AARNA SHAH (she/her) AARNA SHAH (she/her) Legislative Comms Co Director/Policy youthcommunications@lwvor.org

Back to Legislative Report Education Legislative Report - Week of 1/23 Education By Anne Nesse House ED Chair Neron is the chief sponsor of HB2739 written to form a Committee on more stable and sustainable educational funding…providing more accurate calculation of the biennial budget. The hearing was held 1/25. This bill attempts to solve many years of past problems associated with calculating fiscal expenditures needed for the Current Service Level (CSL) for educational costs all over our state. As Chair Neron pointed out, ‘post-secondary and private schools may raise their tuitions when costs go up, but the state needs to calculate the public schools budget without error, knowing all the facts and figures, as well as improvements we need to make. It is a complex math problem. And the differences of calculation have frequently been politicized, as Chair Neron points out, whereas this bill will attempt to create a knowledgeable committee that can make our educational budgets more accurate, and equitable, throughout the state, for all of our children. There was much support for this in the public hearing, including, COSA (Coalition of Oregon School Administrators), OEA (Oregon Education Association), Oregon School Board Association, and several others. HB2281 House ED held a public hearing on 1/23. Colt Gill reported there has been an increase in discrimination complaints (up 450%), requiring the need for some civil rights coordination within the Dept. of Education. The investigation itself will be done separately by qualified individuals. HB2280 was also presented, a modification of “consent” language in sexual assault cases. HB2275 , a better coordination of all grants that ODE manages, which are many, especially since the Corporate Activities Tax for education took effect. Senate ED met 1/24 and 1/26. SB531 was introduced by Sen. Dembrow and Sen. Gelser Blouin, to provide more stable funding for summer and after school learning programs, especially designed for students who would not normally receive such benefits, although many who testified recognized that more early planning in January has to occur for increased success. Several legislators have noted that we need to plan for increasing offerings for students with special needs. These programs were community based, and by data often benefitted low income families. All who testified for this bill spoke of the joy Oregon students experience when they are offered more hands-on learning. It was important to note how many non-profit organizations, like Boys and Girls Clubs to name just one, testified on the abilities of communities to help our students thrive in education. Senate education finished the week 1/26, with information on the Task Force studying underrepresented students in higher education. Senators Dembrow, Frederick, and Wagner spoke on the many difficulties students have working their way through school, without much assistance. At this point no bills are written to address these problems, yet we still hope that we can make some difference at the legislative level.

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Legislative Report - Week of 6/5 Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley/Sharron Noone • Education: Jean Pierce • Gender-Related Concerns, Reproductive Health, Age Discrimination: Trish Garner • Gun Safety & Gun Issues, Rights for Incarcerated People: Marge Easley • Hate and Bias Crimes: Claudia Keith/ Becky Gladstone /rhyen enger • Health Care: Christa Danielsen • Housing: Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan Jump to topic: Housing Criminal Justice Behavioral Health Housing By Debbie Aiona, Nancy Donovan, Debbie Wallace, Penny York At the urging of newly-elected Governor Kotek, the Oregon Legislature invested more than $215 million in the Early Session Housing Package. It provided Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) with a down payment to tackle the state’s housing and homeless emergency. Now that the end of the session is near, Governor Kotek is calling on the Legislature to invest $1.3 billion in housing solutions through the End of Session Package. This investment will allow OHCS to achieve the goals in its 2023-25 budget request, SB 5511 . The challenge is to balance the needs of people experiencing homelessness and to address the state’s chronic housing supply shortages. The biennial budget represents the largest request any Oregon Governor has proposed. See the full 2023-25 Governor's Recommended Budget . The housing related budget descriptions can be found in these links. Snapshot of the End of Session Housing Package Improving Program Access: Language Access, Training, and Technical Assistance Bond Investments to Expand and Improve Housing Supply Pre-Development Investments Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Risk Mitigation Rehousing Oregonians Experiencing Homelessness Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Investments The Oregon Housing and Community Services budget includes funding for a number of programs aimed at keeping people already housed in their homes, developing new affordable housing, preserving existing affordable housing, and serving people without a place to live. Highlights include: $118 million for preservation of existing publicly supported housing, $415.45 million for homelessness response and prevention, $616 million to develop new affordable rental homes through the Local Innovation Fast Track (LIFT) Rental program, and $130 million to develop permanent supportive homes. Housing Bill Updates SB 225 Enrolled will address a problem with how private activity bond resources are used to fund low-income housing. The bill addresses this barrier and allows Oregon Housing and Community Services to move forward on affordable housing developments to avoid construction delays and cost increases. The Governor signed SB 225 on June 7. SB 599 A Enrolled would allow tenants to operate home-based childcare by requiring a landlord to allow a renter to use a dwelling unit for a family childcare home if it is certified or registered with the Office of Child Care. The landlord can require a tenant to pay for improvements necessary for certification and carry some form of liability coverage. The Governor signed SB 599 A on June 1. Criminal Justice By Marge Easley and Karen Nibler Despite the ongoing Senate shutdown, a few criminal justice bills continue to move on the House floor and in the Ways and Means Public Safety Subcommittee. The following bills passed out of the House from June 1 to June 7 and await a Senate vote: HB 5012 A appropriates money from the General Fund for district attorney expenses, HB 2320 B establishes the Juvenile Justice Policy Commission within the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, HB 2225 A increases fees for court transcripts, and HB 2316 A expands the offense of driving while under the influence of intoxicants to include additional substances. SB 1052 Enrolled , establishes a training program for state agency employees concerning human trafficking and awareness, signed by the Governor June 12. The Public Safety Subcommittee passed the following bills on June 6 and returned them to the full Ways and Means Committee: · HB 2024 provides that district attorneys and deputy district attorneys qualify as police officers under the Public Employees Retirement System. · SB 321 A sets up a process whereby anyone convicted as a result of a nonunanimous jury can file a petition for post-conviction relief before December 30, 2024. · SB 5532 appropriates money from the General Fund for expenses related to the Oregon Public Defense Commission. · SB 337 B establishes the Oregon Public Defense Commission (OPDC) within the Oregon Judicial Department with an appointed director, 9 voting members, and 4 non-voting members who are not practicing judges, district attorneys, or law enforcement employees. OPDC will present its budget to the Legislature every two years but will reimburse the State Court Administrator for personnel costs and contract with the Department of Administrative Services for forecasts for eligible adults and juveniles and cost estimates. There will be a separate Treasury Account. The bill stipulates the transfer of duties, records, personnel, and fund balance on July 1, 2023, for the new biennium. The Chief Justice will transfer current board members or appoint members to the OPDC by November 1, 2023 and appoint an Executive Director by January 1, 2024. The Commission will officially transfer to the Executive Branch on January 1, 2025. Further directions were to establish an hourly rate payment for defense attorneys with no flat fee cases. The hourly rate is to be calculated by January 1, 2025, with an increasing number of attorneys employed by the Commission. Behavioral Health By Karen Nibler The last hearing of the House Behavioral Health Committee on June 7 featured the Oregon State Hospital staffing crisis. The State Employee Union, SEIU focused on staff overtime, which was mandatory due to state injuries. The injuries affected 1 out of 4 hospital staff and caused high turnover with 800 staff still at work at the hospital. As a result, HB 2701 A was passed, acknowledging the high risk of harm and the benefits in the state employee’s system. The bill was referred to Ways and Means, and the outcome is not yet known.

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 2/26 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch Coastal Issues: Christine Moffitt, Peggy Lynch Columbia River Treaty: Philip Thor Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries: Joan Fryxell Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone Forestry: Josie Koehne Elliott State Research Forest: Peggy Lynch Northwest Energy Coalition: Robin Tokmakian Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: Melanie Moon Oregon Parks and Recreation Department: Jim Buck Oregon Dept. of Transportation: Janice Thompson Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Jump to a topic: Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Dept. of State Lands (DSL) Elliott State Research Forest Forestry Land Use and Housing Reduce/Recycle Water Wildfire Volunteers Needed By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team Budgets/Revenue By Peggy Lynch SB 5701 is the omnibus budget bill for 2024. It is currently populated with the items approved during the November and January Legislative Days. Budget requests are being considered by the Co-Chairs and Legislative Leadership now that the Housing and Measure 110 “fix” bills have been funded. The major housing bills were funded at $376 million and HB 5204 , the funding bill for HB 4002 includes about $211 million . The League has a number of requests that you can read about in various sections of this Legislative Report that we hope will “appear” in the final version of SB 5701. There are still opportunities for some policy bills to be considered in the Ways and Means Capital Construction Subcommittee and then on to Full Ways and Means. Capital Construction met on Feb. 28 and March 1 and passed all of the bills considered to the Full Ways and Means Committee which met Feb. 28 , March 1 and has a meeting scheduled on March 4 . HB 5201 and HB 5202 are the bonding bills. The public hearing on Feb. 16 in Ways and Means Capital Construction was instructive of the multiple requests to be considered. Like the budget bill, these bills will reflect changes and possible additions to the 2025 approved bonds. Bonding capacity remains the same: $65.8 million in remaining general obligation bond capacity and $27.4 million in remaining lottery bond capacity for the 2023-25 biennium. SB 5702 will be populated with new or increased fees adopted by state agencies since the 2025 session. HB 5203 may be the “program change bill” to address miscellaneous changes to agency programs. SB 1562 passed the Senate with unanimous support and will have a Public Hearing and Work Session on March 5 th in House Revenue. It raises the cap of money on Oregon’s Rainy Day Fund, allowing Oregon to better prepare for future economic uncertainty. However, this increase reduces the General Fund resources available until the new cap has been met. The Rainy Day Fund was created in the 2007 legislative session based on information from previous economic recessions. Since then, the General Fund revenue has tripled and the state has provided more services to Oregonians. The agency budget process for 2025-27 is beginning. Look for presentations to agency Boards and Commissions soon. Quarterly revenue forecasts will be provided on May 29 and August 28. Then the November 20 th forecast will be the basis of the Governor’s Recommended Budget to be presented on December 1 st Climate By Claudia Keith and Team See the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. T here are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. Coastal Issues By Christine Moffitt/Peggy Lynch HB 4132 , Marine Reserves, passed Full Ways and Means with a General Fund allocation of just under $900 million. It is now scheduled to go to the House floor and then the Senate floor for final votes. The League signed on to a letter in support early in the session. HB 4080 A , providing for funding for the public engagement and staff at the Dept. of Land Conservation and Development and the Bureau of Labor and Industries related to the possibility of offshore wind energy projects off the Oregon South Coast passed Full Ways and Means and is scheduled for a vote first on the House and then Senate floors. T he League provided comments on HB 4080-1 and is pleased with the funding provided. Dept. of State Lands (DSL) By Peggy Lynch DSL has a new website: Oregon.gov/DSL The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is working with DSL to identify In Lieu lands (part of the 1,400 acres of land still owed Oregon on statehood). Click here to view the BLM Proposed Classification Decision , and a public notice that two forestland properties in Linn County that have been identified for some of those In Lieu lands. Learn more . Provide public comment through April 9th . Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) By Peggy Lynch Work is continuing on eventual adoption of a Habitat Conservation Plan and a Forest Management Plan for ESRF. Visit DSL's Elliott webpage to learn more . A recommendation with structural governance may be before the State Land Board on April 9. If approved, look for appointments to the new ESRF Board at their June 11 tth meeting. We hope to see the $4.1 million that had been allocated to the ESRF Authority will be transferred to DSL in the omnibus budget bill. Forestry (ODF) The Board of Forestry will meet March 6 and 7. State Forester Cal Mukumoto has recommended staying the course on the Habitat Conservation Plan per pages 116-118 of the Board packet . There are a number of bills this session around funding wildfire. For information on the various bills, s ee the Wildfire section of this report below. Land Use & Housing By Peggy Lynch SB 1537 , the Governor’s housing bill, and SB 1530 , the Housing Chairs’ housing bill, were amended, passed Ways and Means and the Senate. They await a final vote in the House and then on to the Governor’s desk to be signed. A news release by the Senate President explains the elements of both bills. HB 4134 was amended, also passed Ways and Means and is awaiting a vote on the House floor and then will move to the Senate floor. The League supported HB 4134, and we worked for months with others on SB 1537 and SB 1530. As is usual, land use issues bring out interesting “one-off” bills or amendments. HB 4040 relates to economic development, but the “relating clause” (relating to economic development) provided Sen. David Brock Smith with an opportunity to recommend the A6 amendment to bypass the land use system to permit the expansion of Bandon Dunes golf course. The amendment, although heard, was not adopted. But it is another learning experience to be sure and review amendments filed on bills and watch for the use of a relating clause for items such as this “one off” proposal. We also provided testimony on HB 4026 with the -1 amendment “relating to elections”. The City of North Plains has approved a major Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) expansion. Residents gathered signatures to force a vote on the expansion at the May election. The League is concerned that “ the amendment would take away voters’ rights to the referendum process. Furthermore, changing the constitutional referendum process and making the amendment retroactive are likely to be unconstitutional and invite a lawsuit. “ We understand that legislative Counsel determined that the matter was “administrative” and not subject to referendum. The amended bill has passed the House and awaits action in the Senate. The Citizen Involvement Advisory Committee is recruiting for a new member from Oregon’s Third Congressional District. Applications are due by March 18, 9 a.m. Follow the work of the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis (OHNA) Rulemaking Committee on the department’s Housing Rulemaking webpage . And watch their meetings on the department’s YouTube channel. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. Reduce/Recycle By Camille Freitag The League weighed in again this year on a Right to Repair bill, SB 1596 . We also joined others in support of the bill. The bill passed the Senate Chamber, the House Committee and is awaiting a vote in the House Chamber. DEQ is conducting rulemaking to clarify and implement HB 3220 (2023) , which updates and makes necessary changes to the statewide electronics recycling program, Oregon E-Cycles. DEQ is holding its first meeting for the Oregon E-Cycles Rulemaking Advisory Committee on March 7 at 9 a.m. – noon. To attend this virtual meeting, please pre-register via the Zoom online platform . To learn more about this rulemaking and the advisory committee please visit the Oregon E-Cycles rulemaking web page . The meeting agenda and materials for the sixth Recycling Modernization Act Rulemaking Advisory Committee have been posted on the Recycling 2024 website. The meeting will be held 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., March 14 on Zoom. To attend, please Register via Zoom . DEQ staff will be providing updates about previously presented rule concepts and will be introducing new topics about: defining limited sort facilities, commingled materials and reload facilities, outbound contamination rates and certification for out-of-state commingled recycling processing facilities. Water By Peggy Lynch Proposed new Groundwater Rules are being considered. The Oregon Water Resources Dept. (OWRD) is providing multiple opportunities to engage. OWRD will be hosting informational sessions before each public hearing where staff will review the proposed rules. Public comments will not be accepted at the information sessions but will be accepted at the public hearings following each session . For more context, please see the background information , informational flyer , and Frequently Asked Questions . Many items in the amended HB 4128 were folded into SB 1530, so the bill is dead. However, we are hopeful that the omnibus budget bill, SB 5701, will include an allocation of $3 million to be added to the Water Well Abandonment, Repair and Replacement Fund . The League was engaged in helping create this fund in 2021 and supports this allocation. The League has continued to report on the Lower Umatilla groundwater issue where many domestic wells are contaminated with dangerous levels of nitrates. Some residents have filed a lawsuit to recover damages from some businesses and farms, a source of the nitrates. OWRD anticipates releasing a draft of the updated Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS) for public review and comment starting March 5th. An updated draft is then anticipated to be available for a second public comment opportunity in May. The Oregon Water Resources Commission will hear public testimony and consider adoption of the 2024 IWRS at their September meeting. For more information about this process, please visit the IWRS page on their website. The League hopes members will participate since we were actively engaged in the original legislation and in the first two IWRS documents. We understand that this new draft takes an entirely new slant from the current IWRS. It will be important that the original documents not be invalidated but instead enhanced by this proposal. We all need to pay attention to the potential for harmful algal blooms. “When in doubt, stay out.” V isit the Harmful Algae Bloom website or call the Oregon Public Health Division toll-free information line at 877-290-6767 to learn if an advisory has been issued or lifted for a specific water body. League members may want to check the U. S. Drought Monitor , a map that is updated every Thursday. Governor Kotek has signed drought declarations under ORS 536 for the counties of Crook, Jefferson, Grant, Deschutes, Wasco , Harney, Sherman, Lake, Jackson , Gilliam, Douglas, Lincoln and Morrow counties . Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers Movement continued on some of the wildfire bills the League is following this session, which is now beginning to enter the home stretch. Regarding the remaining funding bills, the House Committee on Revenue held a work session on Representative Marsh/Senator Steiner’s HB 4133-A , on February 26. After expressions of concern from Chair Nathanson and other members about the bill, the committee voted 4 - 2 to send it to Ways and Means. This bill would require a 3/5ths vote to pass because it deals with an increase in the Forest Products Harvest Tax. The Governor has weighed in on this bill, asking Leadership to support it as a first step in reducing wildfire funding complications. There is an expectation of a Budget Note on the bill directing the Dept of Forestry, Oregon State Fire Marshal, “… working in collaboration with the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council and broader stakeholder interests from local fire service entities and others…” to convene a Work Group to provide recommendations for the 2025 legislative session. On February 28, the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue held an Informational Meeting on HB 4133-A and then held a Public Hearing on Senator Golden’s funding bill , SB 1593, where the League provided testimony in support. No future meetings are scheduled for SB 1593. It is dead for the session. On February 26, the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue held a Work Session on HB 1545-A , which relates to property tax breaks on rebuilds of homes destroyed by the 2020 wildfires. The bill, with the -1 Amendment, passed the Senate on March 1. An Informational Meeting was held on February 27 before the House Committee on Revenue on HB 4007-2 where this bill and SB 1520 -2, and their nearly identical provisions, were discussed at length. This one-pager succinctly outlines the details of the most current versions of these bills and their Federal counterpart. SB 1520-2 has passed the Senate and is scheduled for a Public Hearing and Work Session in House Revenue on March 4. OPB provided an explanation of the relief this bill may provide to wildfire victims. At the same meeting, HB 4007-2 will have a Work Session where a number of amendments have been proposed. Discussions were ongoing between interested parties to determine the best path forward. There was a clear determination to get one of these bills passed, which would provide significant tax relief to victims of wildfires who wish to rebuild their homes using monies from a settlement or judgment. The posted amendments on HB 4007 may address different issues related to taxation on these wildfire victims. On February 27, a Public Hearing was held on Representative Marsh’s omnibus wildfire bill, HB 4016-A , before the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire. At a subsequent Work Session on February 29, it was moved to the Floor with a do-pass recommendation. The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) gave an update on progress made on the new draft of the State Wildfire Hazard Map to the House Committee on Climate, Energy and the Environment on February 28. Officials described the enhanced public involvement process required by SB 80 , the 2023 wildfire legislation, as well as a list of modifications to the map to be made based on public input, and a general overview of the science and future intended use of the map. An article in the Oregon Capital Chronicle discusses the soaring premiums and lack of property insurance options for Oregonians in Central, Southern and Eastern Oregon. Finally, in another blow to electric utilities and their liability relating to wildfire damages, this OBP article describes the prospect of possible lawsuits by the Federal Government and Oregon against PacifiCorp, the parent company of Pacific Power. Damages that may be sought include firefighting and cleanup costs, and structure losses, due to the power company’s negligence during the windstorm that led to the devastating Archie Creek and Susan Creek fires of Labor Day, 2020, which damaged thousands of homes. Volunteers Needed What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. V olunteers are needed. The long legislative session begins in January of 2025. Natural Resource Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round and need monitoring. If any area of natural resources is of interest to you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, at peggylynchor@gmail.com . Training will be offered.

