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Senator presents wildfire mitigation standard of care bill modeled on Utah law; committee sends RS 32299C2 to print
Summary
Senator Woodward introduced RS 32299C2 to define utilities’ wildfire mitigation responsibilities, clarify liability, and encourage federal permitting for mitigation on federal lands; the committee voted to send the request statute to print.
Senator Woodward presented RS 32299C2 to the Senate State Affairs Committee on Feb. 21, explaining the measure was modeled after Utah law and intended to set clear standards for electric utilities to mitigate wildfire risk.
Woodward, who said he served 10 years on the Northern Lights Electric Cooperative board and on the Idaho Consumer-Owned Utilities Association, described the sponsors’ goal as preserving "safe, reliable, and affordable power" while addressing wildfire exposure. He said the draft clarifies when a utility would be liable for wildfire-related damages, encourages prompt federal permitting for mitigation on federally managed lands, and aims to increase transparency and accountability in utility wildfire practices.
Vice Chairman Bernt moved to send RS 32299C2 to print; Senator Adams seconded and the motion carried by voice vote. The committee did not record a roll-call vote in the minutes, and final statutory language and any fiscal impacts were not included in the meeting record.
Next steps: RS 32299C2 was sent to print for drafting; sponsors and staff will present the printed bill and any fiscal notes at a subsequent committee hearing.
