Prohibits In-Person Instruction in Schools on Election Day
Summary
Idaho Governor Brad Little signed H0831 into law, amending state code to prohibit in-person instruction in public schools on election day. The bill passed the House 54-14 and Senate 30-4. Schools must transition to remote or asynchronous learning on general election days. The law took effect upon signing.
What changed
H0831 amends Idaho law to prohibit public schools from conducting in-person instruction on election day. The legislation, sponsored by the State Affairs Committee, passed both chambers with strong majorities and was signed by the Governor on March 31, 2026. The bill applies to general election days and requires affected schools to implement alternative instructional methods.
School districts and administrators should review current attendance and instructional policies to ensure compliance with the new prohibition. Schools should develop contingency plans for election day instruction, which may include remote learning, asynchronous assignments, or other non-in-person formats. Communication with parents and staff regarding operational changes on election days should be coordinated before the next applicable election.
What to do next
- Review current school calendar and instructional policies to identify conflicts with election day prohibition
- Develop alternative instructional plans (remote learning, asynchronous assignments) for election day
- Communicate operational changes to staff, parents, and students before the next general election
Source document (simplified)
ChangeBridge / Idaho / H0831 Signed by Governor H0831 H Signed by Governor 2026-04-01
Amends existing law to prohibit certain in-person instruction in schools on election day.
ELECTIONS -- Amends existing law to prohibit certain in-person instruction in schools on election day.
Bill Details
State Idaho
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber House
Official Source legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2026/leg...
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Sponsors
State Affairs Committee
Action History
2026-04-01 H Reported Signed by Governor on March 31, 2026 Session Law Chapter Effective: 2026-03-30 H Delivered to Governor at 12:31 p.m. on March 30, 2026 2026-03-30 H Returned Signed by the President; Ordered Transmitted to Governor 2026-03-30 S Signed by President; returned to House 2026-03-30 S Received from the House enrolled/signed by Speaker 2026-03-27 H Reported Enrolled; Signed by Speaker; Transmitted to Senate 2026-03-26 H Returned from Senate Passed; to JRA for Enrolling 2026-03-26 S to House 2026-03-26 S Title apvd 2026-03-26 S Read third time in full -- PASSED 30-4-1 2026-03-24 S Read second time; filed for Third Reading 2026-03-23 S Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading 2026-03-13 S Introduced, read first time; referred to: State Affairs 2026-03-13 S Received from the House passed; filed for first reading 2026-03-12 H to Senate 2026-03-12 H Title apvd 2026-03-12 H Read Third Time in Full -- PASSED 54-14-2 2026-03-11 H Read second time; Filed for Third Reading 2026-03-10 H Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading 2026-03-06 H Reported Printed and Referred to State Affairs 2026-03-05 H Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for Printing
Votes
2026-03-12 House Third Reading Yea: 54 Nay: 14 2026-03-26 Senate Third Reading Yea: 30 Nay: 4
Committee Referrals
2026-03-06 H State Affairs 2026-03-13 S State Affairs
Bill Text Versions
0000-00-00 Introduced
Subjects
ELECTIONS Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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