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House approves bill limiting DEI in health-care training; sponsor calls it "merit-based," critics warn it bans implicit-bias instruction
Summary
The Idaho House passed House Bill 9 28 on March 20, 2026, a measure that restricts certain DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) practices in health-care training and provider agreements, 56–14. Supporters said it restores focus on clinical competency; opponents said it would bar anti-racism and implicit-bias instruction tied to improved patient outcomes.
The Idaho House passed House Bill 9 28 on March 20, adopting a measure that defines prohibited DEI conduct in the health-care sector, ties compliance to provider agreements, and authorizes penalties and corrective action.
The bill’s sponsor, a lawmaker presenting the measure on the floor, said the intent is to “remove polarizing political ideology out of the health-care industry” and put “a merit-based approach” back into clinical practice. He described the measure as preserving ‘‘science, professional qualifications, clinical competency, and ... quality patient care.’’
Opponents urged a…
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