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Sine Die - Week of August 11 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch Coastal Issues: Christine Moffitt, Peggy Lynch Columbia River Treaty: Philip Thor Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries: Joan Fryxell Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone Forestry: Josie Koehne Elliott State Research Forest: Peggy Lynch Northwest Energy Coalition: Robin Tokmakian Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: Melanie Moon Oregon Parks and Recreation Department: Jim Buck Oregon Dept. of Transportation: Janice Thompson Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Please see Natural Resources Overview here . Jump to a topic: Agriculture Air Quality Bottle Bill Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ ) Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) Dept. of State Lands Drinking Water Advisory Committee (DWAC) Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) Emergency Services Forestry (ODF) Governance Land Use & Housing Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept. (OPRD) Recycling Regional Solutions State Land Board State Lands/Waterways Taxes Transportation Water Weather Wetlands Wildfire There were 3,467 bills introduced with 704 passed, including agency budget bills. The League had volunteers covering a variety of areas, but never as many as there are issues being discussed! The League did provide testimony on 147 bills . The Governor had until Aug. 8 th to sign passed legislation, let them take effect without signing or vetoing. The Governor provided this news release with her final decisions. She vetoed a couple of bills and provided “signing letters” for 17 bills. Your natural resources volunteers addressed issues around agriculture, wildfire and water, as well as agency budgets. We worked with our coalition partners at the Oregon Conservation Network (OCN) on both policy and budget bills. OCN provides legislators with a “Hot List” of bills OCN groups are following—supporting, opposing or having concerns. A new group, the Oregon Ocean Alliance , provided a coordinated voice for ocean and coastal issues. We are a member of the Oregon Housing Alliance , where the natural resources volunteers follow land use, infrastructure and environmental policies while our Social Policy volunteers follow other housing issues. The League determines our Priorities at the beginning of the session. The Legislative Policy and Research Office (LPRO) provided a 20-page review of Natural Resource legislation for 2025. Below are summaries of the work our volunteers have done this session. But the work continues between sessions as we follow natural resource boards and commissions and follow rulemaking to implement the policies passed during session. You can find their meetings schedules on each agency’s website. The nonpartisan Legislative Revenue Office did a preliminary analysis and determined that Oregon could lose out on roughly $972 million in the two-year budget period that began in July based on various federal tax changes that will flow down to the state. Oregonlive provided a good article of explanation. We now await the Aug. 27 th Revenue Forecast from the State Economist who will also need to consider the effects of tariffs, proposed federal budget cuts and other federal actions as well as state economic news to provide on-going guidance for the legislature. Look for the possibility of more special sessions in the future to rebalance the state budget. AGRICULTURE A lot of proposals were under discussion this session to make changes to, or simply ignore provisions of Oregon’s land use law. More than two dozen bills were introduced with the potential to change what activities are allowed or restricted on farm land in Oregon. No legislation passed this session to change existing uses allowed on high value farm and forest lands in the state. Early in session the League gave testimony in support of two bills and opposed one measure proposing such changes. By mid-March it seemed clear that no other agricultural land-related bills were likely to move this session. SB 788 – proposed to exempt some eastern Oregon counties from existing land use laws governing the use of farm and forest lands for weddings and other events. The League submitted testimony in opposition. SB 77 – to clarify what home based businesses are allowed on farm and forest land. The League presented testimony in support. SB 78 – a comprehensive proposal to specify a maximum size for replacement of a farm dwelling. The League submitted testimony in support. All three of these bills died in the Senate Natural Resources & Wildfire Committee upon adjournment. One result of the plethora of bills proposing changes in use of farm and forest land was encouragement from the governor for interested parties and organizations to identify issues related to businesses and activities allowed on farm land in conjunction with agricultural operations. This led to the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) undertaking Farm Stand Rulemaking to clarify existing administrative rules and potentially surface recommendations for legislative changes to farm and forest land use laws if needed. OAR 660-033-0130: Regarding farm stands in exclusive farm use (EFU) zones and agri-tourism On July 25 th at the request of Governor Tina Kotek the rulemaking process to clarify allowable uses associated with farm stands and related uses on agricultural lands zoned EFU was “ paused ”. The carefully tailored rules process coordinated by DLCD apparently is no match for a social media campaign that resulted in more than 2,000 emails and phone calls flooding the governor’s office. Erroneous facts including statements that the rules on farm stand uses would go into effect on Sept 1 st contributed to the frenzy and flurry of protests. Regardless of the public uproar, the purpose of the rulemaking is to clarify what types of activities are allowed under a farm stand permit in Oregon; to protect farmers and agricultural operations by making it clear when and if a use is allowed, whether or not a permit is needed, and, if so, what type of permit. This rulemaking would only apply to new farm stands and would not affect agritourism and other activities already allowed on farmland. This rulemaking process was initiated in March 2025. DLCD appointed a 20-member Farm Stand Rulemaking Advisory Committee (RAC) . The charge of the RAC was to explore five areas or topics identified by a legislative agritourism work group formed after HB 3133 , expansion of allowable sales and uses related to farmstands on EFU land, failed to move in the 2025 session of the Oregon legislature. (See the 2025 Farm Stand Rulemaking Fact Sheet ) Lively, informative, in-depth discussion from a wide variety of perspectives took place at the RAC meetings covering: 1. Primary Use Test (percentage of income from farm products), 2. Promotional activities outside and inside farm stand structures, 3. Activities that promote the sale of farm products, the farm operation itself, or agriculture (such as on-farm education), 4. Prepared foods with a direct tie to the farm operation or the local agricultural region, and 5. Impact on neighboring farms. The first of five anticipated RAC meetings was held on May 16 th . Four subsequent 3-hour RAC meetings were held in June and July. One final meeting of the RAC was anticipated in August or early September. The online meetings were live-streamed and recorded and may be viewed on the DLCD Youtube channel . The official public hearing on proposed rules was expected to be held at the September 25-26 Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) meeting. The public comment period for this rulemaking originally set to close on October 5th was extended to Nov 5 th 2025 with the expectation that final rule adoption would take place at the December 4-5, 2025 LCDC meeting. It is now unclear what the rulemaking schedule will be since rulemaking has been suspended. DLCD staff described this process as Phase 1 of the Farm Stand Rulemaking. After the conclusion of this rulemaking at the end of 2025, it was expected that DLCD would recommend a work plan for additional phases of Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) changes to address agritourism and other commercial events, use of soils reports, replacement dwellings and non-farm dwellings. Contact Hilary Foote at hilary.foote@dlcd.oregon.gov with any questions about the RAC or the larger project . Rulemaking Webpage AIR QUALITY The League signed on to a letter in opposition to HB 2642 , a bill that seeks to divest the authority to administer vehicle emission testing away from the Department of Environmental Quality, to the private sector. The bill did not pass. Bottle Bill By Sandra U. Bishop SB 992 , the omnibus bill making changes in Oregon’s beverage container deposit and redemption system passed into law and has been signed by the Governor. The new changes will allow modifications in the operation of redemption centers and adjustments to the responsibilities of small and large retail stores to redeem containers. Any changes are expected to make it easier for frequent redeemers (those individuals who redeem containers on a daily or near daily basis) and give some relief to retail stores, especially in the inner-city area of Portland, through the use of Alternative Redemption Centers and implementation of a faster-turnaround accounting system for redeemed containers. Although most changes are applicable only to Portland, some provisions will permeate the bottle bill system statewide. Retailers will be allowed to limit the hours required to redeem: from 8am to 6pm if the business is operating during those hours. A winery may refuse to redeem containers of a type or brand they do not sell. A proposal to include wine bottles in the deposit and redemption system failed. A bill to increase use of reusable beverage containers also failed. Stakeholders are expected to be brought together every three years or so to continue to make suggestions for improvements to the redemption system. As early as next year stakeholders may again review the operation of redemption centers including issues such as drug use and overdose deaths in proximity of redemption centers, land use and public notification issues. The League has always supported the bottle bill and continues to support the most appropriate, effective, and environmentally sound recycling and recovery of beverage container materials. There was a flurry of activity around HB 3940 , a bill to fund wildfire issues, because it originally included a proposal to increase the bottle deposit to provide for that funding. That provision was quickly removed from the bill. (See below under Wildfire for more info on the bill.) BUDGETS/REVENUE By Peggy Lynch Here is the 2025-27 Legislatively Adopted Budget 3-page summary . In between legislative sessions, the Emergency Board (E-Board) can meet when called to expend monies provided to them (See HB 5006 .) The Co-Chairs of the E-Board (Senate President and Speaker of the House) are designated to be able to call a meeting. They will continue to review federal actions. Oregon will likely bring in fewer tax dollars, spend more money on administrative tasks and receive billions less in federal funding. Rep. Gomberg provided some concerning information about the potential loss of federal funding here in Oregon: Thrown into uncertainty was the Oregon Health Plan. State figures show 33.5% of Oregonians are on the state’s Medicaid program. About 14% of Oregon’s annual education budget comes from the federal government, amounting to more than $1 billion each year. And 17,500 preschool children are enrolled in Head Start . A March 28 th press release from Senate President Wagner shared more data on federal losses. Then from bloomberglaw.com : Included in the budget request is a $2.46 billion cut for the EPA’s clean and drinking water state revolving loan funds. The program “has been heavily earmarked by the Congress for projects that are ultimately not repaid into the program and bypass states’ interest and planning,” according to the request. This could mean a 17 percent cut to the clean water programs and a 12 percent cut to DEQ funding. Cuts to NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) will affect Oregon coastal communities per this article in Columbia Insight. Attorney General Dan Rayfield has added a federal litigation tracker to the “Federal Oversight” tab of his website. Check it out here . Each long session the Governor provides a statewide biennial budget (GRB) with individual agency budget requests. Her budget was due by Dec. 1, 2024. For natural resource agency budgets, start on page 141 of the web document. The Governor proposes; the Legislature disposes. It wasn’t long into the new U. S. President’s term when monies from the federal government were being cancelled, making Oregon legislators nervous regarding providing Oregonians important state services. The State Debt Policy Advisory Commission meets annually to provide advice on bonding capacity: The State’s General Fund revenues are forecasted to provide for $8.9 billion of new General Fund debt capacity for the upcoming four biennia, with an average debt capacity of $2.22 billion per Biennium and Lottery bonds were recommended at an average debt capacity of $564 million in each Biennium. The SDPA Commission will meet again before the February 2026 session. The February 2025 forecast reduced the December forecast by $500 million. The Joint Committee On Ways and Means took action on March 14 on five bills to rebalance the 2023-25 budget. Then Oregon’s Joint Ways and Means Co-Chairs introduced their 2025-2027 Biennium Budget Framework on March 19th. The federal “Big Beautiful Bill” (HR 1) will cut money from Medicaid and SNAP. Oregon legislators began worrying about how Oregon was going to continue to help Oregonians with healthcare and food insufficiency. The May 14 Forecast Summary noted that available resources were down $755.7 million. The muted outlook also affects non-General Fund revenues such as the Corporate Activity Tax, Lottery and Marijuana Taxes. Corporate Activity Tax revenues in 2025-27 have declined $44.4 million from the previous forecast. Lottery earnings are revised downward by $36.7 million due mostly to weaker-than-expected Video Lottery sales. Marijuana tax revenues are also adjusted modestly, down $7.6 million from Q1. The slide presentation . A personal "kicker" of $1,639.1 million is projected for 2025. Corporate tax revenue of $915.9 million is projected to be dedicated to K-12 education. The final calculation will be announced in November 2025. Planning for 2026: The co-chairs left unspent about 22% of general obligation bond capacity and 15% of lottery revenue bonds, which theoretically leaves some flexibility for lawmakers to make investments in next year’s short session. Agency Budgets The League’s Natural Resource Team provided testimony on many of the 14 natural resource agency budgets. To learn more about their content, look for the LFO Recommendation posted for each budget. More info is listed below under each agency. Following are the budget bills we watched in Natural Resources. Go to each bill’s “Overview” and select “Analysis” to find the Budget Report: Dept. of Agriculture: SB 5502 Dept. of Agriculture Fees: SB 5503 . At the end of session, the request for an information technology project, OneODA, to modernize IT agencywide and migrate from Apple to Microsoft was also funded. Highlights of DEQ’s Legislatively Approved Budget include: Restoration of Water Quality positions that would have been eliminated due to shortfalls of federal funds. These positions will now be funded through the General Fund. Protection against cuts to currently filled General Fund positions. Authorization of essential fee increases in the Air Contaminant Discharge, Greenhouse Gas Reporting, and Water Quality programs. Creation of new positions, using existing funds, in the Cleaner Air Oregon, Materials Management, Water Quality Grants, and Fuel Tank Seismic Stability programs. Establishment of an additional Environmental Law Specialist position for the Office of Compliance and Enforcement. Creation of three additional positions for the Climate Protection Program, focused on developing new regulations to prevent emissions leakage from energy-intensive and trade-exposed industries. Oregon Dept. of Energy: SB 5518 and Oregon Dept. of Energy Fees: SB 5519 Meeting Materials . The good news is that the Oregon Climate Action Commission is being provided with one fulltime permanent staffer. Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: HB 5009 ( LFO Recommendation ). HB 2977 would have increased the Transient Lodging Tax (TLT) that is collected at lodging establishments, from 1.5% to 2.75% total. (See TAXES below.) The bill passed the House floor, but did not make it out of the Senate. A 1.25% increase in the TLT: Revenue Impact Statement Provides the list of uses for the income: Fiscal Impact Statement . Of interest was the conversation around future legislator actions that might change or add to the use of this new revenue. We expect this bill to return in 2026 or 2027. Oregon Dept. of Forestry: SB 5521 . The Governor signed the budget bill but also shared a signing letter to clarify the distribution of the monies allocated to the Private Forest Accord and the link to the pending Habitat Conservation Plan. LFO Recommendation . HB 2072 , Harvest Tax LFO Recommendation . HB 3940 increased the Harvest Tax and provided additional resources to the agency. Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI): HB 5010 LFO Recommendation . Meeting materials LWVOR testimony LWVOR support ed SB 836 , a bill that significantly increases permit fees for mining related activities. Here is the LFO Recommendation for SB 836. Dept. of Land Conservation and Development: SB 5528 LWVOR testimony . LFO Recommendation Land Use Board of Appeals : SB 5529 LWVOR testimony , that included: We are pleased that the Governor included this work as POP 500 in the LUBA budget. This budget request was one of the recommendations of the Governor’s Housing Production Advisory Committee that received almost unanimous approval. We hope this Committee will also approve. The Governor signed, but also sent a signing letter to Legislative Leadership since the budget did NOT include the money for the IT modernization so needed by this agency. Oregon State Parks and Recreation Dept.: HB 5026 Meeting Materials LWVOR testimony in part to address comments by the Legislative Fiscal Office. LFO Recommendation . The Legislative Fiscal Office notes : During the November 2024 meeting of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission, the Department provided an update outlining concerns for the long-term sustainability of OPRD’s operational funding. The Department asserted that the largest known challenge for the 2025-27 biennium is addressing the gap between projected operational revenues and anticipated expenditures. Throughout this biennium as well as the next, OPRD’s operational budget is dependent on an existing beginning balance. This means the current level of expenditures, given projected revenues, is unsustainable for the long-term. While the dedicated programs remain sustainable, operational expenditures are outpacing Lottery Funds and non-dedicated Other Funds revenues used to support agency. The League will engage with these budget issues before the 2027 legislative session. Dept. of State Lands: SB 5539 LWVOR testimony in support. The agency asked for $10 million General Funds as, hopefully, final bridge financing to continue to stand up the Elliott State Research Forest, hire staff and work toward self-funding in the future. Also, $10 million in Common School Funds (CSF) was authorized to be transferred to the Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries for a Carbon Sequestration pilot with the intent that such a project will reap financial rewards to the CSF as well as help Oregon address climate change. LFO Recommendation Water Resources Dept.: SB 5543 LWVOR testimony . And the fee bills: support HB 2808 and support HB 2803 OWRD Budget Summary . Although the Governor signed these bills, she provided a signing letter for both SB 5543 and HB 2803: HB 2803 and SB 5543 Signing Letter .pdf Download PDF • 953KB Recognizing the resource constraints, however, I am directing the agency to work with my staff to prioritize its efforts in a manner that is achievable and most likely to advance the State's water management goals to meet in-stream and out-of-stream needs . Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board : HB 5039 . LWVOR testimony . LFO Recommendation See page 8 of this recent Director's Report for a copy of the Legislatively Adopted Budget (LAB). Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board 6-Year Limitation: HB 5040 LFO Recommendation Limits expenditures of lottery funds from the Watershed Conservation Grant Fund for local grant expenditures by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board for a six-year period beginning July 1, 2025. Dept. of Transportation: SB 5541 LFO Recommendation The budget assumes passage of a transportation funding bill that generates sufficient revenue to support restoration of a majority of the ODOT’s Operations and Maintenance positions that would otherwise be eliminated due to the State Highway Fund revenue shortfall. HB 2025 , the comprehensive Transportation ReInvestment Package (TRIP) did not pass so 483 ODOT positions and some programs were announced as cuts on July 7—with last work date of July 31. With the special session on Aug. 29, the Governor asked that the last date be extended to Sept. 15 in case new funding is agreed to. The League signed on to a letter in support of increased transit funding in HB 2025. Legislative Administration Committee, Legislative Assembly, Legislative Counsel Committee, Legislative Fiscal Officer, Legislative Revenue Officer, Commission on Indian Services and Legislative Policy and Research Committee: HB 5016 LFO Recommendation Legislators provided testimony on their need for increased staffing and support for the departments mentioned above. Staff provided testimony on their need for fulltime employment and a work/life balance. A number of staff are only hired for the legislative sessions. The workload for our “citizen legislature” has increased tremendously—not only dealing with bills during session, but constituent services year-round. Among the changes funded are increased security due to full opening of the Capitol building in 2026, replacement/upgrades of the OLIS and 3 new legislative analysis and research positions to reflect increased workload. There is also money to contract for a review of salaries and number of staff needed by legislators. Sen. McLane supported an amendment to increase staff that did not pass. There was a discussion and assumption that having more information by the February session will help in any staffing increase change decisions. Lottery Bonds: SB 5531 : Lottery Revenue continues to be heavily dependent on video gaming, which is reliant on access to bars, restaurants and gaming facilities and showing signs of weakness vs expectations. Projected Lottery Revenue provides $2.25 billion of new Lottery Revenue debt capacity for the upcoming four Biennia, with an average debt capacity of $564 million in each Biennium over the forecast period. The Staff Measure Summary provides a complete list of projects. The amendment provides clarity on how the bonds should be spent. The League supported two of the requests: $160 million for preservation of rental housing and $25 million to preserve manufactured housing and $100 million Housing Infrastructure Fund in Section 14. There were over $2 billion in requests for a variety of projects around Oregon with only $442.7 million of net lottery bond proceeds authorized to be spent on 45 projects. General Obligation Bonds, etc.: SB 5505 : an average debt capacity of $2.22 billion per Biennium. Budget Report SB 5505 , with the -2 amendment , allocated bonding authority to the list of projects to be funded by these bonds. Six-Year Limitation/Bonds: SB 5506 is a bill that limits for the six-year period beginning July 1, 2025, payment of expenses from fees, moneys or other revenues, including Miscellaneous Receipts, but excluding lottery funds and federal funds, collected or received by various state agencies for capital construction. Budget Report . Senate Bill 5530 is a revenue allocation bill which directs funding levels for specific purposes as outlined in Oregon statute. The budget report, with more detailed information, can be found here . Emergency Board: HB 5006 , with the -1 amendment was populated with an amount for the Emergency Board to spend at will and amounts in Special Purpose Appropriations (SPAs) if needed when the legislature is not in session as well as a long list of other expenditures. There were also a few Budget Notes directing agencies to report back to the legislature on the legislature’s directions related to spending and other actions directed by the legislature. HB 5006 is the end-of-session (Christmas Tree) bill. Budget Report CLIMATE By Claudia Keith and Team See the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. There are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. COASTAL ISSUES By LWV Coos County Volunteers & Peggy Lynch The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay received funds from several bills to support the proposed Pacific Coast Intermodal Port (PCIP) project. The project plans include deepening and widening the Federal navigation channel, construction of a container shipping terminal on the North Spit of Coos Bay, and the rehabilitation of the 130-mile class 3 rail line from Coos Bay to Eugene. HB 5006 , the end of session “Christmas tree” bill, included authorization to issue $100 million of general obligation bonds for the Coos Bay Channel Modification project. The accompanying SB 5505 outlined specific requirements to be met before bonds could be issued. Listed were completion of the environmental impact statement for the project and the issuance of the final record of decision through the National Environmental Policy Act. Additionally, it requires that the Port, or a private entity engaged in a public- private partnership with the port, to have received a US Department of Transportation Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loan through the Build America Bureau for at least $1 billion, or to have secured equivalent levels of alternative funding through other federal grants or loans. HB 5006 also includes an additional $20 million in the Oregon Business Development Department budget for the port to support the federal navigation channel modification project. (This is the last of the funds that were authorized in 2007 to be deposited in the Coos Bay Channel Fund established by section 15, chapter 746, Oregon Laws 2007. Initially this money was for dredging but in 2024, HB 5201, revised language to the allowable use of lottery bond funds set in place by section 15, chapter 746, of Oregon Laws 2007. This change in language allows funds to be used for the design, engineering, permitting, and land acquisition efforts related to the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port.) Finally, HB 5024 appropriated $5 million of general funds to the Oregon Business Development Department for the Coos Bay federal navigation modifications. SB 5531 provided funds for port development and established a new Container Port Improvement Fund for the purpose of providing grants for capital improvement projects to ensure that Oregon ports can continue to provide container service. $20 million of lottery bonds will be deposited in this fund for Portland’s Terminal 6 project and, potentially, other Ports along the Columbia River, with the stipulation that the Port of Portland has executed an agreement with an entity to operate the terminal. SB 5531 also authorizes the State Treasurer to issue lottery bonds, not to exceed $32.7 million, to fund Oregon’s share of the Columbia River channel deepening project. This includes a limit of $750,000 for the associated studies and ecosystem restoration projects. Since the session, the electrical supply to the railroad swing bridge over the bay into North Bend was severed recently. When the bridge was inspected, the railroad inspector found significant other safety issues and has said it cannot reopen until it is upgraded to its “original operating condition. At the July port commission meeting the railroad supervisor estimated needing $5-10 million to make this happen. KVAL news story The port has this on their web site. The port’s railroad operations are well over budget. They anticipated an average of 650 car loads/month for 2025 and are nowhere near that. The April 2025 year to date general fund shortfall for port operations is $452,000. The Port has $22 million in outstanding debt, with $1.4 million in debt payments anticipated for FY2025/26. The principal payment for the Terminal One property, (the old Georgia Pacific mill site in upper Coos Bay) is estimated at $530,000–$550,000 and has been deferred to FY 2026/27 per discussions with Business Oregon. The port did not get funds in the past session for dredging the entrance to the Charleston boat basin which is in an unsafe state. SB 361 was slated to provide funds for many Oregon ports to use for dredging. It did not pass. The US Army Corps of Engineers will dredge their portion of the entrance channel (currently happening) but the port has requested a $350,000 loan from Business Oregon’s Port Revolving Fund to pay for dredging their portion of the channel. (The loan had not been finalized at the July port commission meeting). The port is currently working on a new strategic business plan, required by the State. Business Oregon gave them $50,000 to do this. They contracted with a firm in Idaho, Points Consulting, who has been interviewing “key stake holders”. The fee for this work is $73,000. They are holding a noon “town hall” meeting on August 20. The Coos Bay League team requested a meeting and will meet with them on that morning. Neither HB 3580 eelgrass stabilization LWVOR signed letter of support nor HB 3587A Protection of Rocky Habitat LWVOR signed letter of support ( fiscal impact statement ) were funded this session. To help these bills get funded, LWVOR sent an Action Alert . The Governor has vetoed SB 1047 , a bill that would have required Curry County and the Water Resources Department to expedite review of applications for use on specified lands. See veto letter here. Oregon’s offshore wind energy areas are being pulled by the federal government per this article by OPB: “While the decision by BOEM to rescind the two Oregon Wind Energy Areas they identified last year takes the process for offshore wind development back a step, it does not preclude offshore wind indefinitely,” Although Wednesday’s action (July 30) by the Trump administration means there are no federally designated areas where offshore wind development would be allowed, the roadmap is set to be completed by mid-2026. The League signed on to a letter of support for HB 3963 , a bill that extends the timeline for the Dept. of Land Conservation and Development to provide a report on offshore wind conversations from 2025 to 2027. The League signed on to testimony in support. DLCD has a website on this project. OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT The Oregon Coastal Management Program (OCMP), housed within the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD), is hosting a series of virtual workshops to engage communities in the development of management plans for eight newly designated rocky habitats. These plans, informed by coastal communities, will provide a framework to support activities within the designated sites. The sites are located near Cannon Beach, Tillamook, Depoe Bay, Bandon, and Port Orford. To learn more, go to the Rocky Habitat Meetings Page . In February at the Dept. of Land Development and Conservation budget hearing, we asked for funding for a staffer to continue to address rocky habitat, an element of the Territorial Sea Plan which the League has supported. Ocean Policy Advisory Council Meeting, October 29: The OPAC will meet for a virtual meeting of the Council. Meeting information will be made available via the Oregon Ocean Information website closer to the meeting date. Contact: Andy.Lanier@dlcd.oregon.gov DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (DEQ) By Peggy Lynch SB 1154 was filed by the Governor to address potential groundwater/nitrate issues in Oregon. This Oregon Capital Chronicle article helps explain the controversy. The bill does NOT deal with the Morrow/Umatilla Groundwater Management Area (LUBGWNA). This article shares the frustration with the weakness some see in the bill because of lack of clear enforcement mechanisms. The Governor announced signing of this bill and its importance to Oregonians , while also providing a signing letter to clarify the relationship between SB 1154 and the LUBGWMA. The League support ed SB 830 , a bill that modifies provisions of the on-site septic system loan program to allow for grants. It also allows for the program to consider mobile home parks in need of septic upgrades. The bill has been signed by the Governor. The League participated in rulemaking related to onsite septic issues. Staff briefed the Environmental Quality Commission at their July 11 meeting: Onsite Wastewater Management Program 2025 Rulemaking . Adoption is expected at their September meeting. See the Onsite Wastewater Management Program 2025 Rulemaking webpage for details. The League served on an annual rulemaking advisory committee on water quality fee increases. The committee forwarded their recommendation for the allowed annual 3% fee increase to the DEQ Director, who approved the fee increase on July 22nd. You can view the rulemaking web page at: Water Quality Fees 2025 . DEPT. OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES (DOGAMI) By Joan Fryxell The League provided testimony on the DOGAMI budget, including support for the Geologic Carbon Sequestration Pilot. On Jan. 28th, the House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment received a presentation on the proposed pilot project on Geologic Carbon Sequestration Potential in Oregon. Follow up materials were provided. The Dept. of State Lands budget ( SB 5539 ) included up to $10 million to be transferred to DOGAMI to begin work on a project in NE Oregon on carbon sequestration. The hope is that it will be on Common School Fund lands and will provide a return on investment over time. The League provided testimony in support of SB 836 , a bill that would significantly increase permit fees for mining related activities. See the agency’s presentation to understand the reasons for these increases. The Governor signed the bill into law. The League continues to follow the Calico Resources proposed Grassy Mountain gold mine near Vale in Malheur County. The Trump Administration listed the Grassy Mountain Gold Mine Project . The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for part of the permitting. Per an article by OPB: The U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced Friday that the public can provide input on the project’s environmental impact statement on the agency’s website (click the green ‘Participate Now’ button) until Sept. 8. DEPT. OF STATE LANDS By Peggy Lynch The Director of DSL published a proposed increase in permit fees for Removal/Fill program: “ Oregon’s Removal-Fill Law helps protect wetlands and waters by requiring permits to remove or add materials in wetlands, rivers, streams, lakes, and other waters of the state .” A League member served on the rulemaking advisory committee . The new fees may go into effect Jan. 1. DRINKING WATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DWAC) By Sandra U. Bishop The League has a standing seat on DWAC . July 16 – Salem in-person & via Zoom; approx. 24 people attended. New Member: Craig Harper from the Network of Oregon Watershed Councils is now filling the Watershed Council position on the committee that has been vacant for some time. He is from Medford and sits on the Rogue River Water Council. Background: Oregon Drinking Water Services (DWS) administers and enforces drinking water quality standards for public water systems in the state of Oregon. There are approximately 2,500 federally regulated Public Water Systems (PWS) in Oregon, and approximately 800 state regulated systems. PWSs in the state range in size from large municipal systems like Portland Water Bureau or Eugene Water & Electric Board to very small systems with 4 to 14 connections. The Drinking Water Advisory Committee (DWAC) is a statutory advisory committee of technical, industry and public interest members meeting quarterly with Oregon Health Authority DWS staff for reviews and updates on water quality and compliance issues, public access to timely information and other issues related to the safety of public water systems in Oregon. Points of discussion: Changes at the federal level will result in less funding for water quality, including source water protection. State funding is expected to stay stable for the time being. Three to five years from now no one knows. Regulatory requirements are also changing. PFAS chemical monitoring is ongoing. Federal rules are expected to be finalized at the end of the year. It is expected that the 2027 date for initial monitoring of entry points to water distribution systems will be retained. PFAS detection is rare in Oregon water systems and is closely monitored. Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) are required to be sent to consumers in any PWS serving over 10,000 people. Changes need to be incorporated to adopt changes made to federal CCR requirements. A CCR is required to be sent to consumers twice a year for large systems. These are the reports on water quality and any violations or threats to drinking water that utilities send to customers. Deep drawdowns of Lookout Point and Green Peter dams in 2023 and 2024 created water quality issues for PWSs. There are concerns with the extreme turbidity and potential disruption to PWS function. DWS staff reported that a process is underway to revise the halt criteria. DWS staff is making recommendations to the Corp. Deep drawdowns of reservoirs in the Willamette Valley hydro system are expected to continue for flood control and under court order since 2023 to improve fish passage of spring Chinook and winter steelhead. Interactive GIS Maps for water system and source water protection have been improved. These maps are available to the public as well as water system operators. One of the main purposes of the maps is to show Oregon Drinking Water Advisories (any advisory for risk to consumers). The interactive maps also show boundaries for Oregon Public Water Systems with automatic wildfire updates showing proximity of fire and evacuation areas. These exciting and useful new maps are maintained by the Oregon DEQ’s Drinking Water Protection group and may be accessed via the DWS website . The next DWAC meeting will be in October 2025. ELLIOTT STATE RESEARCH FOREST (ESRF) SB 147 clarifies that the management of the ESRF is now in the hands of the Dept. of State Lands and sets up a separate fund account for monies received to manage the forest. LFO budget recommendation for SB 147. ESRF website On May 28, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a Record of Decision and the issuance of an Endangered Species Act incidental take permit for the HCP for the next 80 years. The Elliott State Research Forest Board of Directors met virtually July 9. Click here to download the meeting agenda and materials . EMERGENCY SERVICES By Rebecca Gladstone HB 2581 : The League spoke and filed testimony in support of a statute change, substituting the word “seismic” with “hazards”, to coordinate coverage efforts through the State Resiliency Officer. The bill has been signed by the Governor. FORESTRY By Josie Koehne HB 3103 would have required the State Forester to manage and set harvest levels for cutting timber on state forestland at least every 10 years, after conducting a timber inventory. The State Forester would have required funding to carry out these duties. Testimony in opposition voiced concerns about anyone being able to sue ODF for failure to meet timber harvest levels and that timber harvest levels trumped all the other values state forests provide Oregonians. The bill died in Ways and Means. The League provided testimony in opposition. Comments of Climate Change and Carbon Plan Implementation testimony on Jan.4, 2025 HB 2072 Harvest Tax Comments on Feb. 3 2025 HB 3489 Timber Severance Tax with Referral Request on April 21, 2025 HB 3489-1 The timber tax bill we advocated for died in committee after a public hearing on April 24th, 2025 SB 1051 transfers the authority to appoint a State Forester from the State Board of Forestry to the Governor, subject to Senate confirmation. GOVERNANCE HB 3569 , a bill that would require a Chief Sponsor (legislator) of a bill to be a part of a rules advisory committee (RAC) for legislation they had a hand in passing was signed by the Governor; however she also issued a signing letter that addressed some of the issues of concern to the League. The League provided testimony with our concerns and opposition to the bill. We provided testimony in opposition to HB 2692 , a bill that would create complicated and cumbersome processes for agencies to implement legislation with their rulemaking procedures. The bill did not pass. The Governor has provided Rulemaking Guidance to state agencies. See also the Governance section of this Legislative Report. LAND USE & HOUSING By Peggy Lynch On July 1, the new Housing Accountability and Production Office (HAPO) officially opened to assist local governments and developers to meet housing production goals, per this press release . “ The office will bolster Oregon’s housing production by creating a more predictable regulatory environment for builders and supporting local governments in meeting their housing goals, ” says Governor Kotek. Their website . The Governor has announced signing of a number of housing bills, some of which are listed below: HB 2138 , the Governor’s follow up on middle housing bill, has been signed by the Governor. LFO Recommendation The League engaged on elements of this bill over the summer but chose to stay silent due to some of the provisions in the bill. HB 2258 is a bill that authorizes the Land Conservation and Development Commission to adopt rules requiring local governments to approve certain land use applications for residential developments using building plans preapproved by the Department of Consumer and Business Services . LFO Recommendation HB 3013 : Details the process by which a permit or zone change that is based on provisions of a comprehensive plan or land use regulation that fail to gain acknowledgment is voided and any resulting improvements or uses are removed or revoked. LWVOR support ed with -1 amendment. The bill did not pass. Infrastructure We also supported Business Oregon’s Infrastructure bill ( Governor’s news release ), HB 3031 A where we were hoping for $100 million in the new Housing Infrastructure Project Fund. SB 5531 includes authorization for $10 million in lottery bond proceeds for deposit into the fund. HB 5006 includes $1.2 million Lottery Funds for program administration and $1 dollar in Other Funds expenditure limitation for expenditures from the fund, with a budget note directing the Oregon Business Development Dept. to report to the Ways and Means Committee during the February 2026 legislative session on program implementation and project recommendations. From Rep. Gomberg: In their annual infrastructure report, the American Society of Engineers (ASCE) details $10.1 billion in total drinking water needs, $8.2 billion in total wastewater needs, 28% of roads are in poor or fair condition, and 170 high-hazard dams. ( ASCE Report Card ) The League provided testimony in support of HB 3939 , a bill that would have provided a list of infrastructure projects to fund for smaller Oregon cities so they can build more housing. Although this bill did not pass, some of the projects listed were funded in HB 5006 or SB 5531. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. OREGON DEPT. OF FISH AND WILDLIFE (ODFW) By Melanie Moon The League provided comments to ODFW on their update of Oregon’s State Wildlife Action Plan. ODFW SWAP LWVOR Comments.docx .pdf Download PDF • 84KB ODFW will incorporate public comments and submit a final draft SWAP to the Fish and Wildlife Commission for review and approval at their August 15 meeting in Salem. These documents present updated information for all sections of Oregon’s State Wildlife Action Plan. Website: https://dfw.state.or.us/SWAP-Revision/ Although the Governor signed HB 3932 , a bill that prohibits 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. she provided a signing letter of concern related to the role of Oregon’s Boards and Commissions with a caution to the legislature about these disparate roles. OREGON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPT. (OPRD) OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT The League encourages you to participate in a survey to provide input on the potential 2027 budget shortfall for this agency. The Central Oregon Daily provides this article . OREGON WATERSHED ENHANCEMENT BOARD (OWEB) (Lucie La Bonte): Director's Report for the July 22-23 OWEB meeting. This information includes a report on the 2025-27 budget. RECYCLING On Feb. 21, the Dept. of Environmental Quality announced approval of the Producer Responsibility Organization program plan and advanced the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act. The Act was supported by the League which sees this as a major advancement to addressing plastic pollution in Oregon. Expanded options are coming July 1. RECYCLING TIPS Here is a DEQ flyer to help consumers make recycling decisions Update: The Act is being sued by wholesalers per this article in the Oregon Capital Chronicle. Look for additional information as the lawsuit moves forward. REGIONAL SOLUTIONS OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT The Regional Solutions Program : Within each of the 11 Regions, which are tied to Oregon’s federally designated Economic Development Districts, a Governor-appointed Advisory Committee sets Regional Priorities and a cross-functional Team of state agency staff works together to move projects forward. Regional Coordinators, who are embedded in their communities and represent the Governor in the field, work with Advisory Committees and Teams to ensure effective state government support to local partners and serve as a conduit between the Governor and local communities . If you know anyone who may benefit from these publications, please direct them to this signup page . The public is welcome to attend virtually or in person. Go to the program website and to the region to find the agendas and meeting materials posted a few days before the meetings. Public Comment is usually scheduled. The League supported the 2014 legislation that formally adopted this program—first started as a Governor’s program many years before. Upcoming Regional Solutions Advisory Committee (RSAC) Meetings: • Central (Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties) August 15, 12-2pm • South-Valley/Mid-Coast (Benton, Lane, Lincoln, and Linn Counties) September 17, 1-3pm • Southern (Jackson and Josephine Counties) September 17, 1-3pm • South Coast (Coos, Curry, and Douglas Counties) September 19, 1-3pm • Northeast (Baker, Union, and Wallowa Counties) September 23, 2-4pm • Greater Eastern (Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla, and Wheeler Counties) September 25, 1-3pm • Mid-Valley (Marion, Polk, and Yamhill Counties) October 9, 1:30-3:30pm (Aug. 14 th mtg. was cancelled.) STATE LAND BOARD By Peggy Lynch The State Land Board appointed Kaitlin Lovell of Colton, Ore. as the Oregon Department of State Lands Director during a special 30-minute virtual meeting on July 9 th . Per this Oregon Capital Chronicle article: A scientist and lawyer, Lovell has led habitat protection and restoration efforts for the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services since 2007. Her work includes oversight of environmental regulation, permitting, and land use. Recent focus has included developing a publicly owned and managed mitigation bank in Portland and establishing a financing strategy for critical environmental projects. The Board will also consider appointing Deputy Director Bill Ryan as interim director and setting a bond amount for the position, as required by statute. Appointment confirmed by the Land Board. The new Director is now traveling around the state to learn about issues for which the department has responsibility. She traveled to Corvallis last week and will be at the coast next week. STATE LANDS/WATERWAYS OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT Comment Opportunity: Leases, Licenses, and Registrations on Oregon-owned Waterways: The Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) is seeking comments on proposed changes to administrative rules (OAR 141-082) to achieve sustainable operations in managing waterway authorizations for marinas, ports, docks, floating homes, and more, as well as implement best management practices to protect the health and safety of waterways. The comment period is open from July 1 - August 15, 2025 (closes at 5 p.m. Pacific). Here is the public notice with details of the changes. TAXES There were a number of bills considered related to the Transient Lodging Tax (TLT). Current data . The Oregon Dept. of Revenue did a 2025 comprehensive report for the legislators. Currently, at least 65% of the tax must be spent on tourism. HB 3962 with the -2 amendment would have allowed (not required) local governments to use more of the income for infrastructure and public safety. Conservationists, with HB 2977 and amendments would add a % for conservation programs, anti-poaching efforts, the Wolf Compensation Fund and invasive species control. That additional money would have gone to a special Fund at the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. Neither bill passed but we expect to see them again in 2026 or 2027. TRANSPORTATION The Governor has called a special session of the legislature to address funding shortfalls at the Oregon Dept. of Transportation (ODOT) and counties and cities (fund share is 50/30/20) Per this Oregonlive article . Because it raised taxes, HB 2025 needed a 3/5 majority to pass—18 of 30 Senators, 36 of 60 Representatives. Governor’s August 7 transportation funding proposal . Two perspectives on ODOT funding from July 27 Oregonlive editorials: Rep. Christine Drazan and Rep. Susan McLain Since the proposed 2025 Transportation Plan did not pass, it is unclear if this political action committee “No Gas Hikes’ per this OPB article will also object to whatever might be passed in the special session. “ Bills passed by Oregon lawmakers can be referred to voters if organizers collect enough valid signatures within 90 days of the Legislature adjourning. This year, a referendum would require at least 78,115 signatures, equal to 4% of the people who cast a ballot in the 2022 gubernatorial election.” HB 2025 was the comprehensive Transportation ReInvestment Package (TRIP) assigned to the Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment . The League signed on to a letter in support of increased transit funding. The Oregon Capital Chronicle provided a view of the fate of the bill. The bill was sent back to committee where the A28 amendment was adopted. The Statesman Journal provided an article . The bill did not have the votes to pass so the Governor tried one last bill to at least try to provide money only to ODOT. (HB 2025 would have shared the revenue: 50% to ODOT, 30% to counties and 20% to cities for transportation expenses.) It did not receive a favorable reception and the bill died. The Governor then authorized a reduction of ODOT staff as of July 7, effective July 31. (ODOT currently has about 4,700 employees.) To be clear, local governments may also be cutting transportation and transit staff due to the failure to pass a comprehensive bill. WATER By Peggy Lynch The League provided our first natural resources area testimony in support of HB 2168 on Jan. 22 nd at the House Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water Committee. The bill requested $5 million for the on-site septic loan program, another $5 million for the Well Water Repair and Replacement Fund and monies to help the Oregon State Extension Service reach out to potential recipients. Although the bill died in Ways and Means, we did see $1 million added to the Well Fund in the end of session bill. SB 830 , that the League also supported , allows for grants in the on-site septic program and extent the opportunities to low-income mobile home parks with failing septic systems. This bill has been signed by the Governor. HB 2803 : Increases certain fees related to water. LWVOR supported. The bill was amended and reduced the fee increase. It was needed to provide current service level staffing at WRD. (See the Governor’s signing letter on this and the WRD budget bill, SB 5543 above.) LWV Deschutes County submitted a letter in support of SB 427 , a water rights transfer bill meant to protect instream water flows. SB 1153 , an alternate bill provided with help from the Governor’s office, had months of work group sessions among the various interests, but, in the end, the bill did not pass . From the July 9 th article of the Capital Press, Governor Kotek is looking to continue to work on this issue: Despite the failure of the bill getting done this session, we do need to stay on this topic. We have to manage our water differently. We have to identify ways to update our water rights transfer process,” she said during a recent roundtable interview. HB 3106 is the Oregon Water Data Portal funding bill for which the League provided testimony in support. The pilot portal is accessible here. The bill did not pass, but the project continues. The League has been engaged for many years around the issue of exempt wells—their allowed water use and lack of measurement of that water, in particular those domestic wells that are allowed to use up to 5,000 gallons of water for personal use and can be used by three dwellings, so the usage can be up to 15,000 gallons! (The average city water user is under 100 gallons/day.) The League provided testimony in support of HB 3372 to study this issue. However, it turns out the bill was yet another of the water bills that were amended and was NOT a study bill. The amendment significantly changed the bill to allow 3,000 gallons of water to be used for commercial gardens. We asked that our testimony be removed from OLIS since it did not reflect the original bill. We learned to wait until after a public hearing to understand the true purpose of water bills this session before providing testimony. HB 3525 is related to tenants’ right to well water testing. The League submitted testimony in support. The bill was amended multiple times and passed. At least we have a beginning policy related to testing of domestic wells on rental properties. The Senate Rules Committee adopted a B 11 amendment that addresses a conflict with SB 1154 , a bill that updates Oregon groundwater regulations by strengthening and modernizing the state’s Groundwater Quality Protection Act . The Governor announced signing of both these bills and their importance to Oregonians. HB 3526 would require well water test reporting in property sales. The League supported this concept in past sessions and did again this session but it did not pass. The Governor added “water” as her environmental priority this session as reported in this Oregon Capital Chronicle article.: “ Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and her natural resources adviser Geoff Huntington consider water quality and availability a top priority this legislative session .” “ Huntington said the governor’s office will back a package of bills that gives state agencies more statutory authority to manage water allocations and regulations in Oregon. The Co-Chairs of the House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water worked on a broad package of water-related bills. There is a Water Caucus raising the awareness of the need to address Oregon’s water needs. Oregon's Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS) provides a statewide inter-agency framework for better understanding and meeting Oregon's instream and out-of-stream water needs. Here is the IWRS website . Groundwater issues continue to be a focus in Oregon as much of our surface water is already allocated. This article by ProPublica shares the worldwide concerns regarding our over pumping of groundwater. As the federal government continues to “downsize”, we understand that EPA's Region 10 (located in Washington state, but also serving Oregon) staff is or will soon be down to 60 from 100 employees. SUMMER PREPARATION TIPS League members may want to check the U. S. Drought Monitor , a map that is updated every Thursday. Over 56% of Oregon is in moderate drought (D1), nearly 23% is in severe drought (D2), a small portion of northeastern Oregon is in extreme drought (D3), and the rest of the state is experiencing abnormally dry conditions. Governor Kotek has declared a drought in Baker ( Executive Order 25-12 ), Lincoln ( Executive Order 25-13 ) and Douglas, Morrow, and Union counties through Executive Order 25-18 ( here ) . Here is a more complete website about drought in Oregon. We all need to pay attention to the potential for harmful algal blooms (HABs). “When in doubt, stay out.” Visit the Harmful Algae Bloom website or call the Oregon Public Health Division toll-free information line at 877-290-6767 to learn if an advisory has been issued or lifted for a specific water body. Information on current advisories can be found on the OHA’s cyanobacteria bloom webpage at healthoregon.org/hab . The OHA has an online photo gallery to help community members identify signs of potentially harmful blooms. As the summer heats up, be aware of the signs of potentially deadly HABs to your pets as well as humans. WEATHER OregonLive reports a weaker Polar Vortex and more extreme weather according to Extreme Weather Europe, a website that tracks weather patterns around the globe. A weaker polar vortex would mean more snowfall and cold winter days than with a stronger polar vortex. Here’s another long range climate prediction . WETLANDS The League testified in opposition to SB 511 , a perennial salmon tax credit bill that would create a new program to allow private property owners to get a tax credit for salmon habitat on their property if allowed to be used by a developer to destroy wetlands in another area of Coos and Curry County. The bill did not pass. The League participated in a rulemaking on Removal-Fill Program Fees. Proposed rules may take effect Jan. 1, 2026. WILDFIRE By Carolyn Mayers The 2025 Long Session was like Groundhog Day for wildfire funding once again. In spite of much political wrangling and high hopes for meaningful progress, the session ended, yet again, with no long-term solution to the wildfire funding crisis. This, in spite of a Herculean effort by the Governor’s Wildfire Funding Workgroup, which offered 6 potential avenues to provide durable, equitable and feasible funding for this increasingly perilous situation. More about this Workgroup, which came to be known as the “Fire 35”, may be found here . In the face of what is predicted to be another extremely difficult wildfire season, it feels like a “Doomsday Clock” is ticking ever closer to midnight on our state when it comes to addressing wildfire. HB 3940 , the one wildfire funding bill that DID pass, ended up consisting of a tax on some oral nicotine products and using 20% of the interest on the Rainy Day Fund for wildfire mitigation, as well as other components per this article . This bill went through MANY iterations before Legislators landed on this idea. This article by OPB shares the limited funding from HB 3940 : there’s still no dedicated funding to fight large fires like the Cram Fire, which has burned nearly 100,000 acres in Central Oregon. For further details, see this report . Additional funds were provided for various wildfire related assistance in the Christmas tree bill, HB 5006, including: $24 million for ODF wildfire severity in a Special Purpose Appropriation (SPA) to be approved to spend by the Emergency Board on an as-needed basis. There was also $150 million in a SPA for natural disasters. Additionally, ODF received General Fund $20,019,831 as part of their agency budget ( SB 5521 ). The Oregon State Fire Marshal received General Fund $13,014 as part of their agency budget ( SB 5538 ). Other bills passed: SB 1051 , which transfers the power to appoint the State Forester to the Governor from the Board of Forestry. The introduction of this bill came after Cal Mukumoto, the former State Forester, resigned under mounting pressure at the beginning of the session. SB 85 , another bright spot in the session, which directs the State Fire Marshal to establish a neighborhood protection cooperative grant program. Also, the Department of Consumer and Business Services and the Department of the State Fire Marshal, in consultation with the State Forestry Department and the insurance industry, will evaluate and develop recommendations for community-based wildfire risk mitigation to reduce wildfire risks and increase insurance affordability and availability. SB 83 , which repeals the State Wildfire Hazard Map and accompanying statutes related to it. The back-and-forth saga of the ever-unpopular Wildfire Risk/Hazard map, is now over. It appears that immeasurable resources were wasted leading toward this long, involved, failed effort that yielded exactly … seemingly nothing, except ill-will. SB 75 , which removes the wildfire hazard map (since it was repealed) as a guide for allowing ADUs and requiring higher building codes in rural areas. SB 454 , which requires the Department of the State Fire Marshal to create an advisory committee to advise the department on funding options for rural fire protection districts (RFPDs), instructs the committee to develop funding recommendations based on the review and report to the Legislature by December 31, 2026. HB 3349 , which provides Rural Fire Protection Association and equipment funding. SB 494 , which requires the Oregon Department of Administrative Services to study classification and compensation for forestry and wildland fire positions in state government. SB 860 , which allows the State Fire Marshal and an agency to take actions for fire protection and makes changes related to the Governor's Fire Service Policy Council. SB 861 , which includes grant funds, reimbursements, and moneys received from judgements and settlements as funds in the State Fire Marshal Mobilization Fund. Did not pass: HB 3984 A , regarding requiring certain public electric companies to pay any Federal taxes owed by recipients of settlements resulting from wildfires which were alleged to be caused by the utility. In addition, a study would be undertaken by the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to determine what other steps could be taken by utilities to ensure the safety of customers. The -10 amendment was adopted, and the bill passed the House but did not have time to go through the Senate. HB 3666 would have required the PUC to establish standards for wildfire mitigation actions and an accompanying certification for electric utilities in an attempt to standardize their approach. It did not advance. As expected, with the movement of HB 3940 as mentioned above, the following bills did not advance: SB 1177 would have established the Oregon Wildfire Mitigation and Adaptation Fund and redirect the “kicker” to it, one- time, for financing wildfire related expenses, by using the interest earned. A 5% return would have yielded approximately $170-180 million per year, or just over half of the aforementioned projected ongoing costs to fund wildfire mitigation and suppression. (The Governor had expressed interest in using only the amount of kicker that would go to large income earners for wildfire costs.) SJR 11 would have dedicated a fixed, to-be-determined percentage of net proceeds of the State Lottery to a wildfire fund created by the Legislature. Its passage would have meant an amendment to the Oregon Constitution, which would have to go to voters for approval. HB 3489 would have imposed a severance tax on owners of timber harvested from public or private forestland, had a Public Hearing April 24 before House Revenue, where it remains. The League has supported a severance tax in past sessions and provided testimony at the hearing. An update on the devastation of the Rowena Fire in the Gorge near the Dalles: According to an early OSFM report, Wasco County lost 56 homes (mostly manufactured homes with some stick built), 91 outbuildings, 18 vehicles, and 11 RVs. There were further damaged structures. Wasco County Emergency Management estimates that up to 50 percent of lost homes were un/underinsured, citing difficulties in insuring manufactured dwellings. At least two community water systems were impacted by the fire and at least one community septic system – in addition to many individual septic systems. The Governor’s Wildfire Programs Advisory Council (WPAC) met July 18. This article in the Oregon Capital Chronicle shares potential changes in the U.S. Forest Service offices where the Portland-based office may close. Oregonians have concerns about both the relocation and potential staffing cuts. Volunteers Needed What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. Volunteers are needed. The long legislative session begins in January of 2025. Natural Resource Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round and need monitoring. If any area of natural resources is of interest to you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, at peggylynchor@gmail.com . Training will be offered. Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Revenue , Governance , and Social Policy report sections.

