The Senate yesterday unanimously approved Senate Bill 5919, a measure introduced by 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler that would encourage fire districts and insurance providers to collaborate and develop voluntary incentives to promote wildfire-mitigation best practices related to agricultural activities.
Schoesler, R-Ritzville, says SB 5919 aims to encourage incentives much as auto-insurance companies provide discounts for students with good grades
“In recent years, two of our small farming communities were nearly lost to wildfires from wheat fields,” Schoesler told senators during his floor speech supporting the proposal. “Because of farmers and others who volunteered their equipment, water and other things, we saved those two small towns. We have tools we could use, taking advantage of red-flag days and incentives to not work on those days, and this gives us a chance to develop voluntary incentives for producers that they could get a discount on their crop fire insurance or for their rural residences by voluntary incentives with their fire districts. And the carriers may offer the incentives. We have incentives for other areas. We could have more if we just do it voluntarily.”
When SB 5919 received a public hearing in the Senate Business, Trade and Economic Development Committee last month, Michael Harris of Franklin County Fire Protection District #3 testified in favor of it.
SB 5919 now goes to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
