Idaho Senate Committee Advances Bill Restricting DEI Practices in Medicaid-Funded Care

The bill would prohibit health care providers that accept Medicaid funding from using diversity, equity and inclusion policies in employment, training and practice.

Mar. 26, 2026 at 7:01am

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An Idaho Senate committee has advanced a bill that would prohibit health care providers that accept Medicaid funding from using 'DEI' — diversity, equity and inclusion — policies in employment, training and practice. The bill was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration and, if passed, would go to the governor for potential veto, signature or to allow it to go into effect without signature.

Why it matters

The bill has sparked debate, with supporters arguing that public funds should not support systems built on 'preferential treatment for politically favored groups,' while opponents say the prohibited training, such as on implicit bias, is valuable for providing quality health care and improving patient outcomes.

The details

The bill would prohibit practices such as 'race-based' or 'sex-based' preferences, targets, benchmarks, quotas, or equity goals, as well as mandatory bias, implicit bias, systemic bias, or similar training that assigns responsibility, disadvantage, or professional outcomes based on protected characteristics rather than individual merit or performance. Compliance would need to be a condition for all Medicaid provider agreements, and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare would need to ensure network-wide compliance for any state Medicaid managed care contractors.

  • The Idaho Senate committee advanced the bill on Tuesday, March 25, 2026.
  • If passed by the full Senate, the bill would go to the governor for potential veto, signature or to allow it to go into effect without signature.

The players

Josh Kohl

Twin Falls Republican Sen. and sponsor of HB 928.

Ben Toews

Coeur d'Alene Republican Sen. and co-sponsor of HB 928.

Dorothy Buening

A family medicine physician resident in Boise who testified in opposition to the bill.

Liz Woodruff

Executive director of the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians, who testified against the bill.

Edward Clark

Representative of the Christian lobbying group the Idaho Family Policy Center, who spoke in support of the bill.

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What they’re saying

“This bill does not authorize discrimination, and it expressly preserves compliance with federal civil rights laws and Medicaid requirements. What it does do is reaffirm that public funds should support systems built on competition, quality and individual achievement.”

— Josh Kohl, Twin Falls Republican Sen. and sponsor of HB 928

“I see this play out every day, whether I'm providing care in the hospitals or in the clinic, this training leads to improved patient trust and outcomes, and thus care becomes safer and more effective for all Idahoans.”

— Dorothy Buening, Family medicine physician resident in Boise

“Implicit bias has no place in medicine”

— Brian Lenney, Nampa Republican Sen.

What’s next

If passed by the full Idaho Senate, the bill would go to the governor for potential veto, signature or to allow it to go into effect without signature.

The takeaway

This bill has sparked a debate over the role of diversity, equity and inclusion practices in Medicaid-funded health care, with supporters arguing that public funds should not support 'preferential treatment' and opponents saying the prohibited training is valuable for improving patient care and outcomes.