--- type: "Bill" title: "MEDICAL ETHICS DEFENSE ACT – Adds to existing law to establish the Medical Ethics Defense Act." description: "MEDICAL ETHICS DEFENSE ACT – Adds to existing law to establish the Medical Ethics Defense Act." jurisdiction: "us/states/id" legislature: "Idaho Legislature" session: "2025" identifier: "H 59" citation: "Idaho H 59 (2025)" classification: ["bill"] subjects: ["ACTS", "CIVIL ACTIONS", "ETHICS", "HEALTH", "HEALTH AND WELFARE DEPARTMENT", "HEALTH CARE FACILITIES", "HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONS AND PROVIDERS", "MEDICAL"] status: "enacted" primary_sponsors: [] version_count: 3 action_count: 31 vote_count: 3 first_action: "2025-01-24" last_action: "2025-03-20" source: "openstates" source_identifier: "ocd-bill/70e82913-9183-41c7-8aba-adfdbe9eb111" source_url: "https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/H0059/" source_hash: "e62f9f788e06672f4c36dc6d55c80c8f97f741e5dd361282d0a8dc62478552cd" 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 59 (2025) — MEDICAL ETHICS DEFENSE ACT – Adds to existing law to establish the Medical Ethics Defense Act. ## 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/2025/legislation/H0059A1.pdf) 2. **Bill Text** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/H0059.pdf) 3. **Engrossment 1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/H0059E1.pdf) ## Votes - Read Third Time in Full – — **58–11** (pass) · lower - Read third time as amended in the Senate – — **28–6** (pass) · upper - Rules Suspended: Ayes 62 Nays 4 Abs/Excd 4, read in full as required – — **58–9** (pass) · lower ## Sponsors - HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE — primary (organization) ## Timeline The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote. - **2025-01-24** Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for Printing `introduction` - **2025-01-27** Reported Printed and Referred to Health & Welfare - **2025-02-07** Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading `committee-passage-favorable` - **2025-02-10** Read second time; Filed for Third Reading `reading-2` - **2025-02-11** Read Third Time in Full – PASSED - 58-11-1AYES – Alfieri, Andrus, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cheatum, Clow, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Ehlers, Erickson, Fuhriman, Furniss, Garner, Handy, Harris, Hawkins, Healey, Hill, Holtzclaw, Horman, Hostetler, Leavitt, Marmon, McCann, Mendive, Mickelsen, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Pohanka, Price, Rasor, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Sauter, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Vander Woude, Weber, Wheeler, Wisniewski, Mr. SpeakerNAYS – Achilles, Berch, Church, Egbert, Galaviz, Gannon, Green(Schubin), Manwaring, Mathias, Nelsen, RubelAbsent – EhardtFloor Sponsor - SkaugTitle apvd - to Senate `passage, reading-3` - **2025-02-12** Received from the House passed; filed for first reading - **2025-02-12** Introduced, read first time; referred to: Health & Welfare `introduction` - **2025-02-21** Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading `committee-passage-favorable` - **2025-02-24** Referred to 14th Order for amendment - **2025-02-25** Placed in the Committee of the Whole - **2025-02-25** Amendments ordered printed - **2025-02-25** Reported out as amended; filed for first reading - **2025-02-25** Amendments reported printed - **2025-02-25** Read first time as amended in the Senate; Filed for Second Reading - **2025-02-26** Read second time as amended in the Senate, filed for Third Reading `reading-2` - **2025-03-05** Retained on calendar - **2025-03-06** Retained on calendar - **2025-03-10** Read third time as amended in the Senate – PASSED - 28-6-1AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Bjerke, Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Cook, Den Hartog, Foreman, Galloway, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Keyser, Kohl, Lakey, Lenney, Lent, Markley(Carlson), Nichols, Okuniewicz, Ricks, Shippy, Toews, VanOrden, Woodward, Zito, ZuiderveldNAYS – Goodrich(Rabe), Ruchti, Semmelroth, Taylor, Ward-Engelking, WintrowAbsent and excused – HartFloor Sponsor - BjerkeTitle apvd - to House - **2025-03-11** Returned from the Senate Amended; Held at Desk - **2025-03-11** House Concurred in Senate Amendments - **2025-03-11** Bills as Amended Referred to JRA for Engrossing - **2025-03-12** Reported Engrossed; Filed for First Reading of Engrossed Bills - **2025-03-12** Read first time as amended in Senate; Filed for Second Reading - **2025-03-13** Read second time as amended in Senate; Filed for Third Reading `reading-2` - **2025-03-13** Rules Suspended: Ayes 62 Nays 4 Abs/Excd 4, read in full as required – PASSED - 58-9-3AYES – Alfieri, Andrus, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cheatum, Clow, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Fuhriman, Furniss, Garner, Handy, Harris, Hawkins, Hill, Holtzclaw, Horman, Hostetler, Leavitt, Manwaring, Marmon, McCann, Mendive, Mickelsen, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Nelsen, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Pohanka, Price, Rasor, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Sauter, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Vander Woude, Weber, Wheeler, Wisniewski, Mr. SpeakerNAYS – Achilles, Berch, Church, Egbert, Galaviz, Gannon, Green(Schubin), Mathias, RubelAbsent – Erickson, Healey, ThompsonFloor Sponsor - SkaugTitle apvd - to enrol - **2025-03-14** Reported Enrolled; Signed by Speaker; Transmitted to Senate `passage` - **2025-03-17** Received from the House enrolled/signed by Speaker - **2025-03-17** Signed by President; returned to House `passage` - **2025-03-17** Returned Signed by the President; Ordered Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt` - **2025-03-18** Delivered to Governor at 3:20 p.m. on March 17, 2025 `executive-receipt` - **2025-03-20** Reported Signed by Governor on March 19, 2025 Session Law Chapter 101 Effective: 03/19/2025 `executive-signature` ## Source OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/70e82913-9183-41c7-8aba-adfdbe9eb111`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Idaho legislature records).