Most Idaho school districts have not complied with a new state law requiring policies that prohibit classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender ideology, according to a conservative lobbying group that supports the law.

House Bill 352 required school districts to pass the policies by July 1, but the Idaho Family Policy Center’s report found 66 school districts, or about 61%, have not complied. The group plan to introduce new legislation this coming session to address the “widespread failure of public schools” to comply with the law.

“Conversations on sexual orientation and radical gender ideology belong in the family room, not the classroom,” Blaine Conzatti, president of the IFPC, said in a Thursday news release. “Yet many schools across the state are flouting state law that restricts instruction on these controversial topics — prioritizing radical gender ideology over the well-being of our children.”

The state law, introduced on March 3, followed an executive order President Donald Trump signed in January to end “Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling.”

“Parents have witnessed schools indoctrinate their children in radical, anti-American ideologies while deliberately blocking parental oversight,” the order stated.

Rep. Dale Hawkins, R-Fernwood, and Sen. Cindy Carlson, R-Riggins, co-sponsored HB 352.

“School districts must comply with Idaho laws — and those that are failing to comply with House Bill 352 need to be penalized financially,” Carlson stated in Thursday’s news release. “Parents should never fear that their children will be exposed to age-inappropriate gender ideology in public school classrooms.”

The bill passed along party lines in the Senate, while two House Republicans — Jack Nelsen of Jerome and Lori McCann of Lewiston — joined the Democrats in voting against the bill.

Days after the bill was introduced, Rep. Chris Mathias, D-Boise, questioned the lack of definitions of the bill on what constitutes instruction on “sexual orientation and gender ideology,” EdNews previously reported. He said that means the courts will have to decide.

Those definitions are “clearly understood,” Hawkins responded.

“I feel that I’m in a difficult position here, because I believe that you know the definition. The definition is what you are born to be,” Hawkins said. “Last night, we heard the president of the United States proclaim that America is a country that has men and women. That’s what we have. That’s what we’re talking about here.”

The Idaho School Boards Association issued policy language to help districts comply with the bill, but did not create a specific model policy, according to Katie Russell, communications and program associate for ISBA.

“School districts had a large swath of policy implementation needed after this session and many of them may still be working through their implementation,” Russell wrote in an email to EdNews Thursday.