House Business Committee introduces RS31831 to create wildfire insurance mitigation and market-stabilization pool

The House Business Committee on Jan. 15 introduced RS31831, a proposal from the Idaho Department of Insurance to create a mitigation and marketplace-stabilization pool for homeowners affected by wildfire risk. Director Dean Cameron and State Fire Marshal Newt Sandahl briefed the committee on the proposal and answered members’ questions.

The bill would create a board — described by the Department as industry-run with a nonvoting executive seat for the insurance director and a seat for the State Fire Marshal — to administer two primary strategies: (1) grants or grants-like payments to help homeowners “harden” properties against wildfire damage (examples discussed include installing eave screens, replacing roofs and thinning combustible shrubbery) and (2) industry-driven stabilization mechanisms (examples mentioned include deductible buy-downs or other insurer-participation…