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 4/21 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch Coastal Issues: Christine Moffitt, Peggy Lynch Columbia River Treaty: Philip Thor Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries: Joan Fryxell Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone Forestry: Josie Koehne Elliott State Research Forest: Peggy Lynch Northwest Energy Coalition: Robin Tokmakian Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: Melanie Moon Oregon Parks and Recreation Department: Jim Buck Oregon Dept. of Transportation: Janice Thompson Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Please see Natural Resources Overview here . Jump to a topic: Air Quality Agriculture Bottle Bill Update Budgets/Revenue Climate Columbia River Gorge Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) Emergency Services Forestry (ODF) Governance Land Use & Housing Oregon Parks and Rec. Dept. Water Wetlands Wildfire AIR QUALITY SB 726 A requires the owner or operator of a municipal solid waste landfill to conduct surface emissions monitoring and report data as specified in the Act. LWVOR supports. The bill has been referred to the House Committee On Climate, Energy, and Environment AGRICULTURE By Sandra Bishop HJR 22 Would amend the Oregon Constitution to create a County Review Board made up of one representative from each of the 36 counties in Oregon. The County Review Board would meet after every legislative session for the purpose of reviewing all legislative proposals related to land use, natural resources or forestry that passed during the session. If 20 of the 36 county representatives disapproved of a proposal that the legislature had passed that proposal would be null and void. Essentially giving the County Review Board veto power over legislation that passed the scrutiny of the full legislature. The board would be prohibited from reviewing legislative proposals about the budget or taxes and taxation. Introduced on April 15th the bill is was assigned to the Rules Committee. If the bill goes to hearing it is likely that the League would oppose it because of our positions on statewide land use planning. SB 1129 -A requires the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) to amend rules on urban reserves, clarifying which lands should be given a lower priority. The -1 amendment was adopted. The bill passed the Senate on April 17th and is on the Speakers’ desk awaiting assignment to a House committee. The Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) meeting on March 20th included a public hearing on rulemaking for solar siting in eastern Oregon. The rules are required to implement HB 3409 (2023 session), specifically to reduce conflicts in siting solar projects. The rules will be considered for adoption by July 1st, 2025. The public comment period has been extended to April 30. Proposed rule amendments to the Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) Chapter 660 divisions 4, 6, 23, and 33, pertaining to Goal Exceptions, Forest Lands, Goal 5, and Agricultural Lands. Submit comments to: denise.johnson@dlcd.oregon.gov gordon.howard@dlcd.oregon.gov jon.jinings@dlcd.oregon.gov adam.tate@dlcd.oregon.gov BOTTLE BILL UPDATE By Sandra Bishop SB 992 is the omnibus bottle bill. The -3 amendment replaced the original bill, was adopted and the bill passed the Senate 28/1/1 and is on the Speakers’ desk waiting to be assigned to a House committee. This bill is Portland-centric and contains various changes to the bottle redemption centers in Portland to address problems and make it easier for those who return and redeem beverage containers on a daily or near daily basis. It also contains a provision that would allow a winery to refuse to redeem containers of a type or brand they do not sell. The League has not taken a position on the specific changes proposed in SB 992, but has always supported the bottle bill and continues to support the most appropriate, effective, and environmentally sound recycling and recovery of beverage container materials. BUDGETS/REVENUE By Peggy Lynch Following are the budget bills we are watching in Natural Resources: Dept. of Agriculture: SB 5502 Info mtgs. March 24 and 25 with public hearing March 26. Meeting Materials Of critical importance is their request for a new IT system—ONE ODA--one of the many IT bonding requests this session. Dept. of Agriculture Fees: SB 5503 Info mtgs. March 24 and 25 with public hearing March 26. Columbia River Gorge Commission: SB 5508 Info mtg. and public hearing March 13. An KGW article explains a potential funding issue since both Oregon and Washington must provide equal funding for the Commission. April 27 is a critical decision date at the Washington legislature. Dept. of Environmental Quality: SB 5520 . Governor’s budget DEQ Fact Sheet Meeting Materials . info mtgs. April 7-9, public hearing April 16. League testimony Oregon Dept. of Energy: SB 5518 info hearing 2/10, Meeting Materials , public hearing 2/11 Oregon Dept. of Energy Fees: SB 5519 info hearing 2/10, public hearing 2/11 Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: HB 5009 , public hearings Mar. 31 & Apr. 1-2; Meeting Materials , Apr. 3 ODFW Hatchery Assessment; See also the April 15 informational meeting on the Private Forest Accord and Aquatic and Invasive Species. Oregon Dept. of Forestry: SB 5521 . info hearing March 10 & 11. Public hearing March 12. Meeting Materials ; See the April 15 informational meeting on the Private Forest Accord. (See the Forestry and Wildfire sections for more information.) Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries: HB 5010 Public hearing Feb. 5-6; Meeting materials LWVOR testimony Aggregate industry testified against the staffing and fee increases. LWVOR points out that KPM #4 , mine inspections has consistently NOT met the small 20% target so, if staffing is needed to meet that target AND fees increased to pay for them, we will continue to support. LWVOR supports SB 836 , a bill that would significantly increase permit fees for mining related activities. See the agency’s presentation to understand the reasons for these increases. On March 25 the bill was moved to Senate Rules without recommendation. A performance audit was prepared. The League awaits the results. The League will continue to be involved in SB 836 because we need DOGAMI staff to do more than 14% inspections of mining operations. Dept. of Land Conservation and Development: SB 5528 Governor’s budget DLCD Fact Sheet Public hearing Feb. 3-4; LCDC 1/24 presentation ; Meeting Materials LWVOR testimony Land Use Board of Appeals: SB 5529 Public hearing Feb. 27 LWVOR testimony . SB 817 is a bill to request a minor fee increase. It has passed the Senate. A public hearing is set on April 23 in the House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water . Oregon State Marine Board: HB 5021 Public hearing Feb. 17 Meeting Materials See also the April 15 informational meeting on Aquatic and Invasive Species. Oregon State Parks and Recreation Dept.: HB 5026 info hearings March 3-4, public hearing March 5. Meeting Materials LWVOR testimony in part to address comments by the Legislative Fiscal Office. Dept. of State Lands: SB 5539 Info hearing March 17. public hearing March 19. Meeting Materials . LWVOR testimony in support. The Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources will have an informational meeting on the Elliott State Research Forest on April 22 . Water Resources Dept.: SB 5543 Governor’s budget WRD Fact Sheet Here is a summary of the Governor’s budget. Governor's Budget and Agency Request Budget documents are available online here . Info Mtg. & Public hearing Feb. 18-20. Meeting Materials . LWVOR testimony . And the fee bills: support HB 2808 (Bill moved to Ways and Means) and support HB 2803 (The - 3 amendment was adopted, reducing the fees significantly which will cause the department a revenue shortfall should the amendment stand the scrutiny of Ways and Means where it now lies.) Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: HB 5039 . Info mtg. & P ublic hearing Feb. 25-27 LWVOR testimony . Meeting Materials Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board 6-Year Limitation: HB 5040 (Limits expenditures of lottery funds from the Watershed Conservation Grant Fund for local grant expenditures by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board for a six-year period beginning July 1, 2025.) Info mtg. & P ublic hearing Feb. 25-26 Oregon Business Development Dept.: HB 5024 Info mtgs. 3/12, 13 & 17. Public Hearing 3/18. Additional informational meetings: Held April 7 and Scheduled April 22. Oregon Dept. of Emergency Management: SB 5517 info hearing 4/7&8. Public hearing 4/09; Office of the Governor: SB 5523 Oregon State Fire Marshal: SB 5538 info hearing 2/19, public hearing 2/20. Dept. of Transportation: SB 5541 info hearing 3/03-6, public hearing 3/11. Here is an article from oregonlive reporting on the potential 2025 transportation package with proposed revenue sources. The League signed on to a letter in support of increased transit funding. Dept. of Administrative Services: HB 5002 info hearings 3/03-5, public hearing 3/06. Meeting Materials Legislative Administration Committee, Legislative Assembly, Legislative Counsel Committee, Legislative Fiscal Officer, Legislative Revenue Officer, Commission on Indian Services and Legislative Policy and Research Committee: HB 5016 Lottery Bonds: SB 5531 : an average debt capacity of $564 million in each Biennium. Public hearing May 2. Emergency Board: HB 5006 This bill will be to vehicle to accept testimony from the public during six community meetings around the state ending April 25 on the public’s priorities for the 2025-27 budget. It will be populated with an amount for the Emergency Board to spend at will and amounts in Special Purpose Appropriations if needed when the legislature is not in session. General Obligation Bonds, etc.: SB 5505 : an average debt capacity of $2.22 billion per Biennium. Public hearing held April 18. Second public hearing, this time on university and community college requests, will be held May 2. Six-Year Limitation/Bonds: SB 5506 (Limits for the six-year period beginning July 1, 2025, payment of expenses from fees, moneys or other revenues, including Miscellaneous Receipts, but excluding lottery funds and federal funds, collected or received by various state agencies for capital construction.) CLIMATE By Claudia Keith and Team See the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. T here are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE COMMISSION The League has been a supporter of the Commission since its inception. League members have served on the Commission. A shared responsibility between the states of Washington and Oregon, this year a Washington House of Representatives member is considering defunding the Commission. Funding must be equal between the two states. This KGW article explains the issue. April 27 is a critical decision date at the Washington legislature. DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (DEQ) By Peggy Lynch The League supports SB 830 , a bill that m odifies provisions of the on-site septic system loan program to allow for grants. It also allows for the program to consider mobile home parks in need of septic upgrades. The bill p assed the full Senate unanimously. A public hearing was held April 17 in the House Committee On Climate, Energy, and Environment . The League then shared with each committee member our testimony in support of HB 2168 , a bill that would fund this grant and loan program. Here is the Onsite Wastewater Management Program 2025 Rulemaking webpage . Because of the League’s work on SB 391 (2021) and additional bills in 2023, a League member served on the rules advisory committee to address sewer availability and accessory dwelling unit (ADU) issues. On Feb. 26 the advisory committee approved the Fiscal Impact Statement. A public comment period is expected in May. You are welcome to Sign up for email updates about this rulemaking via GovDelivery . The League again served on an annual rulemaking advisory committee on water quality fee increases. A meeting was held on Feb. 25th where the committee agreed to forward their recommendation for the allowed annual 3% fee increase to the DEQ Director. To learn more about this rulemaking and the advisory committee you can view the rulemaking web page at: Water Quality Fees 2025 . ELLIOTT STATE RESEARCH FOREST (ESRF) SB 147 clarifies the management of the ESRF into the hands of the Dept. of State Lands and sets up a separate fund account for monies received to manage the forest. The - 3 amendment was adopted and the bill was sent to Ways and Means. The Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources will have an informational meeting on the ESRF on April 22 . EMERGENCY SERVICES By Rebecca Gladstone The League spoke and filed testimony on HB 2581 in support of a statute change, substituting the word “seismic” with “hazards”, to coordinate coverage efforts through the State Resiliency Officer. The bill passed in the Senate, 27 for, one against, two excused and the bill now goes to the Governor for her signature. FORESTRY (ODF) By Josie Koehne The League provided testimony in support of HB 3489 , a timber severance tax bill that would help fund ODF, provide funding for wildfires and monies that would go to counties where timber is harvested. A public hearing is scheduled for April 24. The Board of Forestry April 23rd mtg. agenda is focused on a process for selecting a new State Forester. The Board wants to address their current role as appointee. However, they are aware of the Governor’s bill in the legislature. The League will continue to follow SB 1051 , assigned to the Senate Rules Committee which transfers the authority to appoint a State Forester from the State Board of Forestry to the Governor. A public hearing was held March 24. Because the bill is in Senate Rules, there is no current deadline for action on the bill. See also the Wildfire section of this report below and the separate Climate section. GOVERNANCE The League continues to follow the bills listed on the March 17 agenda of the Senate Committee On Rules since some of the bills relate to the process of rulemaking. After legislation is passed, agencies are required to implement those laws. That action often requires rulemaking to clarify the details around that implementation. But the League is concerned when legislators “get a second bite at the apple” by relitigating the legislation when rulemaking is only meant to implement, not change policies or facilitate an agency’s mission. Separately, the League was invited to a conversation among state agency rules staff on addressing concerns of the Governor and in an attempt to standardize the process statewide. The Governor has provided Rulemaking Guidance to state agencies : This document includes questions received from agencies since the Governor’s letter. This document includes additional resources for agencies including direction to post updates to the Transparency site, a website template that agencies can use (if they choose) to develop their pages, and links to other comprehensive agency rule making sites to review. There is a broader discussion to increase transparency and consistency in the state agencies’ rulemaking process. A second meeting related to the state agency rules process is set for June with an invitation to the League to continue to participate. We continue to watch a series of bills related to rulemaking which we might oppose: HB 2255 , HB 2303 , HB 2402 and HB 2427 . We are also concerned with HB 3382 , since the requirements of the Secretary of State to gather ALL the state agencies’ rulemaking, including all materials would be overwhelming. Individual state agencies provide that information on their rulemaking websites. We may sign on to a letter explaining our concerns to legislative leadership. Because the League is often engaged in rulemaking, we regularly comment on legislation that would affect changes in Oregon’s current Administrative Rules. We have provided testimony in opposition to HB 2692 , a bill that would create complicated and burdensome processes for agencies to implement legislation with their rulemaking procedures . LAND USE & HOUSING By Sandra Bishop/Peggy Lynch HB 2647 passed out of committee with the -3 amendment to allow the city of Monmouth a land swap to remove and replace land to its Urban Growth Boundary. It now heads to the House floor for a vote. HB 3921 is a similar bill in that it would allow by law land swaps for City of Roseburg/Douglas County per this preliminary staff analysis . The bill passed out of committee and heads to the House floor for a vote. The League provided testimony in support of HB 3939 , a bill that provides a list of infrastructure projects to fund for smaller Oregon cities so they can build more housing. We have also supported HB 3031 A (already sitting in Ways and Means) but know there might be limited dollars this session so called out that link in our letter. The -1 amendment to HB 3939 was adopted and the bill moved to Ways and Means. HB 2316 : Allows designation of Home Start Lands to be used for housing. These lands are currently a variety of state-owned lands scattered around the state. The -4 amendment was adopted and the bill was sent to Revenue with a subsequent referral to Ways and Means. HB 2316 -4 frees up approximately 3,500 acres of state land of which can now be used for housing production, all within the urban growth boundaries. It provides revenue to the state from the sale of the land, and it also provides revenue to our cities because the land becomes taxable for property taxes five years after purchase. HB 3757 is having an “informational meeting” on April 21st in the House Committee On Housing and Homelessness . The bill is, we believe, dead, but there must have been some interest by the committee to learn more about the proposal to allow four additional housing units on rural lands. This could be a precursor for a bill to be considered in the 2026 session. See also the Agriculture section above and the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. OREGON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPT. OPRD is working on a Land Disposition Policy, which they have never really had. This started out as a means to “reducing expenses,” but is turning into something much better, a properly worded policy document that hopefully gives OPRD another tool without encouraging giveaways. It is meant to be a part of, and to mirror, the existing policy on acquisitions. The Parks Commission is adopting the new policy at their meeting April 23rd. Comments to : matt.rippee@oregon.gov WATER By Peggy Lynch Oregon's Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS) provides a statewide inter-agency framework for better understanding and meeting Oregon's instream and out-of-stream water needs. Oregon's Water Resources Commission adopted the first IWRS in 2012 and the second in 2017. A League member served on the Policy Advisory Group for each. Oregon Revised Statute (536.220) was updated in 2023 to requires that the IWRS is updated every 8 years.  Draft 2 is now available for Public Review and Comment. Please submit your written comments to WRD_DL_waterstrategy@water.oregon.gov on or before May 7, 2025 . The State released Draft 1 of the 2024 IWRS in March 2024. Draft 2, now called the 2025 IWRS, incorporates input from public comment and includes the addition of state agency action priorities. These priorities were identified by leadership from six agencies in collaboration with the Governor’s Office: The Department of Agriculture, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Land Conservation and Development, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and the Water Resources Department. Here is the IWRS website . Bills we are following: Water Rights Process Improvements ( HB 3342 ) . A - 4 amendment was adopted and the bill now goes to the House floor for a vote. Harney Basin Groundwater Management ( HB 3800 ). A work session was held and the bill was sent to House Rules without recommendation as to passage. Water Rights and Public Interest ( HB 3501 ) A work session was held and the bill was referred to House Rules without recommendation as to passage on a 6 to 3 vote. HB 3525 is related to tenants’ right to well water testing. The League submitted testimony in support. The -6 amendment was adopted and the bill was moved to House Rules without recommendation for further discussion. HB 3364 makes changes to the grants programs at the Water Resources Dept. The - 4 amendment was adopted. The bill passed the House floor and awaits scheduling in the Senate. LWV Deschutes County submitted a letter in support of SB 427 , a water rights transfer bill meant to protect instream water flows. Possible work session scheduled for April 8. SB 1153 , an alternate bill provided with help from the Governor’s office, may have more of a chance of passage. It had a public hearing on March 25 with a work session April 8. These bills were moved to Senate Rules without recommendation as to passage to allow for further conversation. SB 1154 was amended by the -1 amendment and sent to Senate Rules without recommendation as to passage in a 4 to 1 vote. An article in the Oregon Capital Chronicle explains the bill and its controversy. League members may want to check the U. S. Drought Monitor , a map that is updated every Thursday. Here is a more complete website about drought in Oregon. The good news is currently Oregon is NOT in drought! However, the latest long-term forecast is for a hot (90 deg) May and a hot (100 deg) June! We all need to pay attention to the potential for harmful algal blooms. “When in doubt, stay out.” Visit the Harmful Algae Bloom website or call the Oregon Public Health Division toll-free information line at 877-290-6767 to learn if an advisory has been issued or lifted for a specific water body. As the weather gets warmer and more people and animals visit Oregon’s water bodies, it is important to watch for potentially deadly algal blooms. WETLANDS A new Rulemaking Advisory Committee has been formed related to Permitting and Mitigation in Oregon's Wetlands and Waters. WILDFIRE By Carolyn Mayers Below is the status of a variety of wildfire bills. OPB provides a look at the formerly urgent wildfire funding proposals that now are taking a back seat with other funding needs rising to the top. SB 1177 is before the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue. This bill would establish the Oregon Wildfire Mitigation and Adaptation Fund and redirect the “kicker” to it, one- time, for financing wildfire related expenses, by using the interest earned. A 5% return would yield approximately $170-180 million per year, about half of what is expected to be the average ongoing cost per year of funding wildfire mitigation. SJR 11 is also before the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue and would dedicate a fixed, to-be-determined percentage of net proceeds of the State Lottery to a wildfire fund created by the Legislature. Its passage would mean an amendment to the Oregon Constitution, which would have to go to the voters for approval. HB 3666 had a Work Session before the House Committee on Judiciary. This bill would establish wildfire mitigation actions and an accompanying certification for electric utilities in an attempt to standardize their approach. It was referred to the Rules Committee. SB 83 would, once again, repeal the State Wildfire Hazard map. This would result in many changes to current statutes, since references to the map would have to be removed, and would have far reaching consequences including establishing standards for building codes and defensible space which can be adopted by municipalities, changing the definition and mapping of the wildland urban interface, and many other areas. The -9 Amendment was adopted and the bill was sent to the floor with a do-pass recommendation. This article from The Statesman Journal offers further insights. SB 85 , with the -2 Amendment adopted, passed the Senate and now goes to the House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment. This bill directs the State Fire Marshal to establish a neighborhood protection cooperative grant program to help communities collectively reduce their wildfire risk. The League supports this bill as an extension of the work done in previous sessions. HB 3940 , the omnibus wildfire funding bill, passed out of committee after adopting the -1 amendment without recommendation as to passage and was referred to House Revenue by prior reference. SB 75 A , which defines “high wildfire hazard area for purposes of developing an accessory dwelling unit on lands zoned rural residential, or a replacement building on lands zoned for resource uses, has been assigned to the House Committee On Climate, Energy, and Environment HB 3489 Imposes a severance tax on owners of timber harvested from public or private forestland. The Legislative Revenue Office will begin its hearing April 24th by providing a staff report on the legislation. The League has supported a severance tax in past sessions and plans to provide testimony on April 24th . Bills we are watching: Senate Bill 1051 , Governor Kotek is seeking the authority to choose the next State Forester. The Board of Forestry will begin the recruitment process at its April 23rd Board meeting. SB 926 would prohibit the recovery of certain costs and expenses from customers that an electric company incurs as a result of allegations of a wildfire resulting from the negligence or fault on the part of the electric company. The -3 amendment was adopted and the bill in a 4-2 vote was passed to the Senate floor. Volunteers Needed What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. Volunteers are needed. The long legislative session begins in January of 2025. Natural Resource Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round and need monitoring. If any area of natural resources is of interest to you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, at peggylynchor@gmail.com . Training will be offered. Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Revenue , Governance , and Social Policy report sections.

