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Committee sends Title IX accountability bill to general orders with amendment to avoid requiring presidents to add staff
Summary
Representative Steven Pickett sponsored House Bill 141 to assign Title IX policy and implementation responsibility to higher-education presidents; the committee amended wording to require reporting to the president rather than duties 'within the office.'
BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho House Committee on Education voted to send House Bill 141 to general orders with committee-approved amendments that clarify where accountability for Title IX implementation should sit at higher-education institutions.
Representative Steven Pickett, R-Minidoka, presented HB 141 as a measure to ensure that college and university presidents exercise responsibility for establishing and overseeing policies to implement Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Pickett said the bill does not prescribe what those policies must say; rather, it directs that presidents be involved in setting policy and in accountability for its implementation.
"This bill in simple language directs that the policy and implementation of Title IX will fall under the purview of the president of our higher educational institutions," Pickett told the committee. He emphasized the change is intended as a supervisory and accountability step and that it should not expand Title IX beyond its statutory scope.
Committee members raised practical concerns about the phrase "designated staff within the office of the president," noting some community-college presidents delegate responsibilities and rely on existing student-services staff who are not in the president’s immediate office. Representative Nelson suggested allowing the president to appoint a designee who reports to the president, rather than requiring duties to be performed within the president’s office.
Pickett agreed to the revision. The committee approved a substitute amended motion to send HB 141 to general orders with a recommended committee amendment that deletes the word "within" and instead requires designated staff to be "reporting to the office of the president" (committee phrasing). Representative Ehart, who had moved a due-pass motion earlier in the hearing, said the change reminded presidents to pay attention to Title IX implementation and that the adjustment should avoid forcing institutions to hire new staff unnecessarily.
One public witness, Mary Ellen Nurse of District 17, testified in favor of HB 141, saying the change would help aggregate accountability at the highest institutional level. "By having university and college presidents responsible for implementation of the requirements of Title IX, accountability for that implementation isn't aggregated to another person on campus," Nurse said.
The committee approved the amended substitute motion and will forward HB 141 to general orders with the committee’s recommended amendment. The sponsor and committee members said they expect further technical drafting to ensure the language does not create unintended staffing burdens.
