for week of March 24th through March 28th
Bills of Concern – Senate
Monday
Senate Committee On Education 8:00 am
SB 749 – Digest: Creates a pilot program for students to be involved in the making of a school district budget. (Flesch Readability Score: 70.1). Directs the Department of Education to establish and administer a pilot program that provides for participatory budgeting by students in the preparation of a school district budget. Sunsets on January 2, 2029. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
Senate Committee On Housing and Development 1:00 PM
SB 54 – Digest: This Act makes landlords provide cooling for homes. (Flesch Readability Score: 82.3). Requires that residential tenants be provided with indoor cooling or cooling spaces for multiunit buildings with 10 units or more. Requires, by January 1, 2036, that all landlords provide indoor cooling. Makes cooling an “essential service” for residential tenants. Sunsets, on January 1, 2036, the requirement that the Housing and Community Services Department provide cooling information for landlords. Sunsets, on January 1, 2036, the requirement that the State Department of Energy provide grants for landlords to provide community cooling spaces.
Tuesday
Senate Committee On Human Services 8:00 am
SB 611 – Digest: The Act creates the Food for All Oregonians Program. (Flesch Readability Score: 66.1). Establishes the Food for All Oregonians Program in the Department of Human Services to provide nutrition assistance to residents of this state who would qualify for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program but for their immigration status. Requires the department to implement the program by January 1, 2027, and conduct statewide outreach, education and engagement to maximize enrollment in the program. Requires the department to convene an advisory group to recommend metrics to evaluate the success of the department in treating all applicants for and recipients of public assistance in a welcoming manner and with respect, courtesy, fairness and dignity. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
Senate Committee On Labor and Business 8:00 am
SB 946 – Digest: The Act would let the duty-related costs of the head of BOLI be paid out of the Workers’ Benefit Fund. (Flesch Readability Score: 68.0). Authorizes the payment out of the Workers’ Benefit Fund of the expenses of the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries in carrying out the commissioner’s statutory duties.
SB 1020 – Digest: This Act says that inhalant delivery systems must have a refund value. Makers of those systems must carry out a plan to collect and dispose of them. (Flesch Readability Score: 67.7). Requires producers of inhalant delivery systems to join an inhalant delivery system producer responsibility organization and implement an inhalant delivery system producer responsibility program for the collection and disposal of inhalant delivery systems. Establishes a refund value for inhalant delivery systems sold in this state. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to administer and enforce the requirements of the Act. Establishes the Inhalant Delivery System Producer Responsibility Fund.
House Committee On Climate, Energy, and Environment 8:00 am
HB 3932 – Digest: The Act prohibits a person from taking a beaver from certain waters. The Act prohibits a person from taking a beaver on public land within certain watersheds or near certain waters. The Act does not apply to agency staff. (Flesch Readability Score: 61.3). Instructs the State Fish and Wildlife Commission to adopt rules that prohibit a person from taking a beaver on waters or watersheds that are classified in a certain manner or on public land that is within the watersheds or within 200 feet of the ordinary high water mark of the waters. Creates an exception for employees of federal and state land management agencies.
Senate Committee On Natural Resources and Wildfire 1:00 pm
SB 1153 – Digest: The Act tells an agency to consider if changes to water rights will affect the public interest. The Act tells the agency to allow tribes to review certain requests to change water rights. The Act allows the agency to condition water right changes in certain ways. (Flesch Readability Score: 60.6). Directs the Water Resources Department to consider whether certain water right transfers will result in a loss of in-stream habitat for sensitive, threatened or endangered aquatic species in stream reaches not protected by an existing water right or contribute to water quality impairment in water quality limited streams. Directs the department to provide an opportunity for tribes to review certain water right transfer applications. Authorizes the department to condition water right transfers with water use measurement and reporting, water level measurement and reporting or the installation of fish screening or by-pass devices.
Senate Committee On Health Care 3:00 pm
SB 293 – Digest: The Act tells the Department of Corrections to study health care for adults in custody. (Flesch Readability Score: 61.3). Requires the Department of Corrections to study health care for adults in custody. Directs the department to submit findings to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to the judiciary not later than September 15, 2026.