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 2/27 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone Artificial Intelligence: Lindsey Washburn Campaign Finance Reform: Norman Turrill Conflicts of Interest/Legislative Ethics: Chris Cobey CEI - Critical Energy Infrastructure : Nikki Mandell and Laura Rogers Cybersecurity Privacy, Election Issues, Electronic Portal Advisory Board: Becky Gladstone Election Systems: Barbara Klein Emergency Preparedness: Cate Arnold Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum: Claudia Keith Redistricting: Norman Turrill, Chris Cobey State Audit Working Group: Sheila Golden Voting Rights of Incarcerated People: Marge Easley Campaign Finance Redistricting Cybersecurity Campaign Finance House Speaker Rayfield submitted a new bill at the request of Governor Kotek on campaign contribution limits, HB 3455 . Analysis has shown that this bill is very similar to Rayfield’s previous bill, HB 2003 , and bills from previous sessions, with the same gaping loopholes for special interest groups. The League will likely oppose this bill when and if it gets a hearing. Redistricting House Rules held a public hearing on 2/27 on HB 3261 about prison gerrymandering by Rep. Holvey. The bill directs the Department of Corrections to determine the last-known address of prisoners, if an address is readily known or available, and submit that information to the Secretary of State. The Secretary would then adjust population data reported in the federal decennial census to reflect the residence status of prisoners before incarceration. This data is then used for redistricting and other purposes. This is important because prisoners are currently counted in the census at their prison location, not their homes. This greatly distorts the population of some districts, thus distorting the representation of voters in those districts. Several other states have completed this reform, and the League is generally in favor of this bill. Cybersecurity and Public Records By Rebecca Gladstone Bills progress here after comprehensive introduction, now facing amendment or support negotiations in Joint Ways and Means (JW&M). Watch for budget bills and others to appear shortly. HB 2049-2 : This amended cybersecurity omnibus bill had a fifth and final committee hearing followed immediately by unanimous Do Pass recommendation to JW&M. Chair Nathanson noted that cyber-attack and warfare threats are real, not theoretical, citing Oregon special district and city attacks in the last month, and over 800 data breaches registered with the Oregon Dept. of Justice. Chair Woods calls this one of the most important bills we’re looking to pass this session; it will touch every area. We all know the seriousness, if we don’t pay attention. The League supports. Here is our testimony . SB 417 : We worked to ensure access for serious stakeholders in a task force that met last week to discuss concerns and negotiate to recommend amending this bill. The League supports and urged for this task force in a public hearing, our testimony . VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. Worthy causes go unaddressed for lack of League volunteers. If you see a need and can offer your expertise, please contact our staff at lwvor@lwvor.org .

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 5/1 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone Artificial Intelligence: Lindsey Washburn Campaign Finance Reform: Norman Turrill Conflicts of Interest/Legislative Ethics: Chris Cobey CEI - Critical Energy Infrastructure : Nikki Mandell and Laura Rogers Cybersecurity Privacy, Election Issues, Electronic Portal Advisory Board: Becky Gladstone Election Systems: Barbara Klein Emergency Preparedness: Cate Arnold Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum: Claudia Keith Redistricting: Norman Turrill, Chris Cobey State Audit Working Group: Sheila Golden Voting Rights of Incarcerated People: Marge Easley Jump to a topic: Walkouts, Resignation, and Bills Waiting Rights of Incarcerated People Walkouts, Resignation, and Bills Waiting By Rebecca Gladstone Republican Senators walked out (press ), citing bill summary readability; see the Flesch Kincaid Calculator . The walkout prevents a required quorum and delays progress for divisive gun safety and healthcare bills. It could provide litigation grounds against Measure 113 ( press ), a constitutional amendment voters passed last fall by a wide majority to prevent legislative work halts from walkouts. League election bill positions are not affected by the SoS resignation. Here’s a status update on bills we’re watching: HB 5032 Enrolled : We supported this Public Records Advocate funding bill ( our testimony ). Work sessions scheduled: HB 2490 work session was rescheduled for May 9 in Senate committee for this cybersecurity vulnerability bill. The League urges for maximum protection of public health, safety, and the environment. Defense of our critical infrastructures is at stake ( our testimony ). Still awaiting work sessions: The May 5 agenda posting deadline for second chamber committee work sessions does not apply to bills followed here, since most are in Rules and Joint committees. SB 11 : This access and transparency bill has strong bipartisan support, requiring virtual public state meetings to record and promptly publicize recordings. We will look for data retention rules. SB 417 : This public records bill is important to the League for timely access to candidate filing information for Vote411.org and for concerns of excessive elections records requests ( press ). We have attended the Task Force since March 7, now focused on agencies bearing the burden of proof for defending staff review assignments, for choosing the most cost-effective staff records review before public release. The bill aims for the lowest records delivery cost by the lowest salaried employee. High-level legal review is necessary for 90% of requested records. Staff could redact basic data like SSNs and birth dates. But experienced attorneys could quickly include those in a single review with complex issues that could help avert much more expensive appellate litigation referrals. See our testimony , predating this work. SB 166 : We hope the scheduling delay, referred to House Rules March 7, implies amending to address privacy and harassment concerns. See our testimony and previous extensive reports. SB 167 : See League testimony in support of this elections bill to replace candidate filing software, add efficiency improvements, address some privacy and cybersecurity issues, with efficiency tweaks. SJM 6 : This DC statehood action has not moved since the April 13 unanimous referral from the Senate floor on April 13. Taxation without representation is a fundamental democratic value we support. SB 614 : We’re watching this police body cam, personal data retention / disclosure bill, after passing the Senate, 18 to 10, on not entirely partisan votes. See details, April 17 LR. Awaiting further scheduling (mostly W&Ms): HB 2049 A : This cybersecurity omnibus bill was referred to W&Ms March 3 with unanimous do pass recommendation. The League strongly supports in previous reports ( our testimony ). HB 2052 relates to SB 619 and was referred JW&Ms on Feb 13. We support the AG’s data broker registry bill ( League testimony ). HB 2806 A : This bill passed unanimously May 2 with a Do Pass to update statute for open meetings, public safety and cybersecurity. It awaits transfer to the Senate President’s desk. See our testimony . HB 3127 A : An April 27 work session for this “TikTok bill” awaits transfer to the Senate President’s desk, with a Do Pass recommendation. SB 619 : Sent to W&Ms April 12, with Do pass with amendments by prior reference. LWVOR strongly supports this AG’s consumer privacy bill ( our testimony ), now with a coalition letter. SB 510 : This SB 417 companion funding bill passed unanimously to W&Ms on May 1 without recommendation, to improve efficiency, cost estimates and budgeting, and sustainable funding for the PRAC. See our testimony in support . SB 1073 A : Referred to W&Ms April 10, to establish a state Chief Privacy Officer (CPO). See our supportive testimony including related bills and the hearing video , details in previous reports. Rights of Incarcerated People By Marge Easley A House floor vote on SB 529 was scheduled to take place on May 4. The bill, a priority bill of the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC), acknowledges that addiction is a chronic disease affecting many incarcerated individuals and creates more comprehensive drug treatment programs in correctional institutions. Another DOC priority this session is a close examination of the use of segregated housing units in Oregon’s correctional facilities. There will be a Senate Judiciary work session on May 8 for HB 2345 A , which mandates the establishment of a publicly accessible data dashboard detailing race, age, misconduct status, duration in the unit, level of misconduct causing a return to the unit, and the allowable amount of time outside of a cell. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. Worthy causes go unaddressed for lack of League volunteers. If you see a need and can offer your expertise, please contact our staff at lwvor@lwvor.org .

