---
type: "Bill"
title: "HEALTH AND WELFARE – Amends, repeals, and adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding background checks conducted by the Department of Health and Welfare."
description: "HEALTH AND WELFARE – Amends, repeals, and adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding background checks conducted by the Department of Health and Welfare."
jurisdiction: "us/states/id"
legislature: "Idaho Legislature"
session: "2026"
identifier: "H 494"
citation: "Idaho H 494 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["CHILD CARE", "CHILDREN", "CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS", "DAYCARE", "HEALTH", "HEALTH AND WELFARE DEPARTMENT", "MEDICAID", "PUBLIC ASSISTANCE"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 30
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2026-01-19"
last_action: "2026-03-30"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/60fa1409-e317-4f67-906b-85115bd1b195"
source_url: "https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/H0494/"
source_hash: "3065f14e5ee2f792963be388f524e6ef29b2977bf9ef308c7e5ba88d845b6e2d"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-id"]
---

# Idaho H 494 (2026) — HEALTH AND WELFARE – Amends, repeals, and adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding background checks conducted by the Department of Health and Welfare.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/H0494A1.pdf)
2. **Bill Text** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/H0494.pdf)
3. **Engrossment 1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/H0494E1.pdf)

## Votes

- Rules Suspended: Ayes 68 Nays 1 Abs/Excd 1, read in full as required – — **41–29** (pass) · lower
- Read Third Time in Full – — **36–33** (pass) · lower
- Read third time as amended in the Senate – — **20–13** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE — primary (organization)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2026-01-19** Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for Printing `introduction`
- **2026-01-20** Reported Printed and Referred to Health & Welfare
- **2026-02-04** Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-02-05** Read second time; Filed for Third Reading `reading-2`
- **2026-02-06** U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar until Monday, February 9, 2026
- **2026-02-09** Read Third Time in Full – PASSED - 36-33-1AYES – Beiswenger, Bingham, Burgoyne, Cayler, Cheatum, Church, Cornilles, Dygert, Egbert, Erickson, Fuhriman, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Green, Hall(Stone), Handy, Haws, Healey, Manwaring, Mathias, McCann, Mickelsen, Miller, Nelsen, Petzke, Pickett, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Rubel, Sauter, Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, WheelerNAYS – Alfieri, Barbieri, Berch, Boyle, Bruce, Cannon, Crane(12), Crane(13), Ehardt, Ehlers, Furniss, Harris, Hawkins, Hill, Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Marmon, Mendive, Mitchell, Monks, Palmer, Pohanka, Price, Rasor, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Mr. SpeakerAbsent – WisniewskiFloor Sponsor - WheelerTitle apvd - to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-10** Received from the House passed; filed for first reading
- **2026-02-10** Introduced, read first time; referred to: Health & Welfare `introduction`
- **2026-02-19** Reported out of committee; to 14th Order for amendment
- **2026-03-13** Placed in the Committee of the Whole
- **2026-03-13** Amendments ordered printed
- **2026-03-13** Reported out as amended; filed for first reading
- **2026-03-16** Amendments reported printed
- **2026-03-16** Read first time as amended in the Senate; Filed for Second Reading
- **2026-03-17** Read second time as amended in the Senate, filed for Third Reading `reading-2`
- **2026-03-23** Read third time as amended in the Senate – PASSED - 20-13-2AYES – Anthon, Bernt, Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Cook, Galloway, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Lakey, Lent, Rabe, Ricks, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Taylor, VanOrden, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow, WoodwardNAYS – Carlson, Den Hartog, Foreman, Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lenney, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Shippy, Toews, Zito, ZuiderveldAbsent and excused – Adams, Bjerke(Bjerke)Floor Sponsor - VanOrdenTitle apvd - to House
- **2026-03-24** Returned from the Senate Amended; Held at Desk
- **2026-03-24** House Concurred in Senate Amendments
- **2026-03-24** Returned from the Senate Amended; Held at Desk
- **2026-03-24** Bills as Amended Referred to JRA for Engrossing
- **2026-03-25** Reported Engrossed; Filed for First Reading of Engrossed Bills
- **2026-03-25** Read first time as amended in Senate; Filed for Second Reading
- **2026-03-26** Read second time as amended in Senate; Filed for Third Reading `reading-2`
- **2026-03-26** Rules Suspended: Ayes 68 Nays 1 Abs/Excd 1, read in full as required – PASSED - 41-29-0AYES – Beiswenger, Berch, Bingham, Cheatum, Church, Cornilles, Crane(12), Dygert, Egbert, Erickson, Fuhriman, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Green, Hall(Stone), Handy, Haws, Healey, Hill, Manwaring, Mathias, McCann, Mickelsen, Miller, Nelsen, Petzke, Pickett, Pohanka, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Rubel, Sauter, Shirts, Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Mr. SpeakerNAYS – Alfieri, Barbieri, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Crane(13), Ehardt, Ehlers, Harris, Hawkins, Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Marmon, Mendive, Mitchell, Monks, Palmer, Price, Rasor, Scott, Shepherd, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, WisniewskiAbsent – NoneFloor Sponsor - WheelerTitle apvd - to enrol
- **2026-03-26** Reported Enrolled; Signed by Speaker; Transmitted to Senate `passage`
- **2026-03-27** Received from the House enrolled/signed by Speaker
- **2026-03-27** Signed by President; returned to House `passage`
- **2026-03-27** Returned Signed by the President; Ordered Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2026-03-30** Delivered to Governor at 1:45 p.m. on March 27, 2026 `executive-receipt`
- **2026-03-30** Reported Signed by Governor on March 27, 2026 Session Law Chapter 220 Effective: 07/01/2026 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/60fa1409-e317-4f67-906b-85115bd1b195`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Idaho legislature records).