Committee approves multiple agency rule dockets: insurance, title, surplus lines, fire code, LPG, and engineering rules

The Idaho Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee approved a package of agency rule dockets on matters ranging from life settlements and title insurance to the International Fire Code and professional licensure.

Department of Insurance dockets

Eric Fletcher, company activities bureau chief for the Idaho Department of Insurance, presented IDAPA 18.03.02 (docket 18-03-02-2401) on life settlements and said the chapter was reduced by roughly 30% to remove duplicative language with existing statute. Fletcher said, “The rule was reduced by 30%. Almost all the cuts were duplicative to chapter 19 existing law.” The committee approved the docket by voice vote.

Shannon Hole, Market Oversight Bureau Chief, presented IDAPA 18.05.01 (docket 18-05-01-2401) on title insurance. Hole said the changes primarily simplified and modernized language and noted one substantive change to the definition of “collected funds” that updates phrasing to reflect modern practice (for example, specifying United States currency). “This change was actually proposed to us by industry during negotiated rulemaking,” Hole said. The committee accepted the docket by voice vote.

Fletcher then presented IDAPA 18.06.06 (docket 18-06-06-2401) on surplus lines. The most substantive change clarified that a surplus-lines broker’s annual report is satisfied by the broker’s premium tax filings to the department, aligning practice with existing department forms. The Surplus Line Association of Idaho participated in drafting; no opposition was reported. The committee approved the docket by voice vote.

International Fire Code

Idaho State Fire Marshal Knut Bridal presented Senate docket 18-08-01-2401 adopting the International Fire Code and updates. Bridal said the negotiated changes clarified how violations are resolved and incorporated a progressive enforcement approach rather than an automatic misdemeanor charge. Bridal described the edits as clarifying prosecutorial discretion and the enforcement process: “These changes resulted in, going through the prosecutorial process, if there is a violation.” The committee approved the docket by voice vote.

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) rules

Jessica Spoya, licensing and registration program manager at the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), presented docket 24-22-01-2401 on rules for the Idaho State Liquefied Petroleum Gas Safety Board. The chapter was reformatted and updated; the board adopted the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 58, 2024 edition, and the work-experience requirement was changed from one year to 2,000 hours to align with on-the-job-training norms. Spoya said the rulemaking included stakeholder participation from the Rocky Mountain Propane Gas Association; the committee approved the docket by voice vote.

Professional engineers and land surveyors

Spoya also presented changes to the professional engineers and land surveyors rules (chapter 24.32.01). The docket clarifies exam and experience requirements, allows the board discretion to license certain applicants reciprocating from another country without requiring specified general education credits, and lowers continuing education hours for engineers from 30 to 24 per renewal cycle to meet Idaho Code requirements. The committee approved the docket by voice vote.

Why it matters: The dockets make technical, clarifying, and administrative updates across a range of regulated industries. Notable substantive changes include modernization of title-insurance language, alignment of surplus-lines reporting with premium tax filings, adoption of NFPA 58 (2024) for LPG safety, and changes to licensure reciprocity and continuing-education requirements for engineers.

Votes and procedure: Each docket was approved on a motion and second and carried by voice vote; no roll-call tallies were recorded on the committee floor for these dockets. Presenters said there was little to no opposition during negotiated rulemaking and that affected industry groups participated in drafting.