OLIVIA HAN (she/her) OLIVIA HAN (she/her) Youth Vote Strategist Olivia is a junior at Sunset High School in Beaverton, Oregon. She is part of the International Internship Program for Advocacy through Leadership Initiatives, she is the Youth Voter Strategist for the League of Women Voters Youth Council Oregon, she was a two time international conference qualifier for her school’s Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), received a Scholastic Arts and Writing silver key award for poetry and photography, is a published poet, has a blog about systemic injustice, wrote a published research paper about art and political discourse, is in the Carnegie Institute youth scholar program, and is Education Co-Lead on the National Student Advisory Council for Work2BeWell (Providence Healthcare). She is excited to see what junior year will bring her and is especially excited to participate in the IB Diploma Program. Outside of her academic pursuits, Olivia is an avid supporter of voter education and awareness, she strives to elevate others and express the importance of voting. She has written numerous speeches, papers, and studies about voter suppression in the United States and hopes to one day create steps towards equality in voting. This is Olivia’s first year participating in LWVOR Youth Council, and she has her eye on making civic participation a smoother experience for everyone. Through leading workshops and registering young voters, she hopes to make her community (and the world) a better place. She is excited to advocate for voters across Oregon as a member of the LWVOR Youth Council and can be contacted at youthoutreach@lwvor.org . youthoutreach@lwvor.org

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 6/12 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch Coastal Issues: Christine Moffitt, Peggy Lynch Columbia River Treaty: Philip Thor Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries: Joan Fryxell Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone Forestry: Josie Koehne Elliott State Research Forest: Peggy Lynch Northwest Energy Coalition: Robin Tokmakian Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: Melanie Moon Oregon Parks and Recreation Department: Jim Buck Oregon Dept. of Transportation: Janice Thompson Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Jump to a topic: Air Quality Budgets Coastal Issues Elliott State Research Forest Hanford Nuclear Site Land Use/Housing Recycling Toxics Water Wildfire By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team *Action Needed: Please contact your State Senator and Representative to encourage them to support these Bills * These bills are in Ways and Means: HB 3229 - Would increase federal air quality (Title V) operating permit program fees that have not been increased for many years. HB 2903 A - Funding to continue work on marine reserves. HB 3207 A - Related to domestic well testing and data collection. SB 426 A - (Toxic-free schools) Sent to Ways and Means without clarity on the fiscal impact. Unless money is included in the end-of-session bill, this bill is likely dead for the session. HB 3125 - Would create a Ratepayer Assistance Fund to help low-income people pay for sewer and water bills. HB 2983 A - Would help with manufactured housing and housing parks. SB 509A - Aims to scale out neighborhood collaboratives in order to help whole neighborhoods reduce risk. HB 3125 - Would create a Ratepayer Assistance Fund to help low-income people pay for sewer and water bills. Air Quality LWVOR joined with others in support of HB 3229 . The bill would increase federal air quality (Title V) operating permit program fees that have not been increased for many years. The bill is in the W&M Capital Construction Subcommittee where amendments are being discussed. In the meantime, the DEQ budget passed out of the Natural Resources Subcommittee and authorized the 11 staff being requested in HB 3229. But that staffing approval needs HB 3229. Some of our partners are considering a direct application to the EPA to help assure Oregon is addressing the U.S. Air Quality Act. Budgets The Full Ways and Means Committee met on June 12: agenda The W&M Subcommittees are now closed except for Capital Construction. The bills awaiting consideration by this committee are listed here with checkmarks. They include the bonding bills and the end-of-session bill. HB 2903 A , funding to continue work on marine reserves, is in Ways and Means. LWVOR supports . This 10-year-old program now has support by a diverse set of interests in the coastal communities. We were disappointed that this position was not included in the ODFW budget but Sens. Anderson and Dembrow both encouraged inclusion in the end-of-session bill, At Full Ways and Means, Rep. Gomberg joined in encouraging funding. Sb 538 A , would allow DOGAMI and other agencies to offer permittees the ability to use a credit card to pay fees and the agencies can charge for the processing costs charged by those card businesses. On May 25, the bill was moved to House Rules. HB 5046 The Governor signed to allow state agencies to continue to operate until Sept. 15 th at current levels. Climate By Claudia Keith and Team The Climate Emergency and Natural Resources sections of this Legislative Report overlap. We encourage you to read both sections. Coastal Issues By Christine Moffitt/Peggy Lynch The Oregon Ocean Science Trust has a meeting on July 5 th from noon-3p, in-person and via Zoom, open to the public at the Department of State Lands, Land Board Room 775 Summer St NE, Salem, Oregon. OOST membership and agenda To Join remotely: Join online - click here Meeting ID: 851 1191 9008 (Passcode: 4theOcean!)Join by phone: (253) 215-8782 (Passcode: 7641510674) Dept. of State Lands HB 2238 A , to provide permission for robust rulemaking to increase fees for the removal/fill awaits a Senate chamber vote. It will need to go back to the House for “concurrence”—to agree with the Senate amendment. The League continues to support . Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) By Peggy Lynch The prospective ESRF Board tentatively plans to meet July 24th (time and location TBD). Visit DSL's Elliott webpage to learn more . Hanford Nuclear Site Yakima Nation Youth are learning about the Hanford site. OPB has a great article on the issue. Land Use/Housing By Peggy Lynch League is waiting to see if HB 3414 is part of any “deal” between the political parties. The bill that would create a new Housing Accountability and Production Office in DLCD and also includes a section related to processing of variances under certain circumstances, now called “adjustments”. Variances are used to address exceptions to a code’s “clear and objective standards”. Added to the bill in other amendments is a new provision around a process for urban growth boundary expansions. The bill’s 27-page -19 amendment was not posted on OLIS until 7p on June 7 th , (actually -17s on June 7 but -19s not until almost 1p on June 8 th !) but had a new public hearing in House Rules June 8 th where the League provided verbal testimony based on our Nov. 2022 LCDC testimony , pointing out that it’s not more raw land we need; it’s funding for infrastructure and planning staff. The UGB section relates to SB 1096 , a bill that would “expand development into farmland” and was similar to SB 1051 which the League vigorously opposed and has since died. Although there are sideboards around what lands can be considered, the HB 3414 -19 amendment continues the false narrative that simply adding land to urban growth boundaries will solve Oregon's housing crises. League members’ voices in opposition to much of this bill would be appreciated. A number of land use planning bills are sitting in the Senate and House Rules Committees or awaiting a vote in the Senate. Those committees are not subject to deadlines until the Leadership closes them so we wait and watch—holding our breath that these bills are not trade bait should the Republican Senators return to their chamber to vote before the end of session. No new news on SB 1087 , filed on behalf of a farm in Lane County where they want to add a “café” (with seating for 250-300 people) on their Exclusive Farm Use (EFU)-zoned property. The League opposes this overreach of our land use program. The bill is in Senate Rules. SB 70A would allow housing on acreage in Malheur County. The League provided testimony in opposition on Feb. 8th. On April 3, the bill was moved without passage recommendation to Senate Rules. LWVOR still opposes . SB 1013 , to allow a recreational vehicle to be sited on a rural property, was amended by the -4 amendment and passed the House floor. The League worked with the sponsor and Sen. Hayden to assure that, should a recreational vehicle be allowed, issues of sewage and clean drinking water would be addressed by the counties. This bill will require Senate “concurrence” HB 3442 A , to allow coastal communities to develop in hazard areas under certain conditions, passed to the Senate floor on May 10, third reading scheduled June 20. The amended bill responded to the concerns of the League on the original bill. HB 2983 A would help with manufactured housing and housing parks, is in Ways and Means. LWVOR supports . We believe that money is in the Oregon Housing and Community Services budget but some monies might also show up in Capital Construction. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. Reduce/Recycle SB 542 A (Right to Repair) continues to sit in Senate Rules until more amendments are made or until there are enough votes to pass it in the full Senate. The League provided testimony in support on Feb. 14 th . From sponsor Sen. Sollman: Representative Courtney Neron has agreed to use one of her priority bill concepts to get this bill introduced on the House side as HB 3631 , and it has amazing support right out of the gate with over 30 sponsors! While it may be a long shot to successful passage this session, based on time left to complete business, I am committed to keeping the momentum and conversation for the Right to Repair movement going. An article by Boondoggle shares positive actions in other states with judicial rulings supporting the concept. DEQ is proposing rules to clarify and implement the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act of 2021. More information on this rulemaking, including the draft rules, can be found on the Recycling Updates 2023 Rulemaking Page . DEQ will hold the first Recycling Modernization Act Rulemaking Advisory Committee meeting for the second rulemaking: 9 a.m.- 12:30 p.m., July 13 ( meeting agenda ). DEQ will provide an overview of the Act, the rulemaking process, and will present the Commingled Processing Facility Worker Living Wage and Supportive Benefits rule concept. To attend the meeting please Register via Zoom . To learn more about this rulemaking and the advisory committee, view the rulemaking web page at: Recycling Updates 2024 . Toxics By Paula Grisafi HB 3043A was amended by the A3 amendment and is awaiting Senate third reading, June 20. The bill revises provisions relating to chemicals in children’s products. SB 426 A (toxic-free schools) was sent to Ways and Means without clarity on the fiscal impact. Unless money is included in the end-of-session bill, this bill is likely dead for the session. Water By Peggy Lynch Another concern about water quality for rural landowners with domestic wells: This time manganese instead of nitrates. And a gravel mine instead of agricultural practices per this OPB article . Both U. S. Senators are taking on this issue by sending a letter to the EPA. HB 3207 A , related to domestic well testing and data collection, is in W&Ms. LWVOR supports . HB 3125 , to create a Ratepayer Assistance Fund to help low-income people pay for sewer and water bills, is in Ways and Means. LWVOR supports . We all need to pay attention to the potential for harmful algal blooms. “When in doubt, stay out.” Visit the Harmful Algae Bloom website or call the Oregon Public Health Division toll-free information line at 877-290-6767 to learn if an advisory has been issued or lifted for a specific water body. Most snow has melted with the recent hot weather. League members may want to check the U. S. Drought Monitor , a map updated every Thursday. Governor Kotek has signed drought declarations under ORS 536 for the counties of Crook, Jefferson, Grant, Deschutes, Wasco, Harney, Sherman and Lake counties. Jackson County has requested a drought declaration. In addition, many counties in eastern and southern Oregon have received Secretarial Disaster Designations from the US Department of Agriculture due to continuing drought conditions. Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers There was a Public Hearing and Work Session held on June 9 by JW&Ms Capital Construction Subcommittee, on SB 80 . Specifically, this included the addition of the -A 11 amendment, regarding a prescribed fire liability fund. The aim of this amendment is to help encourage landowners who get the proper training to use prescribed fire as a tool in their wildfire mitigation toolbox without fear of liability from unintended losses. Senator Golden spoke at length in support of this overall bill, in essence calling it a refinement of certain aspects of SB 762, the Omnibus Wildfire Legislation of 2021. Regarding the map, which, in part, this bill proposes to improve and refine, he said “SB 80 simplifies the structure of the map and makes some changes to the way that reflects NOT the way that single homeowners maintain their property for fire readiness, but rather the hazard that wildfire presents to the wider landscape.” He went on to detail various aspects of the bill, asking the committee for their support, and lamenting the potential loss of more than $20 million from the Community Risk Reduction Fund. “One of the real gems of SB 762," he said. It was adopted and sent to tJW&Ms, with a do-pass recommendation, and subsequently adopted, 6/12/23. DLCD recently sent out their Wildfire Adapted Communities Update which gives an overview of the current disposition of the wildfire related legislation still working its way through the process, and also updates on some of the programs and work that are still ongoing, and upcoming. Highly recommended reading! This article reports on how some Oregon city firefighters are training to learn techniques for fighting wildland fires. The skills are vastly different for the two types of fire and this fills a critical gap. It is a welcome recognition by some (but certainly not all) city fire departments that wildfires pose a risk not just to forested lands and the residences therein, but also, increasingly the adjacent cities. Finally, this piece reports on an assessment of the upcoming wildfire season by a panel of Oregon State experts. They state wet winter and cool spring weather conditions bring no solace, as these conditions help the vegetation grow prolifically, so that when it dries out during hot dry conditions, it means there are more “fine fuels” to ignite and burn. There is an acknowledgement of the aforementioned Community Risk Reduction funds that continue to be distributed (as a result of SB 762) by the State Fire Marshal’s Office, and how important that component is in the overall mitigation of risk for community members. While this panel was speaking, wildfires were burning in Eastern Oregon: the Hat Rock fire in Umatilla County and a new fire in the Dalles, among others. Our 2020 wildfires aren’t done with Oregon as you can see from this article related to PacifiCorp’s liability for damages. SB 509A , in W&M, aims to scale out neighborhood collaboratives in order to help whole neighborhoods reduce risk. LWVOR provided support . We are hoping for money in the end-of-session bill as well as the $10 million for the Oregon Conservation Corps. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. Volunteers are needed. The 2023 legislative session is almost over. Natural Resource Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round and need monitoring. If any area of natural resources is of interest to you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, at peggylynchor@gmail.com . Training will be offered.

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 6/16 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone Artificial Intelligence: Lindsey Washburn Campaign Finance Reform: Norman Turrill Conflicts of Interest/Legislative Ethics: Chris Cobey CEI - Critical Energy Infrastructure : Nikki Mandell and Laura Rogers Cybersecurity Privacy, Election Issues, Electronic Portal Advisory Board: Becky Gladstone Election Systems: Barbara Klein Emergency Preparedness: Cate Arnold Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum: Claudia Keith Redistricting: Norman Turrill, Chris Cobey State Audit Working Group: Sheila Golden Voting Rights of Incarcerated People: Marge Easley Please see Governance Overview here . Jump to a topic: Campaign Finance General Governance, Privacy, and Consumer Protection Elections Artificial Intelligence Rulemaking and Audits Campaign Finance and Initiatives By Norman Turrill We are still waiting for urgently needed technical amendments to HB 4024 (2024) on campaign contribution limits, which are expected to be amended into HB 3392 . Since we are nearing the end of the session, we fear that this will not happen or will happen haphazardly. Discussions are happening among Honest Elections, the Attorney General’s staff, the Secretary of State’s staff and the Democratic majority staff. No input has been received from other stakeholders, the business community or unions. SB 686 A requires online websites, when news stories are copied, to pay digital journalism providers or donate to the Oregon Civic Information Consortium. Senate Rules recommended the bill Do Pass with a partisan 3-2 vote. However, a Minority Report was also filed for the bill, so both reports went to the Senate floor. The Senate then referred the bill back to Senate Rules by a voice vote. That may kill the bill for now, since there is little time left in this session. The League has not taken a position on this bill but is generally sympathetic in support of local journalism. General Governance, Privacy, and Consumer Protection By Becky Gladstone Bills are progressing more quickly, standing by for late-breaking action at this point. HB 3954 tells the Oregon Adjutant General not to allow the Oregon National Guard to be called to active service, except for certain reasons, timelier now with the California National Guard in the news. HB 3954 had a May 5 public hearing, but no subsequent work session. We wrote a commenting letter and sent it to the Governor's staff, the Attorney General, Chair and House Rules Committee members, and bill sponsors, to urge action on this bill, considering amending if it is needed. We compared work done in other states, included in our letter’s end notes, as recommended by House Rules staff. The chief and another bill sponsor have written back, including that the bill’s language was advisedly chosen over Washington state’s “Defend the Guard” bill, HB 1321 , signed by Governor Ferguson in April. We are standing by as requested, for updates. The Impact Project Map is now GLOBAL, showing the impact of “federal changes and their localized effects”. This dynamic map is relevant in Oregon, showing layoffs, program cuts, building closures and “disposals”, “contracts terminated for convenience”, funds frozen or paused under review, etc. The loss of federal support and fear of federal overreach has global stability impacts for Oregon and our trading partners, buying from us and selling to us, and for our family and friends who live around and outside of Oregon. Bills We are Watching SB 430 Enrolled The Governor has signed this bill for comprehensive business transparency to protect consumers. League testimony in support addressed extensive amendments. This may indeed be one of the top most important bills of the session. HB 3766 Enrolled passed on the Senate floor unanimously. Amended League testimony addressed quantifying defendant age and limiting damages to $10,000, with earlier League testimony in support to allow civil action against an adult who, unbidden, digitally sends intimate images (cyber-flashing) intending to harass, degrade or humiliate. We recommend reading Criminalising Cyberflashing . HB 3569 A is on the Senate floor, would invite a sponsoring legislator, committee chair or designee onto a bill’s Rules Advisory Committee, as a non-voting member. Our testimony opposes for myriad reasons, presented and filed. HB 5012 , which is Oregon Judicial Department budget bill, had a work session on June 13 and got a Do Pass recommendation in the full Ways and Means. The League was invited again to speak to this. League testimony in support was written and presented. The Ways and Means Committee members expressed a desire to see increased salaries for our judiciary and encouraged the Co-Chairs to consider additional funding in the end-of-session bill. SB 224 A in support of privacy for campaign committee staff home addresses, passed a House Rules work session unanimously, then passed the House floor unanimously. League testimony supports. SB 1014 to allow political party statement translations in online voters’ pamphlets, passed unanimously from House Rules, and is on the House floor. League testimony in support. SB 1121 B to create a new Class B misdemeanor crime of unlawful private data disclosure, passed the House 54 to 2. It is now in the Senate for consideration of House amendments. League testimony was filed and presented, supporting the bill, including the amendment relating to data broker issues. Elections By Barbara Klein SB 580 A-Eng. The bill has passed both chambers. The purpose of the bill is to provide more timely transparency to voters showing declarations or withdrawals of candidates. With concessions for various counties, it requires filing officers in each county and city to make publicly available on their websites certain election documents that are filed with the officers within a specified period, other than for precinct committeepersons. The League submitted testimony on this bill based on the needs of our work producing League Voters’ Guides and Vote411 publications. HB 5017 A-Eng . Since passing out of the House and reaching the Senate, on June 12th the bill had its third reading and passed 25-2. It appropriates monies from the General Fund to the State Library for biennial management expenses. The League submitted testimony in February on the bill. Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO) analysis can be viewed here . (The increase in the budget chiefly represents levels of inflation only.) HB 3908 relates to party membership and registration requirements. It was filed by the House Rules Committee at the request of the Independent Party of Oregon (IPO). The bill increases the percentage of state voters from 5 to 10 percent required for a party to be a major political party. There was strong opposition to this bill, primarily by Republican members. On June 10th a motion was made to substitute a Minority Report Recommendation . In brief, the minority report would have allowed only candidates of major parties to cross nominate other major party candidates. Under the minority recommendation, minor party candidates could only be cross-nominated by other minor parties; minor parties could not cross-nominate a major party candidate. On the House floor, the motion to substitute the minority report failed 22 to 35. The main bill then passed the House 31 to 26. In the Senate the bill was referred to Senate Rules. On June 16th and 17th, a public hearing and subsequent work session are scheduled. Staff reports have been posted (6/12) and show no fiscal impact. The Oregon Working Families Party, Pacific Green Party and Oregon Progressive Party have all given their support to this effort led by the Oregon Independent Party. The LWVOR did not address this bill. Artificial Intelligence By Lindsey Washburn HB 3936 A Enrolled prohibits any hardware, software or service that uses artificial intelligence from being installed or downloaded onto or used or accessed by state information technology assets if the artificial intelligence is developed or owned by a “covered vendor”. Passed the Senate 27-0. HB 3592 A establishes the Oregon Commission on Artificial Intelligence to serve as a central resource to monitor the use of artificial intelligence technologies and systems in this state and report on long-term policy implications. A 6/11work session in House Information Management and Technology amended the bill and then referred it to Ways and Means without recommendation. HB 2299 Enrolled modifies the crime of unlawful dissemination of an intimate image to include the disclosure of digitally created, manipulated or altered images. Will go into effect as law on January 1, 2026. Chapter 116 (2025 Laws) Rulemaking and Audits By Peggy Lynch HB 3569 , a bill that would require a Chief Sponsor (legislator) of a bill to be a part of a rules advisory committee (RAC) for legislation they had a hand in passing, passed the House. The League provided testimony with our concerns and opposition to the bill. The bill passed Senate Rules on June 5 and now goes to the Senate floor for a vote. The League continues to have discussions with Legislative Leadership and the Governor’s office on these RACs bills, explaining our concerns. We have provided testimony in opposition to HB 2692 , a bill that would create complicated and burdensome processes for agencies to implement legislation with their rulemaking procedures. The League joined others in sharing concerns about this bill to members of House Rules. It was pulled from the scheduled work session on May 28th. The League continues to follow the bills listed on the March 17 agenda of the Senate Committee On Rules since some of the bills relate to the process of rulemaking ( SB 437 , SB 1006 , SB 370 , SB 483 ) and SB 411 , SB 895 also in Senate Rules. HB 2454 passed House Rules with the -1 amendment and was sent to Ways and Means. The bill creates a new Audits Officer (with possible additional staff). The Jt. Audits Committee would hire the Officer. From Leader Bowman’s office: “ HB 2454 changes the statutory authority related to audits and audit reviews from the Legislative Fiscal Office to the Legislative Audit Officer (LAO) and authorizes the LAO to hire necessary staff to carry out assigned functions. The LAO and his/her staff will be housed under the new Legislative Performance Oversight and Government Accountability Office. The bill does substitute LFO for the LAO on a number of responsibilities. LFO will continue fiscal analyses and other duties, while audits and oversight will be housed under the LAO.” We are concerned with HB 3382 , since the requirements of the Secretary of State to gather ALL the state agencies’ rulemaking, including all materials would be overwhelming. Individual state agencies provide that information on their rulemaking websites. A work session was held May 28 where the -2 amendment was adopted to delay the web work and the bill sent to Ways and Means. Separately, the League was invited to a conversation among state agency rules staff on addressing concerns of the Governor and in an attempt to standardize the process statewide. The Governor has provided Rulemaking Guidance to state agencies: This document includes questions received from agencies since the Governor’s letter. This document includes additional resources for agencies including direction to post updates to the Transparency site, a website template that agencies can use (if they choose) to develop their pages, and links to other comprehensive agency rule making sites to review. There is a broader discussion to increase transparency and consistency in the state agencies’ rulemaking process. A second meeting related to the state agency rules process is set for June with an invitation to the League to continue to participate. Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Revenue , Natural Resources , and Social Policy report sections.

