The policy team at Idaho Family Policy Center has been at the Capitol every day since the 2026 Legislative Session started, working tirelessly to get biblical policies across the finish line in Idaho.
Not only has our policy team been working overtime on our own legislation—but they’ve also testified in favor of dozens of other noteworthy bills that have been introduced. Some of these include:
1. House Bill 752: Criminal Penalties for Knowingly and Willfully Using the Wrong Restroom
Over the last several years, Idaho Family Policy Center has led the fight to protect women’s privacy and safety in restrooms—first in school bathrooms, and then in colleges, universities, state correctional facilities, and domestic violence shelters.
This year, we introduced House Bill 607, which would create a legal duty for all government buildings and places of public accommodation to maintain separate restrooms, showers, and changing areas for biological males and biological females. House Bill 607 passed the House of Representatives with a veto-proof supermajority and is currently awaiting a Senate committee hearing.
House Bill 752 – which is sponsored by Rep. Cornel Rasor (R-Sagle) – is a complementary bill that would create criminal penalties for any person who knowingly and wilfully enters a restroom designated for the other biological sex.
The bill passed out of the House Judiciary and Rules Committee last week, and it will soon receive a full House vote. IFPC Policy Director Joel Fischer testified in favor of the bill, explaining why it’s so important for women, children, and families:
Protecting the privacy and safety of Idahoans in restrooms and changing areas is an important government objective. And it is of particular importance when it comes to protecting women and children. No parent should fear that their young daughters will encounter a member of the opposite sex while using a department store bathroom or changing facility.
House Bill 752 is supported by nearly 74% of likely Idaho voters, according to statewide public opinion polling commissioned by Idaho Family Policy Center.
2. House Bill 602: Prohibiting Sharia Law by Requiring American Law for American Courts
Increased Muslim immigration to the United States over the last several decades has raised awareness about the possibility of Sharia law being used in American courts.
This concern is especially pronounced in places like Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Somali Muslim immigrants formed a vigilante group to enforce Sharia law.
Even places like the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex – which has seen a 30% increase in its Muslim population over the last 15 years – are beginning to grapple with the problem of Sharia law. Just last fall, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation blocking a planned residential development that would be open only to Muslims and would be governed by Sharia law.
As Ryan Helfenbein of the Standing for Freedom Center at Liberty University explains: “Make no mistake, Sharia law permits honor killings, beheadings, polygamy, the grooming of underage girls and boys, and the systematic oppression of women. These ideas aren’t fringe interpretations; they’re foundational to Islamic beliefs and practices.”
House Bill 602 – which is sponsored by Speaker Mike Moyle (R-Star) and Reps. Jason Monks (R-Meridian), Steve Tanner (R-Nampa), and Ted Hill (R-Eagle) – would prohibit the use of “foreign laws or foreign legal doctrines” when such application would violate constitutional rights.
Caleb Pirc, director of the IFPC Legal Center, testified in favor of House Bill 602, noting that our founding fathers believed that only the Christian conception of law could protect our God-given rights and produce human flourishing:
Our founding fathers built our constitutional order upon the English common law and the Christian view of higher law. This enduring legal framework has served to protect our God-given rights even to today. Protecting that system of American law in Idaho courts is essential to ensuring the continued common good of the citizens of Idaho.
House Bill 602 passed out of the House of Representatives with supermajority support, and will soon receive a full hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
3. Senate Bill 1296 and House Bill 615: Protecting Churches from Radical Protesters
In recent years, we’ve seen many churches disrupted by leftist activists—such as the Minnesota church that was recently invaded by a radical group of anti-ICE protesters, including former CNN journalist Don Lemon, during the middle of a worship service.
Idaho state legislators have introduced two bills to address the issue. Senate Bill 1296 – which is sponsored by Sen. Kelly Anthon (R-Burley) and Rep. Cornel Rasor (R-Sagle) – creates “a specific criminal trespass offense for entering or remaining on the premises of a church or house of worship while the individual’s presence is clearly not permitted.”
Senate Bill 1296 passed the Senate and will soon be considered by the full House. Grace Howat, policy analyst for Idaho Family Policy Center, testified for the bill in Senate State Affairs last month, where she said:
America must remain a society where Christians can meet and worship without undue disruption. While the First Amendment affords protestors the right to express their beliefs so long as they don’t disturb the public peace, no one has the right to prevent churchgoers from using church buildings to worship God together.
The second proposal – House Bill 615 – is sponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug (R-Nampa) and Sen. Ben Toews (R-Coeur d’Alene). It clarifies that disturbing the peace includes maliciously and willfully disturbing any people gathered for religious worship.
House Bill 615 passed the House of Representatives and will soon be considered by the full Senate. Edward Clark, policy analyst for Idaho Family Policy Center, testified for the bill in the House Committee. You can watch the video of his testimony below.
We have the best policy team in the Gem State—and our involvement in the legislative process makes a real difference for families, churches, and communities.
But we’re only able to stand for biblical truth at the Idaho Statehouse because of your financial partnership. Would you prayerfully consider giving a tax-deductible gift of $65, $175, or $350 to help fund our policy research efforts and our other important programs?
Together – and with God’s grace – we will build an Idaho where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive, and life is cherished.