-1 Amendment replaces measure text. Requires the Department of Corrections (DOC) to meet certain requirements when providing medical care to adults in custody (AIC). Detailed Summary: · Requires DOC to provide medical care to AIC with pre-existing conditions. · Prohibits DOC from considering remaining time in custody when determining medical care for an AIC. · Directs DOC to document the reasons for any denied or refused care in the medical file of an AIC. · Requires DOC to provide AIC access to, at minimum, prescriptions listed on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) formulary dated June 1, 2025.
Wednesday
Senate Committee On Finance and Revenue 8:00 am
SB 712 – Digest: The Act would increase the maximum value of property for each tax year by three percent. (Flesch Readability Score: 68.9). Provides for an annual increase of three percent in the maximum assessed value of property.
Senate Committee On Rules 1:00 pm
SJR 28 – MAJOR THREAT – Digest: This JR proposes a change to the constitution to create a right to a clean, safe and healthy environment. (Flesch Readability Score: 62.8). Proposes an amendment to the Oregon Constitution to establish a fundamental right to a clean, safe and healthy environment. Refers the proposed amendment to the people for their approval or rejection at the next regular general election held throughout this state.
Senate Committee On Housing and Development 1:00 PM
SB 722 – Digest: This Act bans software rent and occupancy control and applies rent caps to younger rentals. (Flesch Readability Score: 61.8). Prohibits residential landlords from using certain software to set rents or occupancy rates. Establishes statutory damages available to affected tenants or applicants. Reduces, from 15 to seven years, duration that new dwelling units are exempt from caps on residential rent increases.
Thursday
Senate Committee On Labor and Business 8:00 am
SB 1119 – Digest: The Act stops employers from doing certain things at work with respect to immigration. (Flesch Readability Score: 65.7). Prohibits employers from engaging in unfair immigration-related practices.
SB 1140 – Digest: The Act makes laws about English-only rules in the workplace. (Flesch Readability Score: 69.7). Prohibits employers from imposing requirements that employees speak only English in the workplace unless the employer can demonstrate that the requirement is justified by business necessity and applicable only in limited circumstances. Requires employers to provide notice to employees.
Senate Committee On Natural Resources and Wildfire 1:00 pm
SB 75 – MAJOR THREAT TO RURAL PROPERTY OWNERS from Senator Golden – Digest: The Act updates wildfire hazard language for rural homes. (Flesch Readability Score: 66.1). Defines “high wildfire hazard area” for purposes of developing an accessory dwelling unit on lands zoned for rural residential uses or a replacement dwelling on lands zoned for resource uses.
Senate Committee On Judiciary 3:00 pm
SB 243 – POTENTIAL MAJOR THREAT TO YOUR RIGHTS – Digest: The Act directs the Department of State Police to study background checks for gun transfers. (Flesch Readability Score: 67.5). Requires the Department of State Police to study the efficiency of firearm transfer criminal background checks. Directs the department to submit findings to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to the judiciary not later than September 15, 2026.
There is no amendment posted yet. Click Here to see if/when one is posted.
Bills to Support – House
Monday
House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water 8:00 am
HB 2403 – Digest: The Act would let owners of land form a district in order to pay the costs to the county of staving off damage to their land caused by predators, by both nonlethal and lethal means. (Flesch Readability Score: 60.1). Authorizes landowners who meet certain criteria to petition for formation of a predator damage control district as a funding mechanism to pay the actual costs to the county of preventing, reducing and mitigating damage to property from predatory animals. Defines “prevent, reduce and mitigate damage to property from predatory animals” to include both nonlethal and lethal methods of prevention, reduction and mitigation. Establishes presumptive charges of $2 per acre for tax lots of 10 or more acres and a $50 flat rate charge for tax lots of less than 10 acres. Creates a cause of action under the district program for counties, landowners, districts and cities involved in the program.
Senate Committee On Rules 1:00 pm
SJR 1 – Digest: The measure would direct the legislature to pass laws to provide a property tax break for the homes of seniors. It takes effect only if the people vote for it. (Flesch Readability Score: 70.3). Proposes an amendment to the Oregon Constitution directing the Legislative Assembly to enact a property tax relief program for the owner-occupied primary residences of certain seniors. Refers the proposed amendment to the people for their approval or rejection at the next regular general election.