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 6/5 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone Artificial Intelligence: Lindsey Washburn Campaign Finance Reform: Norman Turrill Conflicts of Interest/Legislative Ethics: Chris Cobey CEI - Critical Energy Infrastructure : Nikki Mandell and Laura Rogers Cybersecurity Privacy, Election Issues, Electronic Portal Advisory Board: Becky Gladstone Election Systems: Barbara Klein Emergency Preparedness: Cate Arnold Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum: Claudia Keith Redistricting: Norman Turrill, Chris Cobey State Audit Working Group: Sheila Golden Voting Rights of Incarcerated People: Marge Easley Jump to a topic: Campaign Finance Redistricting Cybersecurity and Privacy Ethics Issues Campaign Finance The June 8 House Rules Committee finally saw some CFR action, starting at ~1:20 in the video. Speaker Rayfield’s staff explained some history, concepts, and complications of crafting a CFR bill. He admitted there were small group consultations earlier in the session (not including the League) and that stakeholder groups had not changed their (conflicting) positions. Also, given the complications in the Senate, no CFR bill will go forward during this long session. Discussions to continue during interim will be used to hopefully bring back a bill in next year’s short session. For campaign finance reform, the League wants true reform without loopholes for large special interest organizations. Redistricting People Not Politicians has started collecting signatures on IP 14 petitions downloadable from its website. Thousands of signatures have been collected, but more donations are needed. Cybersecurity and Privacy By Rebecca Gladstone We posted a thumbnail list of the 52 bills currently waiting on the Senate floor, see Facebook and Twitter , June 8. This wide assortment of policies and budgets affects all Oregonians. Discussion and conjecture abound amid courtesies and the hollow procedural counts confirming quorum failure. We met with other activists to consider what can happen next, not in order of likelihood: the session ends soon with many bills dying in the Senate. Or, R’s return and process some bills as limited remaining time allows. A single special session could address a limited few urgent bills, or split special sessions could hear urgent budget and policy bills separately. An issue popularity contest could suffocate lower profile but very important policy bills, inviting “why didn’t anyone tell us?” Please keep reading. Awaiting Senate quorum: These League priority bills are listed by bill #. All dates are subject to change (again): HB 2049 A : This Cybersecurity Center of Excellence bill passed 22 to 0 from full W&Ms, June 9, to the Senate floor. See Rep Nathanson’s Spring 2023 newsletter: “Cybersecurity Center of Excellence to be jointly operated by PSU, OSU, and UO to grow the workforce pipeline (there are now over 7,000 unfilled, high paying cybersecurity jobs in Oregon) and help local governments, school districts and other public and private entities prepare for and defend against cyberattacks. The “teaching hospital” model of learning would allow students to learn on the same equipment they will use after completing the program and entering the workforce. Read more about it in my Jan.-Feb. Newsletter .” HB 2052 A : This AG Data Broker Registry bill could have Senate floor first reading, June 13. League testimony in support was filed before the current -7 amendments. HB 2107 See earlier reports for this Oregon Health Authority extension of automatic voter registration, further rescheduled for Senate floor reading, June 13. HB 2490 : This cyber omnibus bill awaits second and third Senate floor readings, June 13 and 14. The League urges for maximum protection of public health, safety, and the environment. Defending our critical infrastructures is at stake ( our testimony ). HB 2806 relating to public meetings and cybersecurity, further re-scheduled for June 13 and 14. See our testimony . HB 3073 A passed from the House floor, May 31, 55 to 1, awaiting first Senate reading, June 13. See our Feb 16 estimony supporting candidate and incumbent home address privacy. HB 3127 : We are following this “TikTok” bill, relating to the security of state assets. Currently further rescheduled for June 12 and 13. SB 166 A awaited third Senate reading on June 13, to address privacy and harassment concerns. There is now a proposed limit to directly address dark money concerns, of $100 cash “physical currency” annually, for aggregated campaign contributions. See our March 14 testimony and previous extensive reports, predating amendments. SB 619 : This larger bill from the AG’s consumer data protection task force got rescheduled Senate floor reading dates of June 13 & 14. See our testimony . Ethics Issues By Chris Cobey HB 2038 B : Requires statement of economic interest to include certain information about sources of income for business in which public official or candidate, or member of household of public official or candidate, is officer, holds directorship or does business under if source of income has legislative or administrative interest and 10% or more of total gross annual income of business comes from that source of income. Prohibits candidate or principal campaign committee of candidate from expending campaign moneys for professional services rendered by certain businesses required to be listed on candidate's statement of economic interest. Creates exceptions. 6/9: JW&Ms passed it 21-0. SB 168 B : Expressly prohibits public employees, while on job during working hours or while otherwise working in official capacity, from promoting or opposing appointment, nomination or election of public officials. 6/7: House passed it 48-0 with 12 excused. SB 168 B must go back to the Senate for concurrence or other process . SB 661 Enrolled : Prohibits lobbyist from serving as chair of interim committees, or certain legislative work groups, or legislative task forces. Provides exceptions. 6/2: Effective on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Back to All Legislative Reports Climate Emergency Legislative Report - Week of 1/15 Climate Emergency Team Coordinator: Claudia Keith Coordinator: Claudia Keith Efficient and Resilient Buildings: vacant Energy Policy: Claudia Keith Environmental Justice: vacant Natural Climate Solution Forestry: Josie Koehne Agriculture: vacant Community Resilience & Emergency Management: see Governance LR: Rebecca Gladstone Transportation: see NR LR Joint Ways and Means - Budgets, Lawsuits, Green/Public Banking, Divestment/ESG: Claudia Keith Find additional Climate Change Advocacy volunteers in Natural Resources Jump to a topic: Climate Emergency Highlights Senate Energy and Environment Climate Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust Climate Bills Volunteers Needed By Claudia Keith, Climate Emergency Coordinator and team Climate Emergency Highlights By Claudia Keith Updating Oregon statute with meaningful (to align with best available science) Greenhouse Gas Emission reduction goals continues to be a League priority. See Senator Dembrow’s Jan 13 newsletter : LC 173. [now SB 1559 , a one-pager]. This topic was eliminated from the 2023 Climate Action Omnibus bill, HB 3409. LWVOR Advocacy Climate priorities are included in the recently finalized 2024 LWVOR Legislative Prioritizes: LWV Oregon’s environmental coalition partner Oregon Conservation Network (OCN) recently published their priorities which include two Climate-related topics: “1) A Strong Climate Budget: We must continue to make progress on climate every legislative session, and this year our priority is to ensure a strong climate budget. We must continue funding the incredible climate programs we passed over the last few years. We are asking for a $50 million climate budget that prioritizes two things: 1) a $15 million investment in the Healthy Homes Program to enable urgently needed home repairs including health, safety, and efficiency upgrades, and 2) a $20 million investment in the Charge Ahead Electric Vehicle rebate program to make new and used electric vehicles more affordable and accessible for lower-income Oregonians. Together, these continued investments in successful programs that are running out of funding will lower the cost of living, improve health and resilience, and reduce climate pollution. 2) Right to Repair: You may recall this bill as part of our Zero Waste Priority bill package from the last session (SB 542). Well, the bill didn’t quite make it (largely due to the historically long Republican walkout), and we’re bringing it back this year to get it over the finish line! People should be able to repair their electronics just like they can repair their car. This will save people money and reduce electronic waste. States like New York and California have passed similar legislation, but in Oregon, our bill is poised to be the strongest version passed by any state. “ Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG)/Divest & Public Banking A Public Banking LC was mentioned in Senator Golden’s recent newsletter. It would likely be a modified bill addressing Gov Kotek’s reasons for vetoing 2023 HB2763. An LC related to the Oregon Treasury divesting coal securities was also mentioned. Treasurer Tobias Read has announced a plan to address fossil fuel investments. ‘Treasurer readies plan to get state pension fund to ‘net-zero’ greenhouse gas emissions - Another proposal from a group of Democratic lawmakers would divest the state’s retirement fund of $1 billion in coal investments’. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Climate Protection Plan As explained in OEC’s ‘ the fight is not over’ Dec. article, the court ruled unfavorably based on ‘a procedural technicality’. LWVOR plans to support several efforts to solve this technical issue. It is not clear if a bill will be introduced during the short session but there will be public testimonies provided at the EQC January 24 meeting . 2025 Long Session The following policy/budget topics are expected to move to the 2025 long session: Water, Transportation, Air, Fracking moratorium update, and likely, the data center (and crypto mining facilities) GHG emission reduction goals. Senate Energy & Environment By Greg Martin Right to Repair Chair Sollman: This is the fourth time this bill concept has come forward. A big coalition has worked on the bill since the end of the 2023 session. Four other states (including CA) passed similar measures, and 20 states are working on some form. 70% of Oregonians surveyed say if they own a piece of equipment, they should be able to fix it. Key objectives = saving families’ money, supporting small businesses, reducing litter and pollution, and closing the digital divide. Charlie Fisher, OSPIRG, outlined major changes from 2023 proposals, mainly based on enacted CA legislation: · Enforcement – private right of action (consumer lawsuits) is out, in favor of attorney general enforcement · Data security – manufacturers are not required to provide tools or software that would enable hacks · Expanded intellectual property protections – added language (from CA) to protect licensing, copyrights, patents · Third-party repair services – expanded requirements for consumer protection · Look-back period for covered devices – limited to products introduced after 1/1/2021 for smartphones, 2015 for other devices such as appliances “ Parts pairing” is prohibited (not in CA statute) Kyle Wiens, CEO, iFixit: –Wants to enable a repair economy to add “main street” jobs. Largest barrier = manufacturers block after-market. Steven Nickel, Google: Supports this concept as a common-sense repair bill to serve as a model for other states. Bottle Bill Overview Eric Chambers, Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative: Oregon’s 1971 statute is still the best in the nation. Not a lot happened in statute until 2010. Refund went from a nickel to a dime in 2017, spurring more recycling. Other beverages – water, kombucha – added in 2018. Program has a $60 million budget for infrastructure (redemption centers, drop-off sites). Consumers can now return three times as many bottles to redemption centers. Statewide redemption rate = 85% vs. national average of 35%. All plastic and glass is processed in Oregon. Oregon Dept of Energy (ODOE) Proposed Statutory Adjustments ODOE’s Christy Splitt outlined three proposed “technical fixes”: Update the statewide energy security plan in response to state and federal mandates. Federal funds have been slower than anticipated – ODOE proposes to realign its deadline to the federal September 30 deadline. N&WL provisions – HB 3409 directs OCAC (staffed by ODOE) to study natural and working lands ( N&WL) inventory, workforce and carbon sequestration goals – ODOE proposes to extend the deadlines by one year, i.e., until 2025. Community Renewable Energy Grant program (HB 2021) administrative tweaks Amendment expected: The Community Heat Pump Deployment program, created by HB 2021, requires that regional administrators run the program but only 6 of 11 regions have an administrator in place. Up to $4 million in funding for those regions could be stuck in program accounts and be unavailable for deployment. Plan B is to transfer moneys to the Oregon Rental Home Heat Pump program and earmark them to be spent for underserved regions and tribes. Update on Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program Status Rachel Sakata, Oregon Dept of Environmental Quality, (DEQ): DEQ has awarded >32,000 rebates totaling >$82 million. In 2022-23, about 25% was spent on the Charge Ahead program for low-income households (at least 20% is required by law). DEQ suspended the program in May 2023 because demand outstripped available funding. The agency has a waiting list totaling about $2 million in rebates – and anticipates lifting the suspension this spring with new funding allotments. DEQ will need another $35 million to fully meet expected demand next year. Underfunding the rebate program could impede the response to climate change via EV adoption. Climate Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust By Claudia Keith Federal judge in Oregon denies efforts to dismiss climate lawsuit filed by young people - OPB . Here is one resource to track DEQ CPP cases. Basically, there are several active federal lawsuits , (Jan 2024 update) ‘Oregon Federal Court Said Youth Plaintiffs Could Proceed with Due Process and Public Trust Claims in Climate Suit’, some of which could assist in meeting Oregon's Net Zero GHG Emissions before 2050 targets, and other lawsuits, that challenge the current Oregon DEQ CPP policy, which would limit the use of fossil fuels, including diesel, natural gas, and propane over time. Another source: Columbia University Law - Sabin Climate DB lists 70 lawsuits , mentioning Oregon. Other Climate Bills By Claudia Keith LWVOR may follow or engage with several other CE bills on a long list from Climate Solutions ; including these LC’s • LC 117: Remove Barriers to Siting Battery Storage Projects: We need to update our state’s siting processes to allow for newer technologies like stand-alone battery storage. This bill lessens barriers for a developer who wants to build a much-needed battery energy storage system by allowing them to use the state Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) process to site t he project. • LC 239: Attract Clean Tech Leadership: Oregon should lead in attracting clean energy businesses and manufacturing. With Inflation Reduction Act incentives available to clean tech manufacturing like battery and heat pump components and other states putting together incentive packages, now is the time for Oregon to grab a slice of this economic development pie. • LC 58: Harness Offshore Wind Potential: Floating offshore wind on the Oregon coast has the potential to add 3 gigawatts of clean energy into our regional grid (enough to power at least a million homes). This bill would authorize the state to develop an Oregon offshore wind “Roadmap”. This Roadmap would engage stakeholders more deeply to ensure an inclusive, robust, and transparent process in developing this renewable resource. The bill also mandates fair labor standards for component parts construction and manufacturing. Fossil Fuel Infrastructure Expansion Issues: LWVOR continues to agree with Senator Merkley leadership on opposing Ferc approved LNG capacity expansion pipelines in the PNW. Climate Emergency Team and Volunteers Needed Please consider joining the CE portfolio team; we lack volunteers in these critical policy areas: • Natural Climate Solutions, specifically Oregon Dept of Agriculture (ODA) • Climate Related Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust • Public Health Climate Adaptation (OHA) • Regional Solutions / Infrastructure (with NR team)

 • State Procurement Practices (DAS: Dept. of Admin. Services)

 • CE Portfolio State Agency and Commission Budgets • Climate Migration 

 • Oregon Treasury: ESG investing/Fossil Fuel divestment 

 We collaborate with LWVOR Natural Resource Action Committee members on many Climate Change mitigation and adaptation policy topics. Volunteers are needed: Training for Legislative and State Agency advocacy processes is available.

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 6/26 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone Artificial Intelligence: Lindsey Washburn Campaign Finance Reform: Norman Turrill Conflicts of Interest/Legislative Ethics: Chris Cobey CEI - Critical Energy Infrastructure : Nikki Mandell and Laura Rogers Cybersecurity Privacy, Election Issues, Electronic Portal Advisory Board: Becky Gladstone Election Systems: Barbara Klein Emergency Preparedness: Cate Arnold Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum: Claudia Keith Redistricting: Norman Turrill, Chris Cobey State Audit Working Group: Sheila Golden Voting Rights of Incarcerated People: Marge Easley Jump to a topic: Campaign Finance Redistricting Cybersecurity and Privacy Election Methods Rights of Incarcerated People Government Ethics By Norman Turrill, Governance Coordinator, and Team Campaign Finance In the final days of the Legislative session, only one bill, SB 166 Enrolled , passed that included many subjects. It also included a CFR aggregate annual contribution limit of $100 cash. We understand that this was a result of huge contributions given to the Democratic Party of Oregon and others in cash. Cash is, of course, untraceable. Redistricting SB 166 Enrolled also included a provision that will help all initiative campaigns, allowing single signature e-sheets to only be signed once. Currently, these petitions have to be signed a second time to certify the signature above. This bill is effective immediately upon signing by the Governor. People Not Politicians has started collecting signatures on IP 14 sheets, downloadable from its website. Thousands of signatures have already been collected, but more donations are needed. Cybersecurity and Privacy By Rebecca Gladstone These nine bills all passed in the final hectic flurry after the 43-day Senate walkout. We worked several of these concepts over numerous sessions and they all reflect awareness of privacy and cybersecurity. They now await a signature by the Governor. Elections HB 2107 Enrolled : The League supports this improvement in government efficiency, adding those served by the Oregon Health Plan through the Oregon Health Authority to automatic voter registration, expanding Oregon #MotorVoter . This brings the No Wrong Door health care concept of safety nets, networking services to support individuals, a step closer to “you’re in the right place and we are here to help you.” Now we should work on the underperforming party registration postcards. SB 166 Enrolled : This bill clarifies protecting ballot secrecy, election workers, the right to vote, and cybersecurity plans. Our elections are critical infrastructure and merit the League’s priority rating. We urged expanding these protections by amendment to address privacy and harassment concerns. See other report section for other bill features added as amendments. HB 3073 Enrolled : See our testimony in support of candidate and incumbent home address privacy. Certifying candidate filing depends on verifying in-district residence with a home address, but it needn’t be publicized. It will still be available through public records requests. Cybersecurity HB 2049 Enrolled defends our critical infrastructures, which remain at stake ( our testimony ). The adopted Cybersecurity Center of Excellence was severely short funded, with only $4.9M of the $15M requested. This was in spite of the global cyber-attack (see LWVOR Newsroom, Oregon DMV Data Breach could affect 3.5 million Oregonians ). This effort had full committee support during this and the 2022 session. HB 2490 Enrolled : See our testimony in support of protecting our cybersecurity defense plans from public disclosure. HB 2806 Enrolled : See our testimony to support updating statute for cybersecurity, privacy and safety of executive sessions, public meetings, and our critical infrastructures. HB 3127 A : This “TikTok” bill relates to security of state assets and social media access. We plan to develop coverage with a growing League youth perspective. Privacy The League has attended the Consumer Privacy Task Force since 2019, this from the DoJ on AG Rosenblum’s efforts . These two bills passed with very strong support, after not progressing last session despite strong committee urging. SB 619 Enrolled : See our testimony in support , to protect consumers’ personal data. This was listed as “ A possible walkout casualty: a privacy law for Oregonians ”. For perspective, it was listed at #28 among 182 bills on the Senate June 20 roster. HB 2052 Enrolled : See League testimony in support of this data broker registry bill, passing with strong support this session. Election Methods By Barbara Klein Passage of Ranked Choice Voting referral On the last day of the legislative session, House Bill 2004-B was heard for its third reading. Even with 5 senators absent for the vote, it passed the majority mark with a sufficient 17 aye votes! HB 2004 B refers Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) to November 2024 ballots. It would establish RCV as the voting method for selecting the winner of nomination for, and election to, offices of President of the United States, United States Senator, Representative in Congress, Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and Attorney General. The Bureau of Labor and Industries Commissioner will be included, but that election is held during the primary. LWVOR has been a strong supporter of RCV and of this bill, one of 39 Oregon organizations working in coalition towards its passage. This is a historic win for the state, and is the first time that any legislature in the United States has referred a statewide RCV bill to the ballot . The choice will now be up to the voters in 2024. Among other organizations and along with election officials, the League will continue with voter education for a clear understanding of the method for all voters as they make their choices. Rights of Incarcerated People By Marge Easley The most significant bill this session related to incarcerated individuals was SB 529 , requiring a much wider range of addiction programs and services than currently exist in correctional facilities. It was signed by the Governor on May 19 and will go into effect on January 1, 2024. Three other bills passing in the waning days of the session were HB 2535 , establishing a doula program for pregnant and postpartum adults in custody at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, HB 2345 , authorizing the creation of a publicly accessible dashboard related to the use of segregated housing, and SB 270 , authorizing the Department of Correction to enter into agreements to offer higher education academic programs to adults in custody. The League was disappointed that SB 579 , allowing incarcerated people in Oregon to vote, did not advance this session. We will continue to advocate for passage in future sessions. Government Ethics By Chris Cobey HB 2038 B : Requires a statement of economic interest to include certain information about sources of income for business in which a public official or candidate, or member of the household of a public official or candidate, is officer, holds directorship or does business under if source of income has legislative or administrative interest and 10 percent or more of total gross annual income of business comes from that source of income. Prohibits a candidate or principal campaign committee of a candidate from expending campaign moneys for professional services rendered by certain businesses required to be listed on the candidate's statement of economic interest. Creates exceptions. 6/22: passed Senate on third reading 22-2; 6/24: President, Speaker signed. SB 168 : Expressly prohibits public employees, while on job during working hours or while otherwise working in official capacity, from promoting or opposing appointment, nomination or election of public officials. Provides that public employee may communicate with separate public employee or elected official about appointment of person to public office if communication is made in furtherance of recipient's official duties relating to appointment required by Oregon Constitution or state statute. 6-15 (S) Senate concurred in House amendments and repassed bill, 22 to 0; 6-20 President and Speaker signed .

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 3/6 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone Artificial Intelligence: Lindsey Washburn Campaign Finance Reform: Norman Turrill Conflicts of Interest/Legislative Ethics: Chris Cobey CEI - Critical Energy Infrastructure : Nikki Mandell and Laura Rogers Cybersecurity Privacy, Election Issues, Electronic Portal Advisory Board: Becky Gladstone Election Systems: Barbara Klein Emergency Preparedness: Cate Arnold Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum: Claudia Keith Redistricting: Norman Turrill, Chris Cobey State Audit Working Group: Sheila Golden Voting Rights of Incarcerated People: Marge Easley Campaign Finance Redistricting Election Methods Cybersecurity Rights of Incarcerated People By Norman Turrill, Governance Coordinator, and Team Campaign Finance No bills on campaign finance have yet been scheduled for a hearing. However, the Oregonian has published a good article explaining that Oregon Democrats say they’re serious about capping political donations, but their proposals include loopholes . Redistricting There has been no movement on redistricting in the legislature. People Not Politicians has started collecting signatures on IP 19 petitions downloadable from its website. Election Methods By Barbara Klein A Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) bill is scheduled for a hearing, currently planned for March 16 in House Rules. The bill, HB 2004, is sponsored by Rep Rayfield, Fahey, Reynolds, Marsh, Senator Sollman; and regular sponsors Rep. Pham K, Senator Dembrow and Golden. Based on LWVOR positions supporting RCV, the League has decided to endorse this bill (and allowed the use of our logo). LWVOR is represented on the steering committee for HB 2004 led by the Coalition of Communities of Color and Oregon RCV. We have encouraged members (as individuals) to write their legislators in support. Regarding the cost of implementing RCV in Oregon, transitioning to a new system will incur modest costs (for instance updating voting equipment, software and voter education). Supporters point to the advantage that in the 2021 Regular Session, SB 5538 allocated $2 million for grants to counties to modernize their election offices, technology and equipment (including updating voting machines and purchasing new processing equipment). If there are situations in which RCV eliminates the current need for a runoff in non-partisan elections, it will actually save money (and time) on taxpayer-funded elections. Cybersecurity and Public Records By Rebecca Gladstone Two major bills passing unanimously in 2022 committees, failing to progress, are moving in 2023. SB 619, for Consumer Data Privacy had a public hearing and the cyber bill, HB 2049 , is in W&Ms. Public records, judiciary, and privacy bills are moving. SB 619 : This major bill, a comprehensive protection of consumers’ personal data, had a March 7 public hearing. We encourage you to see the ( video ). LWVOR strongly supports ( our testimony ), based on our privacy and cybersecurity work . We particularly agree with Section 1 (6) (b) Consent: “The consumer’s inaction does not constitute consent.” This protects consumer data privacy rights and holds those who control and process the data responsible. Critical consumer protections include: · Right to KNOW what’s being collected · Right to Correct inaccuracies · Right to opt-out · Heightened opt-in requirements for sensitive information · Special protections for children, adding ages 13-15 HB 2052 : The data broker registry bill, which we also support ( League testimony ) relates to SB 619 and it has been sent by the Speaker to JW&Ms. HB 2112 A : This public records bill updates technical and inclusive terms, particularly for our tribes. Rules were suspended for this bill passing unanimously from the House after passing unanimously from House Rules, for a public hearing in Senate Rules, March 7. The League supports ( our testimony ). HB 2490 : This bill had a public hearing on March 9 to address Oregon’s growing cybersecurity vulnerability, by protecting our defense plans, devices, and systems from public disclosure, also echoing our call to balance public records disclosure transparency and privacy. This warrants citing the League position to promote maximum protection of public health, safety, and the environment. Defending our critical infrastructures is at stake. The League supports ( our testimony ). HB 5032 will fund the PRAC (Public Records Advisory Council) and Advocate. See League testimony in support, citing League work since 1993 and linking to our public records advocacy in 2017 and 2020. SB 417 : The public records request fee bill Task Force convening at Sen. Rules Chair Lieber’s request, has met twice, reviewing technicalities. We will probably meet a few more times before making amendment recommendations, to be inviting legislative counsel next time. See League testimony in support. SB 5512 , representing the Oregon Judicial Department budget, will have had a public hearing on March 9. The League testimony supports funding the cost of judicial services. The shortage of public defenders is dire, as covered earlier here. Chief Justice Wallace Carson, interviewed for our 2007 Overview of the Oregon Judiciary , encouraged us to work to improve pay for our judicial system workers. Fully funding these positions and supporting the system could solve our judicial labor shortage and improve many of Oregon’s judicial problems. This bill addresses costs of HB 2224, to increase juror pay, below. HB 2224 A : This bill, that would increase juror pay, passed uniformly with one excused vote from House Judiciary to JW&Ms by prior reference. See League testimony in support. HB 2049 A : This magnum opus cyber bill was sent to W&Ms by the Speaker last week. See League testimony in support. Rights of Incarcerated People By Marge Easley SB 579 , which restores the right to vote for over 13,000 incarcerated adults in Oregon, is on track to pass out of Senate Judiciary on March 9, with a subsequent referral to Ways and Means. This is the third try to pass this legislation, and although Republicans are united in their opposition, there is optimism that this time an even broader coalition of supporters under the umbrella of Guaranteeing the Right to Vote will achieve success. Endorsers include Oregon Justice Resource Center, ACLU of Oregon, Next Up Oregon, The Sentencing Project, the League of Women Voters of Oregon, and over 45 other organizations and individuals. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. Worthy causes go unaddressed for lack of League volunteers. If you see a need and can offer your expertise, please contact our staff at lwvor@lwvor.org .

