The Idaho Department of Lands managed the Tyson Fire, which firefighters responded to in Benewah County in July 2023. (Courtesy of Idaho Department of Lands)
The Idaho Legislature introduced a resolution Thursday to create a legislative committee to study Idaho’s property insurance market.
The House concurrent resolution, which is expected to be posted on the Legislature’s website in the next day or so, says Idaho’s destructive 2024 wildfire season has impacted the state’s property insurance market.
Presenting to the House Health and Welfare Committee, Idaho Department of Insurance Director Dean Cameron said 22 of Idaho’s 91 property insurance carriers have asked to stop offering property insurance.
The committee would let the Legislature hear from Idaho homeowners who are losing property insurance, or seeing their rates rise “dramatically,” he told the committee.
“These aren’t just homeowners that live in rural Idaho. … But they’re residents all over the state. Insurance rates are going up by nearly 30% on average this year for property insurance,” said Cameron, a longtime former state lawmaker.
The committee introduced the resolution Thursday.
Introducing the resolution tees it up for a full committee hearing with public testimony — before it would be considered by the full House and Senate. But the resolution will likely be considered by the House Business Committee.
Another bill called the “Idaho Wildfire Risk Mitigation and Stabilization Pool Act,” or House Bill 17, was introduced in January but has not advanced out of the House Business Committee.
That bill would assist homeowners against wildfire, keep insurance rates down and attract insurance companies to Idaho, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported.
Cameron said another piece of draft legislation is planned for an introductory hearing Friday.
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