Idaho enacted SB 1198 banning DEI programs, offices, and diversity training at public colleges and universities

On April 4, 2025, Idaho Governor Brad Little signed Senate Bill 1198 into law, enacting a statewide ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion programming at Idaho's public colleges and universities. The measure prohibits DEI offices, mandatory diversity training, and the use of diversity statements in hiring, admissions, or promotion, and bars institutions from spending state funds on the covered activities. It passed the Republican-controlled Idaho Legislature earlier that session, with Sen. Ben Toews carrying the bill on the Senate floor and Rep. Judy Boyle sponsoring it in the House.

The law took effect July 1, 2025. It created a private right of action permitting students and faculty to sue public institutions they believe are violating the ban, and it expanded the Idaho Attorney General's authority to enforce the statute. Advocacy organizations, including the ACLU of Idaho, said the law eliminated offices and programs that had provided support and services to LGBTQ+ students and other marginalized groups on Idaho campuses, and warned that its enforcement provisions would press universities toward broad compliance rather than risk litigation.