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Sen. Dan Foreman bill would bar Idaho from using state resources to enforce WHO mandates; committee gave due pass
Summary
Sen. Dan Foreman presented Senate Bill 1038, which would add a section to Idaho Code stating the state and its subdivisions shall not be compelled to enforce World Health Organization requirements; the committee gave the bill a due pass recommendation and sent it to the floor.
Sen. Dan Foreman, R-District 6, presented Senate Bill 1038, a bill that would create chapter 73, title 39 of Idaho Code and provide that the state of Idaho "shall not be compelled to engage in the enforcement of any requirements or mandates issued by the World Health Organization."
Foreman told the committee the Idaho attorney general had reviewed the draft and advised the sponsor the proposal is constitutionally permissible because it would not prevent federal enforcement; rather, it would codify that Idaho would not use state resources to carry out WHO mandates. Foreman referenced a May 2024 letter by Idaho's attorney general joining other states in opposing WHO changes to international health regulations and a broader national debate about WHO authority during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Representative Mickelson moved to send SB 1038 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Representative Akhiles asked whether Idaho is currently compelled to adopt WHO mandates; Foreman said the bill simply codifies that Idaho will not use state assets to enforce WHO directives and that federal authorities would be the appropriate enforcers if federal commitments were in place. The committee voted to advance the bill to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
