What to Watch: Week of March 20, 2023

While the 2023 Legislative Session is winding down, we are still tracking bills here, including House Bill 292 (property tax relief), House Bill 236 (public defense reform), and Senate Concurrent Resolution 101 (Support for EMS Sustainability Taskforce). Seth Grigg discusses H292 and H236 in his From the Executive Director article this week, so I am going to focus on SCR101.

SCR 101 passed out of the House Health and Welfare Committee this morning. SCR 101 expresses support for the continued work of the Idaho Emergency Medical Services Sustainability Task Force and acknowledges the importance of understanding what the impetus is of the ongoing struggles with providing adequate EMS coverage across the state. The Taskforce is working together on an array of topics, from overall planning and funding mechanisms to billing, volunteer and employee retention, education, and more. The final step for SCR 101 is a vote on the House floor.

The resolution specifically mentions the importance of working with county officials to develop proposed EMS operational plans for each county. Please reach out to your House members today or tomorrow and encourage them to support SCR 101. Help them understand why consistent EMS coverage is essential for our state’s health and continued prosperity. EMS services will continue to be stressed as Idaho grows and demand increases. SCR 101 encourages the task force to work together to develop a plan to address issues and draft legislation to address concerns next year.