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IDAHO

Governor signs reform bill

A child welfare reform bill, introduced by Representative Janice McGeachin, recently passed both chambers of the Idaho legislature and was signed by Governor Dirk Kempthorne on April 11, 2005. House Bill 188 requires child protective services workers to be trained in their duty to protect the statutory and constitutional rights of those they are investigating, and to advise individuals subject to a child abuse and neglect investigation of the complaint or allegation made against them. The new law prevents social workers from making illegal demands to investigate a family's home or interview children outside their parents' presence.

This measure is based on Home School Legal Defense Association's amendments to the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, which President George W. Bush signed into law in 2003. To implement these amendments, HSLDA has worked with other homeschool organizations to pass laws similar to HB 188 in over 15 states.

HSLDA worked closely with attorney Barry Peters of the Idaho Home School Coalition, who persistently guided this bill through various negotiations into final passage. The citizens of Idaho will now be better protected from overzealous social workers.