TallyIDAHOLegislative Tracker
S11832025 Regular SessionSigned into law

Adds to existing law to establish the Wildfire Standard of Care Act.

WILDFIRE STANDARD OF CARE ACT -- Adds to existing law to establish the Wildfire Standard of Care Act.

WILDFIRE STANDARD OF CARE ACT

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

This legislation creates the "Wildfire Standard of Care Act" under Title 61, Chapter 18 to create a standard of care through electric utility wildfire mitigation plans, subject to approval by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (lPUC) for regulated utilities. In recent years, wildfires have bankrupted utilities and driven their customers' monthly bills to crippling levels. In part, this is due to courts holding utilities liable for wildfire damages, despite no finding of fault or causation. Many of Idaho's utilities, especially small and rural co-ops, could not survive those losses. Higher bills would harm Idaho's economy and place extreme burden on low- and fixed-income customers. The "Wildfire Standard of Care Act" protects customers and member-owners from the impacts of wildfire by empowering the IPUC to setclearandconsistentexpectationsforutilities'wildfiremitigationefforts, holdingutilitiestoarobuststandard of care in operations, maintenance, repair, and upgrades, and outlining liabilities for utilities that fail to meet IPUC requirements. It also motivates federal agencies to promptly authorize wildfire mitigation work.

HOW THEY VOTED

house Chamber· Mar 27, 2025

House Third Reading

✓ Passed
46 Yea
23 Nay
1 absentPassed by 32.86 votes

ABSENT / NOT VOTING (1)

LATEST ACTION

Session Law Chapter 249 Effective: 07/01/2025

SPONSORS

R
Jim Woodward

Sen · SD-001

Primary
R
Douglas Pickett

Rep · HD-027A

R
Mark Harris

Sen · SD-035

R
John Vander Woude

Rep · HD-022A

R
Todd Lakey

Sen · SD-023

R
Charlie Shepherd

Rep · HD-007B

R
Doug Okuniewicz

Sen · SD-003

R
Britt Raybould

Rep · HD-034B

R
Stephanie Mickelsen

Rep · HD-032A

R
Clay Handy

Rep · HD-027B

R
Barbara Ehardt

Rep · HD-033A

R
Lori McCann

Rep · HD-006A

R
Dan Garner

Rep · HD-028B

R
Mike Pohanka

Rep · HD-026A

R
John Shirts

Rep · HD-009A

R
Shawn Dygert

Rep · HD-023B

R
Dori Healey

Rep · HD-015B

R
Ted Hill

Rep · HD-014A

R
Jack Nelsen

Rep · HD-026B

R
Joe Alfieri

Rep · HD-004A

BILL INFO

Session
2025
Chamber
senate
Status date
Apr 1, 2025

LINKS

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