Idaho law provides religious exemptions for faith healers

Current Idaho law prevents parents from being charged with child neglect or manslaughter if they refuse lifesaving medical care for their children based on religious beliefs. While supporters frame this as a protection of traditional values, historical records indicate that such exemptions were not always in place.

From the 1880s until at least the early 1970s, Idaho statutes required parents to provide necessary medical attendance for their children, with no mention of spiritual belief serving as a lawful excuse. Historical archives show that the state constitution once placed limits on religious freedom to prevent practices deemed inconsistent with public safety.

Records show that the Followers of Christ, a faith-healing sect active in Idaho since 1899, have been subject to legal scrutiny in the past. ProPublica reporting indicates that congregations within this sect experienced 15 preventable child deaths between 2015 and 2025.