Back to All Legislative Reports Climate Emergency Legislative Report - Week of 3/4 Climate Emergency Team Coordinator: Claudia Keith Coordinator: Claudia Keith Efficient and Resilient Buildings: vacant Energy Policy: Claudia Keith Environmental Justice: vacant Natural Climate Solution Forestry: Josie Koehne Agriculture: vacant Community Resilience & Emergency Management: see Governance LR: Rebecca Gladstone Transportation: see NR LR Joint Ways and Means - Budgets, Lawsuits, Green/Public Banking, Divestment/ESG: Claudia Keith Find additional Climate Change Advocacy volunteers in Natural Resources Jump to a topic: Climate Emergency - Mitigation and Adaptation Climate Litigation and Congressional Climate Resolution Climate News DEQ Deadlines Volunteers Needed Climate Emergency - Mitigation and Adaptation The session ended with a compromise as well as reasonable funding, especially in SB 1530 (>$21M) and end of session omnibus SB5701 (>125M) but no update to Greenhouse Gas Emission targets approved in 2007 nor improvement to Climate Change coordination and accountability across agencies. Find a detailed list of many Climate-related funding items here (file downloads). It’s unclear if Oregon has proactively managed access / opportunities to many federal funds available, including The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 . Additionally, considering last session, the governor may choose to veto any passed bills within executive branch statutes : “ The governor may sign the bill, veto it or let it become law without signature. The governor may also veto line items of appropriation bills, but may not veto an act referred for a vote of the people or an act initiated by the people.” However, these two bills do reflect Oregon among a few other states leading on these policy topics: 1) Coal Act: HB 4083 Requires Oregon Investment Council and Treasury to divest from Thermal Coal investments. Passed, waiting for the Speaker's signature. League Testimony . 2) Right to Repair: SB 1596 adopted. See discussion in NR Leg Report, League Testimony , passed, on its way to the governor. Other Climate Emergency Bills HB 4080 Enrolled . Off-Shore Wind: HB 4080 , League Testimony, passed. See discussion in NR Leg Report. (waiting Speaker signature) HB 4112 Clean Tech Leadership Bill. League Testimony . Funding is $20M. Died in J W&M. HB 4155 Infrastructure funding study bill- Rep Gamba and Sen Golden – in J W&Ms. Died in committee. HB 4102 Enrolled . Funding mechanism for Natural and Working Lands Fund (carbon sequestration) passed, on its way to the governor. No Fiscal. The bill related to EV rebates died in committee but DEQ did recently announce funding effective April 2024 . Climate Litigation and Congressional Climate Resolution Juliana v Gov: 3/1 Press Release from Our Children’s Trust: “ Department of Justice latest stonewalling in Juliana climate case denied; youth plaintiffs plan response to continued delays....…The Biden administration has two options. One: let America’s youth have access to their courts and exercise their constitutional rights. Or two: continue to undemocratically wield the power of the federal government to silence them, deny their rights and deny their access to justice. This administration and this DOJ are not using these extreme tactics in any other case in the nation. They owe America’s youth justice. They can and must stop this abuse of process being wielded by the DO J.” February 2024 Updates to the Climate Case Charts | Columbia University Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Oregon Cases – 73 as of Feb 2024 Congressional Children’s Fundamental Rights and Climate Recovery Resolution: LWVUS’ Lobby Corps is currently having targeted Hill meetings on the Children’s Fundamental Rights and Climate Recovery Resolution to continue bipartisan conversations about the climate crisis and resolution and to maintain League visibility on this vital issue federally. LWVUS re-endorsed the resolution upon its reintroduction and maintains a related Action Alert on the website, asking folks to contact their Members of Congress. Climate News State of the Union: Biden's climate assignment – POLITICO, Environmental Groups Decry SEC’s Climate Disclosure Rule as Too Weak – Bloomberg, Nearly Half the States Sue E.P.A. Over New Limits on Deadly Pollution - The New York Times, Amid record high energy demand, America is running out of electricity - The Washington Post, The surge in AI is straining the U.S. power grid | fast company, The world is not moving fast enough on climate change — social sciences can help explain why | The Conversation. A Superfund for climate? These states are pushing for it. - E&E News by POLITICO, No More One-Size-Fits-All Approach to State Climate Targets – RMI, Europe is not prepared for rapidly growing climate risks | EEA, The worst wildfire in Texas' history has a complex link with climate change | BBC, Oregon court rejects cities’ request to toss climate rules – OPB, Oil Trains Pose Potential Hazard to Central Oregon | Central-Oregon-daily | centraloregondaily.com , Legislature passes bill to rid Oregon’s Public Employee Retirement System of coal investments • Oregon Capital Chronicle, Oregon forester approves controversial habitat conservation plan for state lands - OPB DEQ Deadline Department of Environmental Quality : Climate Pollution Reduction Planning Grant : Action on Climate Change: State of Oregon Resilience Hubs and Networks Grant- info sessions Two Oregon Department of Human Services information sessions are available to answer questions about the grant and application, and to talk about the rules before they are final: March 12, 2024 from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. - Join the March 12 meeting To call in (audio only): +1 971-277-2343, ID: 334 941 998. A February 29 meeting recording is available. Climate Emergency - Volunteers Needed Please consider joining the Climate Emergency portfolio team; we lack volunteers in these critical policy areas: • Natural Climate Solutions, specifically Oregon Dept of Agriculture (ODA) • Climate Related Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust • Public Health Climate Adaptation (OHA) • Regional Solutions / Infrastructure (with NR team • State Procurement Practices (DAS: Dept. of Admin. Services • CE Portfolio State Agency and Commission Budgets • Climate Migration • Oregon Treasury: ESG investing/Fossil Fuel divestment We collaborate with LWVOR Natural Resource Action Committee members on many Climate Change mitigation and adaptation policy topics. Volunteers are needed: Training for Legislative and State Agency advocacy processes is available. Please contact lwvor@lwvor.org if you have any questions or wish to become involved with Climate Emergency issues.

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley/Sharron Noone • Education: Jean Pierce • Gender-Related Concerns, Reproductive Health, Age Discrimination: Trish Garner • Gun Safety & Gun Issues, Rights for Incarcerated People: Marge Easley • Hate and Bias Crimes: Claudia Keith/ Becky Gladstone /rhyen enger • Health Care: Christa Danielsen • Housing: Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan Note: Education reports after January, 2024, are included in Social policy reports. Education reports prior to February, 2024, can be found HERE . Please see the Legislation Tracker for 2025 Social Policy bills . Jump to topic: Afterschool and Summer School Criminal Justice Gun Safety Healthcare Educatio n Housing Legislation Afterschool and Summer School, Child Care By Katie Riley During the November Legislative Days hearings, The Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education held informational briefings on early learning as well as education regarding costs, performance considerations, and proposed cuts due to the pending loss of $880 million in federal funds. Child Care: In response to the Governor’s request to outline potential budget cuts of 5% and 2.5 %, the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) recommended that no cuts be made to the Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) program and the Early Learning Parent Education program at the 2.5% level. Overall, recommendations showed potential cuts to administrative functions prior to programs. Programs with Reductions at 2.5% and 5.0% Scenarios 21.0M $2.4M $36.7M These are listed in prioritized order for reductions, and most are not targeted for a full 2.5% for the first scenario. Other Early Learning Grants Child Care Supports Early Learning Hubs Early Learning Professional Development Early Learning Program Supports Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten 5 Preschool Promise Health Families Oregon Relief Nurseries Early Childhood Equity Fund Programs Held Harmless for both 2.5% and 5% reductions Baby Promise Birth to Five Literacy Kindergarten Partnership Innovation Tribal Early Learning Plan & Fund (Early Learning Tribal Hub) Every Child Belongs (Mental Health & Behavior Supports) No decisions were made on reductions. Long-term effects, alternative funding sources, reserves, and income potential will all be considered. On the plus side, a report from Jessica LaBerge on 11-18-25 representing the Eastern Oregon Childcare Business Accelerator for the Southern Oregon Regional Solutions Exchange reported that the business accelerator has started its first cohort of 13 potential childcare providers across Eastern Oregon. This program will help provide childcare businesses with small business advising, childcare educational credits, curriculum support and ongoing assistance with the business side of childcare. The goal is for the participants to be fully licensed and opening their own childcare business to provide additional capacity for Eastern Oregon communities. She is hoping to find additional funding to start a Spanish speaking cohort and additional cohorts in the future. Afterschool Care New data on the demand and need for afterschool care was included in the report, America After 3 pm , published by the Afterschool Alliance, October 2025 Citing the most recent survey of over 30,000 parents nationwide, the Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant said “Families at all income levels want afterschool opportunities and those with resources invest heavily in afterschool programs and activities. But it’s concerning that, after adjusting for inflation, afterschool spending by families in the lowest income bracket has decreased since 2020, while spending by families in the highest income bracket has grown, exacerbating inequities. Afterschool programs give students a safe place to go after the school day ends, boost their academic achievement, help address the youth mental health and chronic absenteeism crises, provide alternatives to screen time, give working parents peace of mind that their children are safe and supervised, and more. Our country will be stronger and more successful when all children can take advantage of what afterschool programs offer – but, sadly, this study shows we’re nowhere near reaching that goal. We need greater support from federal, state, and local governments, businesses, and philanthropy. Every child deserves access to a quality afterschool program.” Oregon data shows that parents of 331,262 children want afterschool programs but 5 out of 6 children are not able to participate due to availability, access (location and transportation), and cost, the largest factor. “In Oregon, the demand for afterschool programs is incredibly high. Parents value the benefits afterschool programs provide for young people—keeping them safe, helping build life skills, and getting them excited about learning. They say that afterschool programs help them keep their jobs and provide peace of mind. Still, just a fraction of Oregon families who want afterschool programs have them…Overwhelmingly, Oregon parents are in favor of public funding for afterschool programs.” Recent surveys confirm this: 2025 89% 2020 90% 2014 83% 2009 79% Support for public funding is high across the political spectrum in Oregon Democrats 92% Independents 94% Republicans 81% However, currently, no public funding is available from the state specifically for afterschool care. Funds from the Student Success Act can be used for that purpose, but most school districts use that funding for teachers and counselors. Public funding is available for afterschool programs in some cities, e.g. Portland, Hillsboro. Summer care: The appropriation for summer school that was funded in the 2025 legislative session is probably not in danger of being cut because the appropriation was made into a special fund outside the general fund. Funding is still available for summer 2026 and 2027. These funds are designated to school districts for summer literacy and although there is a mandate to involve at least one community-based organization, the requirement does not include after school hours care. Criminal Justice By Marge Easley The Senate Judiciary hearing on November 17 provided an update on wrongful conviction legislation, SB 1584 (2022), and the need to pass additional legislation to ensure a more effective and timely compensation process for those who have been wrongly convicted. The 2025 Oregon Justice for Exonerees Act (SB 1007) failed to make it out of session. The Innocence Project and the Forensic Justice Project will also push for fixing gaps in current law that have allowed convictions based on flawed and outdated forensic science, including hair comparisons, bite mark analysis, and comparative bullet lead analysis. Education By Jean Pierce In the coming session, school funding will be a major concern. On November 19, Legislators heard a report from LPRO and LFO staff outlining deficiencies of the Quality Education Model used to determine equitable funding. This is an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed. In addition, education agencies were not immune from the request to identify potential spending cuts. Their proposals are outlined below. However. public school administrators are urging lawmakers to allocate money from the $1.2 billion education stability fund to meet the current budget emergency. K-12 Education The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) used the following guiding principles when they decided where to make cuts: Protect student-centered supports Maintain statutory compliance Preserve organizational stability Limit disruption to districts and classrooms Establish programs to hold harmless ODE is proposing partial reductions in General Funding to some programs, including Every Day Matters, which addresses barriers to attendance Career and technical Education grants and career pathways ·High School Success Further, ODE is proposing State School Fund cuts to 10 th Grade Assessment Educator Advancement Fund English Language Learners Health Schools Fund Local Option Equalization Menstrual Products Speech Pathologist Talented and Gifted Members of the Ways and Means subcommittee expressed concerns particularly about the potential loss of the Educator Advancement Fund (EAF). The EAF provides professional development, mentorship, and Grow Your Own programs for teachers. This would mean less support for teachers who are charged with implementing the recently-approved science of reading curriculum. The Grow Your Own program recruits teachers from local communities, particularly minorities. Higher Education Proposing cuts to higher education funding comes at a particularly challenging time for colleges and universities which are experiencing cuts to research and other programs from the federal government. When the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) shared their proposals for 2.5% cuts, they noted that the cuts would result in hundreds of eliminated positions, including full-time faculty and administrators. They reported using these criteria for cuts: There would be minimal impact on support for the most vulnerable students. Other programs could continue to support the affected populations. Targeted programs were new or had received a large funding increase in the past four years. Merging or consolidating programs could increase administrative efficiency. The proposal includes cuts to The HECC agency Workforce development grants Career pathways funding for community colleges Childcare grant for student parents would no longer support new students Oregon Promise would no longer support new students The proposed cuts to the HECC budget would cause universities to increase tuition by close to 7% and community colleges to increase tuition by 10%, making higher education unaffordable for a number of students. Gun Safety By Marge Easley Supporters of Measure 114, including the League, will be pushing for the passage of a bill in the upcoming session to provide implementation details and technical fixes for Measure 114, the 2022 measure that requires a permit to purchase a firearm and bans high-capacity magazines. It has been under court review since that time. The Oregon Supreme Court hearing on its constitutionality occurred on November 6, and it most likely will take several months for the ruling to come down. Last session SB 243 set the date of March 15, 2026, for implementation of Measure 114 with the condition that the Oregon Supreme Court decides in its favor. The Christmas Tree bill also allocated over $14 million to the Oregon State Police to help cover implementation costs. Healthcare By Christa Danielson Legislative meetings held last week focused on how we are going to continue to provide our current level of services for Medicaid and SNAP in light of HR.1. Speaker of the House Julie Fahey reported cuts in the Medicaid and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) budgets of up to 15 billion in future years for Oregonians. In light of this, the legislators are looking at funding sources such as decoupling some taxes from the federal budget or using the reserve fund. There is also a task force convened by the governor to consider how to sustain Medicaid benefits. The system is already straining in light of new work requirements, eligibility checks and budgeting for a possible revenue shortfall from the state, i.e. the hospital tax. Enhanced premium tax credits are due to expire at the end of 2025. They were set up during Covid via the American Rescue Plan. Some families will have to pay double what they pay now for health insurance. Average premiums could increase by 12-25 %. Housing By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona Interim committees are meeting to prepare for the upcoming legislative session. They are studying policy issues, learning from invited leaders, and considering recommendations for potential legislation. Recently, the Senate and House housing committees invited agency leaders to speak on a range of housing issues as reported below. Presentations to the Senate Committee on Housing and Development, November 17, 2025 Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) Executive Director Andrea Bell presented information on the impact of federal funding and policies on Oregon. The state received a little over $530 million from the federal government for housing production and services for people accessing housing and homeless programs. That amount represents about 15 percent of the state’s housing resources. Congress has not yet finalized the Housing and Urban Development budget. OHCS serves as a pass through for federal dollars to local jurisdictions and non-profit providers. Inclusionary Zoning Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) promotes mixed income housing developments by requiring developers to include affordable units in their housing projects. The policy was banned by the Legislature in 1999. They relegalized it in 2016 (SB 1533) and required developers to include a percentage of units affordable to households at 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI). It does not apply to buildings with fewer than 20 units. LWVOR supported the 2016 legislation. Portland is the only city in Oregon that implemented IZ. It was fully funded for projects in the central city and underfunded for projects in surrounding neighborhoods. Underfunding led to developers creating projects with just under 20 units in order to avoid the IZ requirements. Portland recently revisited its policy and fully funded the IZ program throughout the city. It prioritized development of 60 percent AMI units in higher priced neighborhoods. In the first six months, 20 projects opted in to the program, fewer developers are proposing projects with fewer than 20 units. Regular check ins are essential. A Habitat for Humanity representative presented information on the potential for applying IZ to affordable homeownership in condominium projects. Presentations to the House Interim Committee on Housing and Homelessness met on November 18 Andrea Bell, Executive Director of Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), began by saying her agency is tracking the evolving federal landscape on housing and homeless service programs. During the shutdown a majority of federal funds awarded to OHCS were accessible and obligated during the shutdown. When the furlough affected federal staff, some projects were on pause, such as contracts and project certifications. FY 2025 funding levels were sustained for the agency. Oregon is working, although homeless numbers continue to grow. The importance of a full continuum of services is essential to keep the system viable. New homelessness is largely economically driven, a problem that is decades in the making and will take time and effort to remedy. Jimmy Jones, Executive Director of the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency in Salem, presented information to both the House and Senate committees. He explained that his agency focuses on reducing poverty, including housing assistance, child care and youth programs, and offers support for those experiencing homelessness. He commented on the history of federal homeless housing programs, and the importance of retaining the Continuum of Care program. He also highlighted “observables” in his presentation: 1) What we are doing in Oregon is working, 2) homeless numbers continue to grow, 3) observable 2 is not connected to observable 1, 4) a new wave of homelessness is largely driven by economics, 5) criminalization will fail, 6) we need full continuum of services and they are all interconnected, 7) the problem is decades in the making and will take time to solve. He is concerned about the July 2025 Executive Order issued by the White House on homelessness and related topics. It seeks to encourage civil commitment of individuals with mental illness who pose risks to themselves or the public or are living on the streets and cannot care for themselves in appropriate facilities for periods of time. In the past, homeless individuals were expected to work their way through a stair step into permanent housing. More recently policies have prioritized Housing First and harm reduction that do not require working through specific steps to qualify for housing, but instead place clients into housing and then provide services and support. The Trump administration will fund the older failed approach to addressing homelessness. It will focus on criminalizing homelessness, reducing funding for permanent supportive housing, incentivizing treatment first and transitional housing. It will shift funds to faith-based providers, require cooperation with immigration enforcement, and disallow racial and transgender preference policies. States will need to re-compete for federal funding grants. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED : What is your passion related to Social Policy? You can help. Volunteers are needed. We particularly need help tracking legislation concerning Criminal justice Hate and bias crimes Juvenile justice Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Governance , and Natural Resources , and Revenue report sections.

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 1/23 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch Coastal Issues: Christine Moffitt, Peggy Lynch Columbia River Treaty: Philip Thor Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries: Joan Fryxell Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone Forestry: Josie Koehne Elliott State Research Forest: Peggy Lynch Northwest Energy Coalition: Robin Tokmakian Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: Melanie Moon Oregon Parks and Recreation Department: Jim Buck Oregon Dept. of Transportation: Janice Thompson Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Elliott State Research Forest Land Use/Housing Toxics Water Wildfire Volunteers Needed Natural Resources By Peggy Lynch Everyone is awaiting Governor Kotek’s first biennial budget. Ways and Means Subcommittees can’t begin hearing agency budgets since agencies have to follow the Governor’s requests. Her budget needs to be “balanced” with the revenues forecasted back on November 16 unless she proposes additional revenue. BUDGETS/REVENUE Want to know how the legislative budget process works? The Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO) provided a document to help legislators and the public understand. CLIMATE By Claudia Keith and Team See Climate Report in the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. T here are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. COASTAL ISSUES By Christine Moffitt Coos County, City of Coos Bay, and City of North Bend have been working on updates to the Coos Bay Estuary Management Plan (CBEMP). The County file number assigned to this project is AM-22-005 . Here is a link to the LWV Coos Study and meeting s and a link to a memo by League member Moffitt. At this time, LWV Coos is asking stakeholder agencies to review the Draft Coos Bay Estuary Management Plan (Parts 1 and 2) and the Coos Estuary Map Atlas for concurrence with the agency’s requirements and interests. Comments submitted by February 20, 2023 will be addressed as possible in the document draft submitted for the post-acknowledgement plan amendment process to DLCD on March 1. Comments outside of the current work scope, including comments associated with a Full Plan revision, are welcome. These comments will be included in the packet provided to staff as part of the final draft. Please send comments to: Amanda Ferguson, IPRE, (541) 409-2522, afergus4@uoregon.edu AND/OR Jill Rolfe, Coos County Community Development Director, jrolfe@co.coos.or.us The Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) hosted a virtual meeting on January 27. Agenda . ELLIOTT STATE RESEARCH FOREST By Peggy Lynch On Jan. 20, the Oregon State University (OSU) Board of Trustees received a presentation on the projectstatus and OSU’s work. The Board will need to formally approve OSU’s participation in the next few months. The Forest will become a separate public entity on July 1 with its own Board of Directors. LAND USE/HOUSING By Peggy Lynch On Jan. 23 Senate Housing and Development received a presentation on System Development Charges—used to pay for infrastructure needed for new development. LWVOR supports state help for these charges for low-income and even middle income (up to 80% AMI) developments. Duncan Wyse, Oregon Business Council, shared with the Joint Committee on Semiconductors that Oregon needs to set aside two parcels of land that are at least 500 acres and ready for development by a semiconductor manufacturer, as well as several smaller plots of land for similar purposes. A legislator pointed out the need for land for more housing if new manufacturing plants are built. KGW provided good meeting coverage . The League wants to remind legislators that Washington County’s prime agricultural land is also an industrial land usage and cannot be replaced! HB 2899 : Building on wetlands is cost prohibitive—and from the League’s view should not be allowed. This bill removes certain lands from definitions of buildable lands for purposes of urbanization, including floodways, wetlands, and special flood hazard areas. This ensures that the state has a more accurate calculation of buildable lands. The League will be watching this bill. We support the concept, but have concerns about implementation. HB 2203 : Allows RVs used to provide security of farm use to be sited on lands zoned for EFU. Public Hearing was held on 1/19. LWVOR has concerns around waste disposal, drinking water availability and other services. However, the testimony focused on the ability of forestry to use this provision in law so the agricultural industry should be able to do the same. HB 2889 : Establishes Oregon Housing Needs Analysis within the Housing and Community Services Department. LWVOR supports. You can watch a presentation of this concept in the Jan. 17 House Housing Committee. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. TOXICS By Paula Grisafi HB 3043 LWVOR joined others in support of the Toxic Free Kids Act Modernization bill. Thousands of chemicals lurk in products our kids use every day, and children are far more vulnerable to toxic chemicals than adults. And parents should not have to be expert chemists or have to shop in specialty stores in order to obtain safer products. Read LWVOR testimony . WATER By Peggy Lynch According to the US Drought Monitor, nearly 64% of Oregon is experiencing moderate (D1) to exceptional (D4) drought conditions. Changes over recent weeks include a number of improvements and degradations. Reservoir storage contents in most U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (including Klamath) projects are measuring well below average, with many showing similarities to the past couple water years. The League is reviewing HB 3100 , a bill that updates requirements for the Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS). Section 1 of the bill has many positive additions, but Section 2 requires yet another standing Advisory Committee. Committees take staff time and resources and the Water Resources Commission provides adequate oversight. We’ll listen to others as we consider testimony on this bill, but we wholeheartedly support the guidance of the IWRS as it links multiple water agencies towards “abundant clean water for all”. We all need to pay attention to the potential for harmful algal blooms. “When in doubt, stay out.” V isit the Harmful Algae Bloom website or call the Oregon Public Health Division toll-free information line, 877-290-6767, to learn if an advisory has been issued or lifted for a specific water body. We have an on-going drought throughout Oregon and League members may want to check the U.S. Drought Monitor , a map that is updated every Thursday. WILDFIRE By Carolyn Mayers The League monitored the Senate Committee on Natural Resources January 18th meeting with an update on SB 762 (2021). Meeting summary can be found here . Meeting materials, including detailed reports may be found here . “ We no longer have a fire season. We have a fire year.” Mark Bennett, Chair, Wildfire Programs Advisory Council. An update on the progress of the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council was presented by Chair Bennett. Highlights included a summary of work completed in 2022, and a statement that future work will include increased emphasis on Community Wildfire Risk Reduction. Homeowners’ cultural traits should be considered when promoting wildfire mitigation efforts, OSU study finds: About one-third of housing in the lower 48 states of the U.S. now lies in the wildland-urban interface, where they are more susceptible to wildfires, prior research has found. A survey answers: Should Oregonians be allowed to build homes in areas of high and extreme risk? Jan. 25 th News Update on the Wildfire Exposure (Risk) Map—a postponement. HB 2898 : A wildfire recovery bill that continues the allowance that recreational vehicles may remain on a lot with a single-family dwelling that was damaged by natural disaster. It extends this allowance until December 30, 2030 for dwellings destroyed in 2020 wildfires. The League has concerns about wastewater and other services that are needed and that this bill might perpetuate these vehicles where long term housing should exist. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Above you can see the names of League volunteers who covered one or more issues. V olunteers are needed. What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. Carolyn Mayers/Wildfire and Paula Grisafi/Toxics have joined the team. Thanks! The 2023 Legislative Session is at hand with over 2,000 bills already filed. Help! Natural Resource Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly and need monitoring. If any area of natural resources is of interest to you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, at peggylynchor@gmail.com . Training will be offered.