Tuesday
Senate Committee On Labor and Business 8:00 am
SB 1061 – Digest: The Act requires the creation of a lumber grading training program. The Act requires DCBS to create a process for certain people to obtain lumber from those who have gone through the program. (Flesch Readability Score: 69.5). Requires the Director of the Oregon State University Extension Service to establish a lumber grading training program. Establishes the requirements of the program. Requires the State Board of Forestry to establish a certification process for those individuals who have successfully completed the lumber grading training program. Requires the Department of Consumer and Business Services to establish a process by which specified individuals may obtain lumber from an individual who is certified as having completed the lumber grading training program.
House Committee On Higher Education and Workforce Development 8:00
HB 3920 – Digest: The Act says that certain students may receive free tuition. (Flesch Readability Score: 78.2). Increases the age limit for tuition waivers for qualified students. Permits a qualified student to receive a tuition waiver for a master’s degree notwithstanding whether the qualified student received a waiver for a baccalaureate degree. Removes the requirement that a qualified student apply for a master’s degree within 12 months of receiving a baccalaureate degree to receive a tuition waiver for a master’s degree. Permits a qualified student to receive a tuition waiver for a master’s degree if the student presents proof of eligibility for specified federal assistance.
House Committee On Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans 1:00 pm
HB 3366 – Digest: The Act gives money to DAS to give to the Rogue Siskiyou Regional Training Center. (Flesch Readability Score: 67.5). Appropriates moneys from the General Fund to the Oregon Department of Administrative Services for distribution to the Rogue Siskiyou Regional Training Center.
HB 3349 – Digest: The Act allows an agency to take certain actions related to items used for fighting fires. The Act makes changes related to groups that fight fires in certain rural areas. The Act creates a new fund for providing moneys and items to groups. (Flesch Readability Score: 70.8). Authorizes the State Forestry Department to take certain actions related to motor vehicles and other equipment used by the department. Instructs and authorizes the department to take certain actions related to rangeland protection associations. Establishes the Rangeland Protection Association Fund. Makes certain changes related to the authority of the State Forester to assist rangeland protection associations.
HB 3350 – Digest: The Act gives moneys to an agency for deposit in a new fund related to groups that fight fires in certain rural areas. (Flesch Readability Score: 62.1). Appropriates moneys out of the General Fund to the State Forestry Department for deposit in the Rangeland Protection Association Fund.
Wednesday
Senate Committee On Finance and Revenue 8:00 am
SB 561 – Digest: The Act makes a new tax subtraction for child care expenses. (Flesch Readability Score: 80.3). Creates an Oregon personal income tax subtraction for child care expenses paid by a taxpayer during the tax year. Applies to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2031.
House Committee On Judiciary 3:00 pm
HB 3582 – Digest: The Act gets rid of the time limit for filing claims based on sexual assault or child sexual abuse. (Flesch Readability Score: 76.2). Eliminates the statute of limitations for civil actions based on sexual assault or child sexual abuse.
House Committee On Education 5:00 pm
HB 3149 – Digest: Allows state moneys to be spent for school districts that were impacted by wildfires for four more school years. (Flesch Readability Score: 76.2). Allows for additional distributions of state moneys to wildfire-impacted school districts for an additional four school years.
Senate Committee On Energy and Environment 3:00 pm
SB 1160 – Digest: Tells ODOE to study the costs and benefits of renewable energy projects in this state. Directs ODOE to give a report on its findings. (Flesch Readability Score: 60.7). Requires the State Department of Energy to carry out a cost-benefit analysis on deploying renewable energy projects in this state. Directs the department to submit findings to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to energy not later than September 30, 2026. Sunsets on January 2, 2027.
Thursday
House Committee On Early Childhood and Human Services 8:00 am
HB 3933 – Digest: The Act gives money to DELC to provide to relief nurseries. (Flesch Readability Score: 72.6). Appropriates moneys from the General Fund to the Department of Early Learning and Care for the purpose of funding Relief Nursery programs.
Senate Committee On Natural Resources and Wildfire 1:00 pm
SB 512 – Digest: The Act tells an agency to operate a fish hatchery at the Rock Creek Hatchery. The Act tells the agency to release the hatchery fish into a river. The Act gives money for those activities. (Flesch Readability Score: 64.4).
Support the -2 Amendment
House Committee On Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans 1:00 pm
HB 3870 – Digest: The Act gives money to OBDD to pay for local public safety projects. (Flesch Readability Score: 69.9). Appropriates moneys from the General Fund to the Oregon Business Development Department for distribution to local governments and other entities for purposes related to public safety.