# Idaho S 1285: OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSING – Amends and adds to existing law to provide for equivalency between high school graduation and graduation from a nonpublic school for licensing requirements. Idaho S 1285, OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSING – Amends and adds to existing law to provide for equivalency between high school graduation and graduation from a nonpublic school for licensing requirements., is a 2026 regular legislative session Senate bill sponsored by COMMERCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE; status signed, last action 2026-03-26 (Signed by Governor on 03/26/26 Session Law Chapter 135 Effective: 03/26/26) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-S1285-2026 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Idaho S 1285 - State: Idaho - Session: 2026 regular legislative session - Title: OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSING – Amends and adds to existing law to provide for equivalency between high school graduation and graduation from a nonpublic school for licensing requirements. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-02-13 - Last action: 2026-03-26, Signed by Governor on 03/26/26 Session Law Chapter 135 Effective: 03/26/26 - Sponsor: COMMERCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE - Cosponsors: 2 - Subjects: OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSING - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (98 yes, 3 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Home-school diplomas open more licensing paths: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, the general licensing rule accepts home-school diplomas for applicants age 21 or older. These diplomas count like accredited high school graduation, a high school diploma, or a GED. Separate rules accept Idaho home-school graduation for real estate salesperson and broker lic… - Home-school graduates gain care licensing options: benefit, medium. Idaho home-school graduation records meet the high school education requirement for mortician and resident trainee licenses. Resident trainees must be at least 18 and Idaho residents. Residential care facility administrator applicants using this credential must be at least 21 and complete 800 super… - More career credentials accept home-school graduation: benefit, medium. Idaho home-school graduation meets high school education rules for sign language interpreters, video remote interpreting providers, and shorthand reporters. It also qualifies for massage therapist licenses, sleep-testing permits, and driving instructor licenses. Massage applicants still need to be… - Cosmetology rules recognize home-school students: benefit, low. Students attending an Idaho home high school count as high school students under barbering and cosmetology rules. This change recognizes their student status. It does not itself grant a license or payment. - Podiatry school standards accept home-school graduates: benefit, low. Idaho's podiatry board recognizes Idaho home-school graduation in its standards for approving reputable podiatry schools. Schools can use that credential to satisfy the high school entry requirement. They must still require two full years of general college study and four full years of podiatry stu… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: COMMERCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE - Cosponsor: Jordan Redman (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Ben Toews (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-23 | House | House Floor Vote | pass | 67 | 2 | | | 2026-03-06 | Senate | Senate Floor Vote | pass | 31 | 1 | | ## Actions (22) - 2026-03-26: Signed by Governor on 03/26/26 Session Law Chapter 135 Effective: 03/26/26 - 2026-03-26: Reported delivered to Governor at 4:33 p.m. on 03/25/26 - 2026-03-25: Reported signed by the Speaker & ordered delivered to Governor - 2026-03-25: Received from Senate; Signed by Speaker; Returned to Senate (House) - 2026-03-24: Reported enrolled; signed by President; to House for signature of Speaker (Senate) - 2026-03-24: Returned From House Passed; referred to enrolling (Senate) - 2026-03-23: Read Third Time in Full – PASSED - 67-2-1 (House) - 2026-03-20: Read second time; Filed for Third Reading (House) - 2026-03-19: Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading (House) - 2026-03-09: Read First Time, Referred to Business (House) - 2026-03-09: Received from the Senate, Filed for First Reading (House) - 2026-03-06: Read third time in full as amended – PASSED - 31-1-3 (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Read second time as amended, filed for Third reading (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Read first time as amended, filed for Second Reading (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Reported engrossed, filed for first reading, as amended (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Amendments reported printed (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Amendments ordered printed; referred for engrossment (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Reported out without recommendation, as amended (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Placed in the Committee of the Whole (Senate) - 2026-02-20: Reported out of committee; to 14th Order for amendment (Senate) - 2026-02-16: Reported Printed; referred to Commerce & Human Resources (Senate) - 2026-02-13: Introduced; read first time; referred to JR for Printing (Senate) ## Bill text - Amendment: [PDF](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/S1285A1.pdf) - Bill Text: [PDF](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/S1285.pdf) - Engrossment 1: [PDF](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/S1285E1.pdf) ## Related bills - H 0939: HUNTING – Amends existing law regarding the use of certain technologies. (signed) - H 0810: ELECTIONS – Amends existing law to provide certain physical presence requirements for state representatives and senators. (signed) - S 1356: SINGLE COUNTYWIDE HIGHWAY DISTRICTS – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the election of commissioners in certain single countywide highway dis… (signed) - S 1359: VIRTUAL CURRENCY KIOSK FRAUD PREVENTION ACT – Adds to existing law to establish the Virtual Currency Kiosk Fraud Prevention Act. (vetoed) - S 1362: APPROPRIATIONS – PUBLIC SCHOOLS – Relates to the appropriation to the Public Schools Educational Support Program for fiscal year 2027. (signed) - S 1448: MINORS – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding material harmful to minors. (signed) ## Sources - [Amendment (PDF)](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/S1285A1.pdf) - [Bill Text (PDF)](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/S1285.pdf) - [Engrossment 1 (PDF)](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/S1285E1.pdf) ## Related - [H 0939: HUNTING – Amends existing law regarding the use of certain technologies.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-H0939-2026) - [H 0810: ELECTIONS – Amends existing law to provide certain physical presence requiremen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-H0810-2026) - [S 1356: SINGLE COUNTYWIDE HIGHWAY DISTRICTS – Amends existing law to revise provisions…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-S1356-2026) - [S 1359: VIRTUAL CURRENCY KIOSK FRAUD PREVENTION ACT – Adds to existing law to establish…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-S1359-2026) - [S 1362: APPROPRIATIONS – PUBLIC SCHOOLS – Relates to the appropriation to the Public Sc…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-S1362-2026) - [S 1448: MINORS – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding material harmful to…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-S1448-2026) - [Idaho bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/idaho/bills) - [Idaho state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/idaho) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-S1285-2026 (as of 2026-10-19).