern a conflict with the beliefs or practices of a recognized church or religious denomination. The parent or guardian must be a member or follower of that church or denomination. This exemption allows qualifying families to decline care that the law otherwise requires.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
Camille Blaylock
Republican • Senate
Dori Healey
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 3/6/2025
House Floor Vote
Yes: 63 • No: 1
Senate vote • 2/4/2025
Senate Floor Vote
Yes: 35 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Signed by Governor on 03/12/25 Session Law Chapter 45 Effective: 07/01/2025; 07/01/2025 IDAPA Sunset Clause - SECTION 14
3/13/2025Reported delivered to Governor at 1:08 p.m. on 03/11/25
3/11/2025Reported signed by the Speaker & ordered delivered to Governor
3/11/2025Received from Senate; Signed by Speaker; Returned to Senate
3/10/2025HouseReported enrolled; signed by President; to House for signature of Speaker
3/10/2025SenateReturned From House Passed; referred to enrolling
3/7/2025SenateRead Third Time in Full – PASSED - 63-1-6
3/6/2025HouseU.C. to hold place on third reading calendar one legislative day
3/5/2025HouseU.C. to hold place on third reading calendar one legislative day
3/4/2025HouseU.C. to hold place on third reading calendar one legislative day
3/3/2025HouseRead second time; Filed for Third Reading
2/28/2025HouseReported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
2/27/2025HouseRead First Time, Referred to Health & Welfare
2/5/2025HouseReceived from the Senate, Filed for First Reading
2/5/2025HouseRead third time in full – PASSED - 35-0-0
2/4/2025SenateRead second time; filed for Third Reading
2/3/2025SenateReported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
1/31/2025SenateReported Printed; referred to Health & Welfare
1/22/2025SenateIntroduced; read first time; referred to JR for Printing
1/21/2025Senate
Bill Text
Bill Text
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