BOISE, Idaho — Idaho’s full Senate passed “Benji’s Law” Monday in a 27-8 vote, sending the child welfare legislation to Governor Brad Little’s desk for his signature.
House Bill 776 was written in response to the December death of 12-day-old Benjamin Lemke of Nampa, whose parents had a documented history of abuse and prior termination of parental rights to five other children.
The bill requires that when a mandatory reporter, such as a foster parent, doctor, nurse, teacher or law enforcement officer files a child protection report on an infant under one year old, and the parent has a documented history of abuse, child welfare workers must respond within 12 hours…