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.
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
Senate Third Reading
YEA (24)
House Third Reading
YEA (46)
NAY (23)
ABSENT / NOT VOTING (1)
LATEST ACTION
Session Law Chapter 249 Effective: 07/01/2025
SPONSORS
Rep · HD-027A
Sen · SD-035
Rep · HD-022A
Sen · SD-023
Rep · HD-007B
Sen · SD-003
Rep · HD-034B
Rep · HD-032A
Rep · HD-027B
Rep · HD-033A
Rep · HD-006A
Rep · HD-028B
Rep · HD-026A
Rep · HD-009A
Rep · HD-023B
Rep · HD-015B
Rep · HD-014A
Rep · HD-026B
Rep · HD-004A
BILL INFO
- Session
- 2025
- Chamber
- senate
- Status date
- Apr 1, 2025