Idaho Senate unanimously passes school sexual abuse bill

Originally Posted: 03/24/2026, IdahoEdNews

By: Kevin Richert and Ryan Suppe

BOISE, Idaho — A late-session bill to address school sexual abuse investigations sailed through the Senate.

Without debate, the Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 1412 — a response to the spate of tort claims filed against the Boise School District, involving former special education assistant Gavin Snow.

SB 1412 would add whistleblower protections for school employees who report sexual abuse. The bill also would prohibit schools from conducting “an internal review or investigation of alleged abuse, abandonment, or neglect of a child in lieu of reporting to law enforcement.”

During opening remarks, the bill’s Senate sponsor said SB 1412 is designed to bring consistency to the process of vetting applicants and hiring staffers.

“Student safety should never depend on whether the right steps are followed,” said Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton.

Introduced in Senate committee just last week, the bill heads to the House.