Some Idaho communities have begun charging people who get involved in car accidents "incident response fees" in the hundreds of dollars, and Rep. Christy Perry, R-Nampa, said lawmakers want to "limit this new practice and kind of nip it in the bud before it becomes entrenched in the state." The House agreed with her today, passing HB 647 on a 54-7 vote and sending the measure to the Senate.

"We should be opposed to allowing local governments to bill for emergency services that are already being paid for by property tax dollars - this amounts to a form of double taxation," Perry told the House. 'Our emergency responders are not businesses designed to make a profit, but their expertise does lie in the emergency care and public protection. They receive tax dollars to carry out their mission."

Perry said cities, counties and insurance companies all agreed to the legislation, though fire districts opposed it. She cited fees charged in Idaho including one person charged $435 an hour for "scene assessment and stabilization," and in another case, an invoice to cover responders' lunches. "The act of charging citizens for simply responding to accidents is bad policy and a form of double taxation on the taxpayer," Perry said.

The bill applies only to responses to motor vehicle accidents, and doesn't prohibit charges for ambulance or EMT services, towing, or repairs to public property. It also wouldn't apply to emergency search-and-rescue charges, which are assessed against people who enter closed areas and then require search and rescue. The bill was co-sponsored by House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star.