Rating: -1

Bill Summary:

House Bill 207 re-enacts Idaho’s participation in the EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact (REPLICA) by relocating the compact from Title 56 (Health and Welfare) to Title 46 (Military Division). The bill repeals 17 code sections related to the previous compact placement and re-establishes the REPLICA provisions under a new chapter within the Emergency Medical Services Act. The compact allows licensed EMS personnel from participating states to operate across state lines under a shared regulatory framework.

Under REPLICA, Idaho commits to:

• Recognizing out-of-state EMS licenses for in-state practice without new Idaho licensure,
• Participating in a nationwide coordinated database of licensees, including significant investigatory and disciplinary information,
• Accepting uniform standards (such as NREMT testing and background checks),
• Allowing an out-of-state compact authority to impose rules, assessments, and enforcement actions with the force of law,
• Allowing Idaho’s laws to be preempted by compact decisions in case of a conflict.

The bill also empowers a multistate commission to create binding rules, issue subpoenas, collect annual assessments from Idaho, and oversee EMS licensure enforcement—including the authority to suspend or revoke a provider’s privilege to operate in Idaho.

Reason for Rating:

While the goal of improving EMS interoperability may be commendable, H0207 surrenders a significant portion of Idaho’s sovereign authority over licensing and discipline of EMS personnel. The bill commits the state to interstate regulatory entanglement through a commission that operates outside direct legislative control, potentially violating Platform Principles 1 and 6 (state sovereignty and limited government). The commission can levy fees, impose disciplinary actions, and enforce rules not approved by the Idaho Legislature, which conflicts with constitutional oversight and the Republican Party Platform’s stance on unelected regulatory bodies.