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Legislative Report - Week of 2/16 Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley/Sharron Noone • Education: Jean Pierce • Gender-Related Concerns, Reproductive Health, Age Discrimination: Trish Garner • Gun Safety & Gun Issues, Rights for Incarcerated People: Marge Easley • Hate and Bias Crimes: Claudia Keith/ Becky Gladstone /rhyen enger • Health Care: Christa Danielsen • Housing: Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan Note: Education reports after January, 2024, are included in Social policy reports. Education reports prior to February, 2024, can be found HERE . Please see the Legislation Tracker for 2026 Social Policy bills . Jump to topic: Behavioral Health Criminal Justice Education Gun Safety Healthcare Housing Immigration Reproductive Healthcare Behavioral Health Trish Garner SB 1533 received a “do pass with amendment 1” recommendation in the Senate Committee on Human Services. It generally permits a court to limit, deny, or prohibit contact between a foster child and the foster child's sibling to ensure safe and appropriate contact between the siblings. It modifies Oregon’s Foster Children’s Sibling Bill of Rights by enhancing contact between siblings, except when a court order has determined otherwise. It also expands the Oregon Foster Children’s Bill of Rights to include the right to (1) be protected from abuse, exploitation, neglect, intimidation and inappropriate use of restraint or seclusion, (2) have access to a free and appropriate public education; (3) be assigned an attorney to represent the child’s interests; and (4) maintain, have access to and be able to transport to their personal belongings. SB 1547 A has been passed in the Senate. The bill responds to a 2024 legislative direction to the System of Care Advisory Council that it examine the possibility of establishing a bachelor’s level youth and family behavioral health license. That is what SB 1547 does. The measure authorizes the Oregon Board of Psychology to issue licenses to “behavioral health and wellness practitioners“ after completion of relevant education, clinical hours and training. HB 1547 also sets standards for licensure. These practitioners are specifically prohibited from engaging in the practice of psychology, medicine, or diagnosis or treatment of a mental disorder. Practitioners are required to practice under qualified supervisors, and communications between the practitioners and clients is privileged. HB 1547 is commonly referred to as the “Ballmer” bill because the Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health in Portland OR will be providing the education for these practitioners. SB 1579 was heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a Work Session is scheduled for February 16. The measure makes submitting a false report about child abuse a Class B misdemeanor. Making such a false report if the person has a prior conviction for having done so previously can result in a Class A felony charge, and two or more prior convictions for making a false report of child abuse carries a Class C felony. HB 4028 was heard by the House Committee on Behavioral Health, and in a Work Session it unanimously adopted the proposal with a “do pass” recommendation. The bill had initially been scheduled to be referred to Ways and Means, but that referral was rescinded. This legislation targets the auditing process for outpatient behavioral healthcare treatment. It requires the Oregon Health Authority, insurers and coordinated care organizations (CCO’s) to develop written claim filing requirements including detailed and specific information. (CCO’s are regional networks which receive and manage state and Medicaid funding and distribute it to health care providers based on their services.) The claim filing requirements must be made available to all providers. HB 4028 also mandates that providers must be given 30 days advance notice of any changes in these requirements. The lookback and compliance deadlines are identified. The CCO’s cannot claim recoupment based on clerical errors. The same criteria must be used for all behavioral health and medical and surgical claims. This latter provision reiterates Oregon’s policy of parity, which means that claims for behavioral and mental health treatment must be processed the same as medical claims. HB 4039 passed the House Committee on Health Care with a “do pass with amendment 1” recommendation. The bill changes how the Oregon Health Authority sets payment rates for coordinated care organizations (see definition of CCO in report regarding HB 4028). HB 4039-1 mandates that CCO’s establish a transparent, data-driven process when developing capitation rates, which are the set amounts of Medicaid funds Oregon pays a CCO per member, per month to cover that person’s healthcare. The bill also requires that CCO’s use a part of their income or reserves to address social determinants of health and health disparities. Finally, the Oregon Health Policy Board is mandated to establish a review process for collecting public comment when setting rates. HB 4059 received a “do pass with amendment 3” recommendation and a referral to the Rules Committee from the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services. The bill seeks to modify what constitutes “threatened harm” when determining whether a child has been abused and places limits on jurisdiction when the state investigates certain reports of child abuse. The current standard is whether a child faces a “substantial threat of harm.” Proponents argue that this standard is vague and set too low. For example, Oregon’s Department of Human Services gets more complaints of potential neglect or abuse than other states (about 100 a year for each 1,000 children, compared to a national average of 70). Children and families who are investigated often experience lasting trauma, even when the abuse is unfounded and Oregon’s child welfare workers are overworked. Disability Rights Oregon was opposed on the grounds that it might lead to more domestic violence and abuse. (See Oregonian article ). Amendments offered different standards for triggering such investigations. One standard required demonstration of an imminent and severe threat to the child, and another required a threat of harm that places a child at severe risk to welfare and is likely to occur in the future. The Committee landed on the “severe risk” standard ( HB 4059-3 ). HB 4083A unanimously passed the House Behavioral Health Committee with a “do pass with amendment 2” recommendation. The bill arose out of Governor Tina Kotek’s Behavioral Health Talent Council, chaired by First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson, a former social worker. It was designed to “cut the red tape” for behavioral health worker licensure and ease a bottleneck that has formed due to a lack of qualified clinical supervisors. HB 4083-2 retains the first portion of the initial version of the bill but eliminates the second. This means that the Oregon Health Authority is required to create a uniform process to credential behavioral health care providers. The State Board of Licensed Social Workers, however, will not join the Board of Psychology and the Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists in being supervised by the State Mental Health Regulatory Agency. These professionals very strongly opposed this portion of the bill. Criminal Justice By Marge Easley and Sharron Noone The League is carefully monitoring the many bills in House and Senate Judiciary this session that seek to protect Oregonians from the actions of federal immigration officers. Thus far we have submitted supportive testimony on three of those bills. The latest testimony was on SJR 203 , heard on 2/11 with a work session scheduled for 2/16. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Manning, would refer to voters a constitutional amendment that prohibits secret police in Oregon, forbids the wearing of masks by all levels of law enforcement, and requires identification on officers’ uniforms. We previously reported on HB 4114 (League testimony ), which allows a civil suit against a federal or out-of-state law enforcement officer, and on HB 4138 (League testimony ), which requires law enforcement agencies to enact policies regarding identification on officers’ uniforms. The former bill passed with an amendment on 2/11 on a 5-3 vote, while the latter is scheduled for a work session on 2/16. On other criminal justice matters the League submitted recent testimony on HB 4045 , which requires communications providers to respond quickly to search warrants related to stalking or domestic violence. Social media providers must respond within 72 hours, while all others must respond within 5 days. The bill was heard on 2/9, and the amended bill passed out of committee on 2/11. We also hope to see SB 1515 (modifications to the wrongful conviction petition process) successfully pass out of committee at its 2/16 work session. (LWVOR testimony ) Education By Jean Pierce HB 4079 requires public schools to inform parents, students, and community members when ICE is present on the campus. This would assure immigrants that they have accurate information to base decisions protecting their children. included a number of technical fixes recommended by the chief sponsor of the bill. The League submitted testimony in support of the bill. HB 4079-5 received a DO PASS as AMENDED recommendation SB 1538 creates a new protected class in educational antidiscrimination law (schools cannot discriminate based on immigration or citizenship status), and guarantees admission to Oregon school districts’ instructional programs The -7 amendment removed a requirement which the League had supported in testimony – that districts model their policies after those developed by the Oregon DOJ. Nevertheless, the League still supports SB 1538-7, which received a DO PASS as AMENDED recommendation from Senate Education. The House Education work session for HB 4149 , for which the League wrote supportive testimony , was carried over until Monday, Feb. 16. After hearing a number of concerns about SB 1555 , the Senate Education Committee did not hold a work session on the bill. It would have eliminated the Quality Education Commission and made other significant changes related to how public education is funded. While there is no question that the current system of determining the level of funding is flawed in Oregon, concerns were shared that the bill raised a number of issues that could not be resolved in the short session. Chair Fredericks announced that he was creating a work group to consider how best to restructure school funding. The House Education Committee considered three bills which would require additional moneys: In a public hearing for HB 4112 , that would restore funding for outdoor school, the point was made that this would honor Measure 99 - when voters requested an outdoor school education fund consisting of 4% of the Oregon Lottery Economic Development Fund. HB 4050 would fund a study of processes used by other jurisdictions to align school funding with provider costs. This was referred to Joint Ways and Means HB 4124 In January, 2026, a HECC report on spending and efficiency in Oregon Public Universities found: Tuition rates have increased, and Oregon relies more than its peers nationally on tuition revenue. The overall growth in spending has exceeded that of consumer-based inflation. This is consistent with the national experience for higher education institutions and other public, labor-intensive entities in Oregon. Proportionally, spending on instruction and research has fallen from 43% to 37% while spending on public service and institution support has grown from 14% to 19%. Over the past decade, staffing has grown while enrollment has declined with significant variation by university. Staffing grew the most in academic and student support areas while also growing in institution support areas When considering cost efficiency, the number of degree/certificate programs offered has grown significantly while student to staff and student to faculty ratios have declined. Degree productivity (i.e., the number of completions per 1,000 student FTE) and degree completion spending (i.e., the number of completions per $100,000 in spending) have both increased, suggesting improved efficiency. With this in mind, HB 4124 would require HECC to study and make recommendations to address the purpose of different types of institutions and opportunities for collaboration, restructuring, or integration. The recommendations need to address workforce needs, program duplication, employment supports, funding strategies, and metrics of affordability. It is hoped that the recommendations would lead to policies which make higher education in Oregon more affordable to students while maintaining the quality of programs. Gun Policy By Marge Easley Following the spirited House Judiciary hearing on 2/2, we will be closely watching for any amendments to HB 4145 (modifications to the gun permitting portion of Measure 114) at its work session on 2/16. Healthcare By Christa Danielson and Trish Garner SB1527 would provide access to screening with colposcopy when there is an abnormal pap. LWVOR filed testimony in support. The bill passed the Senate unanimously. SB 1529 was heard in the Senate Committee on Health Care and a Work Session has been scheduled (February 16 th ). The initial draft of SB 1529 was a study bill, but amendment 1 requires that when contract negotiations present a risk of a gap in insurance coverage for more than 30,000 Oregonians, state-regulated health plans and providers must participate in mediation and binding arbitration. Final contract terms will be set by the Governor or a designee. Failure to comply with these provisions can result in a civil penalty. The measure is opposed by the Hospital Association of Oregon and the Oregon Independent Medical Coalition. These entities point to the inherent imbalance in power dynamics between insurers and providers and also argue that the bill fails to set clear standards. The Hospital Association of Oregon, which represents Oregon’s 60 community hospitals, states that the bill was presented with good intent, but as a practical matter, SB 1529 will interfere with hospitals’ ability to obtain terms that are essential for sustaining hospital services and preserving access to care. The process will also be especially onerous for smaller providers and clinics who do not have the negotiating power of larger systems. SB1575 adds new requirements for obtaining an initial license to operate and maintain a hospice program. Requires a hospice program to apply for a new initial license after a change in ownership. Prohibits individuals who have been excluded from participation in Medicare or Medicaid or have been found liable for fraud or abuse from holding an ownership interest in a hospice program. SP 1575 limits Private Equity from acquiring community based hospice providers. It will strengthen vetting requirements to ensure a hospice has appropriate qualifications and protects the Oregon licensing process. We hope to be able to write testimony when this bill gets to the house as the League of Women Voters believes that health care is a human right and private equity ownership of hospice programs is by nature profit driven leading to poor overall care. SB1598 protects access to evidence-based preventive services by saying that health insurers must continue to pay for recommended vaccines. The bill would also respond to recent Federal changes. The bill does not in any way mandate getting vaccines. This bill would ensure continuity of coverage and support patient choice. The bill also allows Oregon to act quickly in response to new outbreaks. The bill keeps decisions private between patients and providers. The bill reinforces science-based care but also maintains flexibility and trust in the provider-patient relationship. The bill is scheduled for a work session and we will continue to follow in hopes of writing testimony in the house. HB 4003 was heard by the House Committee on Health Care. A Work Session was scheduled but no longer appears in the legislative calendar, which means the bill has stalled and will not pass in this legislative Session. The measure may seem to be simply technical, but it is far from it. The bill relates to the “prioritized list” which determines what charges Medicaid will cover. Everything below the line is not covered, and everything above the line is covered. The Oregon Health Evidence Review Committee or HERC , composed of 13 governor-appointed and senate-confirmed volunteer members, currently develops this list based on (1) the comparative benefits of each service to the population to be served, (2) evidence-based guidelines and (3) the comparative effectiveness of services as demonstrated by research. This system for the delivery of care is one of the key provisions of the Oregon Health Plan proposed by Governor John Kitzhaber and has been used in Oregon since the 1990’s. He is therefore not in favor of changing the prioritized list process and in fact testified against HB 4003. He states that because funds available to provide health care are limited, they must be “rationed” by either dropping people or by cutting benefits or payments to providers. Governor Kitzhaber asserts that when faced with this limit, the prioritized list does so by using a transparent, accountable, and evidence-based process. ( Governor Kitzhaber in Willamette Week ). The Oregon Health Authority and proponents of HB 4003 state that the federal Center for Medicaid Services (CMS) has mandated that Oregon must stop using the list, while those opposed claim that the CMS changes are minimal and don’t require a legislative response. They also aver that that the Oregon Health Authority can comply with the new CMS requirements by relying on the HERC process which already defines benefits based on medical necessity. The bill is strongly opposed by many coordinated care organizations. Housing Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona Momentum is gaining now with housing bills on a fast track to hold public hearings, work sessions, amend, vote and send bills to the next chamber or elsewhere. Due to funding shortfalls bills that did not advance last session are being heard this session. Senate Committee on Housing and Development SB 5702 : The LIFT Homeownership Program has a proven track record in increasing affordable homeownership in Oregon communities. It has stimulated the construction of 1,200 permanently affordable, entry-level homes across the state. SB 5702 would allocate $100 million in Article XI-Q bond funding to further expand the pipeline of permanently affordable homeownership opportunities. It will open the door to new construction or the conversion of existing non-housing structures into housing units. By using a land trust model, these homes will remain permanently affordable. A public hearing was held by the Joint Subcommittee on Capital Construction on Feb. 13. House Interim Committee on Housing and Homelessness HB 4036 would preserve existing affordable housing through an appropriation of $100 million in Article XI-Q general obligation bonds. A newly-established Housing Opportunity, Longevity and Durability (HOLD) Fund will allow Oregon Housing and Community Services to construct, acquire, renovate, and furnish affordable housing that is at risk of loss, which is owned or will be owned or operated by the state. Preserving existing affordable housing is a key component of Oregon’s housing strategy. Without timely investment these properties are at risk of falling into disrepair, converted to market-rate housing and destabilizing low-income residents. On Feb. 12, the House Interim Committee passed the bill with amendments, and referred it to Ways and Means. Eviction Prevention: The Oregon Housing Alliance, Oregon Law Center, League of Oregon Cities, Community Action Partnership of Oregon, and Senator Khanh Pham are proposing the restoration of $10 million in funding for eviction prevention. Last session, $129 million was cut from programs that provide emergency rent assistance and services that assist tenants facing eviction, including legal defense, outreach and education, and a hotline. Every million dollars in rent assistance keeps 2,300 families housed and is much more cost effective than returning homeless families and individuals to housing. Housing Bill Updates House Interim Committee on Housing and Homelessness HB 4123 would add clear provisions to Oregon’s Landlord Tenant law regarding the disclosure of confidential information on certain personally identifying, financially sensitive and other private information. The House Committee on Housing and Homelessness held a work session on February 10 with a Do Pass recommendation. Amendments would allow landlords to share tenant contact information with repair and maintenance workers and release confidential information if required by an administrative or judicial warrant. (See also the Privacy and Protections Section of the Governance Legislative Report.) Senate Committee on Housing and Development SB 1576 would require the Department of Consumer and Business Services to adopt rules to conform to the state building code so that it aligns with federal fair housing accessibility requirements and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards. The Committee held a work session on February 10. Immigration/Migrant/Refugee/Asylum Bills with League Testimony SJR 203 Oregon Constitutional Amendment Prohibiting Secret Police See Criminal Justice SB 1538 Public schools educate immigrants See Education SB 1570 Where ICE can go in hospitals See Healthcare HB 4079 Public schools must inform about ICE presence See Education HB 4091 Oregon National Guard Activation & Authority See Governance: Privacy & Protections HB 4114 Rules for Operations of Federal Agents or Agents from Another State in Oregon See Criminal Justice HB 4138 Requires ID and prohibits face coverings for law enforcement agents See Criminal Justice Other BIlls Bill # Description Policy Committee Status Fiscal M$ Chief Sponsors+ Comments HB 4001 Study how OR addresses illegal ICE enforcement H Judiciary & W&M PH / WS 2/16 Not posted yet Fahey SMS HB 4111 Immigration status not admissible in civil suit H Judiciary WS 2/16 Not posted yet 11 SMS HB 4117 Universal ( legal) Representation & worker relief Funding H Judiciary PH 2/18 10.0 16 Likely end of session reconciliation bill HB 4150 State-supported businesses do not transport detainees H Commerce Cons. Prot. PH 2/5 Not posted yet 4 SMS SB1505 Establish Workforce Standards Board S Rules PH 2/4 Not posted yes Sen Interim Committee on Rules Home and community based services - SB 1563 Sue if civil rights are violated S Judiciary WS 2/16 Not posted yet Gelser Blouin SMS SB 1581 School Meals S ED Ws 2/10 to JWM Not posted yet 11 SMS SB 1594 Policies for federal law enforcement S Judiciary WS 2/16 Not posted yet 6 SMS HB 4089 Wage theft H L&WFD PH 2/4, WS 2/16 Minimal 6 SMS Reproductive Healthcare Trish Garner SB 1568-2 was passed by the Senate Committee on Early Childhood and Behavioral Health with a “do pass” recommendation. It requires that Medicaid coverage include a minimum of 12 visits by doulas, 24 hours of doula services or a comparable combination of visits and service hours, as well as coverage for these services of up to $3,750 per a 12-month period. Lactation counseling services must be covered without prior health care providing referral. The House Judiciary Committee voted to advance HB 4088-A with a “do pass with amendment 4” recommendation. It declares that it is Oregon’s policy to make sure people are allowed to get reproductive health care and gender identity treatment services. Unless a fugitive, the Governor cannot surrender an individual to another state if they are charged in that state for engaging in these activities. Publicly-funded agencies and state employees are proscribed from cooperating with investigations into reproductive and gender-affirming care. State licensing authorities cannot revoke a midwife’s license if they face a criminal conviction or discipline in another state for providing these health care services. Individually identifiable information about these activities in an investigation is considered confidential and privileged, unless it is available to the public or if the individual consents to the disclosure. Disclosure of public records regarding providers of these services is expanded from a person’s name, and home or professional address to also include images and home telephone numbers. As might be anticipated, there was an abundance of testimonies which were filed supporting and opposing the measure – the number was 417. LWVPDX filed testimony in support of the measure. It remains unclear exactly how the conflict between federal and state law will be resolved. HB 4155 was unanimously passed with a “do pass with amendments 1 and 5” recommendation by the House Committee on Health Care but it was also referred to the Ways and Means Committee. At the conclusion of the hearing, Committee members appeared to express some doubts about its final passage during this legislative Session. The measure requires employers and individuals to reimburse the cost of certain fertility treatment services. Although the measure initially included the Public Employees’ Benefit Board (PEBB) and the Oregon Educators Benefit Board (OEBB), the HB 4155 Dash 5 Amendment removed them unless they opt to provide coverage. The HB 4155 Dash 1 Amendment also expanded the types of reproductive services that would be covered, including egg retrieval, intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization. It excluded certain services such as embryo transfer services. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED : What is your passion related to Social Policy? You can help. Volunteers are needed. We particularly need help tracking legislation concerning Basic Needs: Food Basic Needs: Income Juvenile Justice Public Safety Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Governance , and Natural Resources , and Revenue report sections.

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 3/31 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone Artificial Intelligence: Lindsey Washburn Campaign Finance Reform: Norman Turrill Conflicts of Interest/Legislative Ethics: Chris Cobey CEI - Critical Energy Infrastructure : Nikki Mandell and Laura Rogers Cybersecurity Privacy, Election Issues, Electronic Portal Advisory Board: Becky Gladstone Election Systems: Barbara Klein Emergency Preparedness: Cate Arnold Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum: Claudia Keith Redistricting: Norman Turrill, Chris Cobey State Audit Working Group: Sheila Golden Voting Rights of Incarcerated People: Marge Easley Please see Governance Overview here . Jump to a topic: Initiatives Broadband, Vote-by-mail, Privacy Elections Revenue Initiatives SJR 30 , sponsored by Senators Nash and Broadman, will be heard in the Senate Rules Committee 4/2. It would increase the requirements to qualify an initiative for the general election ballot. If SJR 30 is adopted, then the number of valid signatures that is required would be increased 33% for statutory measures and would be increased 25% for constitutional measures! Furthermore, the required signatures would have to be equally distributed among congressional districts. The League submitted testimon y opposing SJR 30 since it would nearly destroy the ability for citizens to qualify an initiative for the ballot, except by wealthy special interest groups and corporations. Broadband, Vote-by-mail, Privacy By Becky Gladstone SB 224 : Senate Rules work session on April 2, League testimony in support of privacy for campaign committee staff home addresses. SB 470 A : passed a House floor vote, 29, 1 excused. League testimony supported the original bill to protect lodgers’ privacy from illicitly taken videos. HB 3766 : allows civil action against an adult who, unbidden, digitally sends intimate images (cyber-flashing) with the intent to harass, degrade or humiliate. League testimony in support; work session April 1. Upcoming & Watching SB 1014 requires the SoS to allow inclusion of political party statements in translated online versions of state or county voters’ pamphlets. League testimony in support is being prepared for a March 3 public hearing in Senate Rules. SB 952 will close a replacement timing lapse for US Senators, if need be, between when a vacancy occurs and replacement at special election. League will testify in support, public hearing in Senate Rules, April 2. SB 1121 creates a new crime of unlawful private data disclosure, punishable by a maximum of six months' imprisonment, $2,500 fine, or both. A public hearing and possible work session are slated for April 8 in, Senate Judiciary, at the request of the Oregon Judiciary. Elections By Barbara Klein Related to party membership and registration requirements , HB 3908 was filed by the Rules Committee at the request of the Independent Party of Oregon, and is scheduled for a public hearing on 3/31. The Act increases the percentage of voters in the state required for a party to be a major political party from five percent to 10 percent. This would make the development of a new major party more difficult. The LWVOR has not yet addressed this bill. Senator David Brock Smith is the sole sponsor of SB 210 to be heard by the Senate Rules Committee on 3/31. The bill replaces the Oregon vote-by-mail system and makes in-person voting on election day the standard method for conducting elections. It requires more features that the LWV opposes, some which are laid out in the federal SAVE act (which we also oppose). The bill requires voters to show valid government-issued picture ID when voting or requesting a ballot. It allows a by-mail ballot only if the elector is unable to vote in person on the date of the election. The bill removes a current requirement that the state pays postage for ballots returned by mail. It does allow vote-by-mail as the primary method for conducting elections for military and overseas electors and for electors who have a mailing address outside of Oregon. SB 210 refers the Act to the next general election ballot. It is unclear if this is only a courtesy hearing. Revenue By Natalie Briggs Public Hearing - HB 2515 Authorizes public bodies to enter into an intergovernmental agreement to pool bond proceeds or other funds into commonly managed investments without the oversight of the State Treasurer and the Oregon Investment Council. Summary: The proposed bill would enable public bodies in Oregon such as local schools to enter intergovernmental agreements for pooling bond proceeds or other funds into jointly managed investment pools, without requiring oversight from the State Treasurer or the Oregon Investment Council. Public bodies would also have the option to create investment pools for funds that aren’t specifically related to bond proceeds, allowing greater flexibility in managing different types of funds. Written agreements under ORS Chapter 190 would be required before each investment pool is established and used, to ensure accountability, and transparency among participating entities. When managing these pools, public bodies would be permitted to use the same powers and authority as the State Treasurer and Oregon Investment Council under existing laws. Proponents of the bill feel that it would enable autonomy, quicker decision-making, and tailored investment strategies that meet the varying and specific needs of the participating bodies. Committee Questions and Comments: Committee would like to understand the feedback from the Oregon state treasurer regarding this bill. Information from the state treasurer has been provided to the committee for review. Can school districts simply contract or engage a 3rd party for business office help, and could this be a suitable alternative establishing separate investment pools? This bill would result in the investment of public money in a private sector service rather than with the state treasury. Who will provide oversight to ensure that these investments are being managed appropriately? Proponents of the bill responded that schools have existing investment policies at the district level, and school boards are responsible for managing investments in accordance with these policies How would school board account for the possibility of a higher cost of management of the funds compared to the existing system? Proponents of the bill responded that school officials would be responsible for investing responsibly. Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Natural Resources , and Social Policy report sections.