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Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 5/1 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone and Chris Cobey 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 .

Back to Legislative Report Education Legislative Report - Week of 5/8 Education By Anne Nesse Of interest last week was a public hearing on HB 3199A , in the Senate 5/4, already passed the House, limiting PE requirements by the state that were unattainable by many school districts. This outdated law had caused a number of Oregon school districts to be in non-compliance with state law. In a bipartisan effort, Rep. McIntire and Rep. Bowman as bill Chief Co-Sponsors, spoke together with others on the need to be more creative in giving students “brain breaks”, increased recess, increased extracurricular sports, increasing creativity in the design of outdoor time, and other new future efforts to increase student learning. The goal is to keep our students healthier physically and mentally. This law was represented as a beginning, to start this process statewide. In an unfortunate sign of our times, HB 3584 nears complete passage, already passing the House, now going on to the Senate floor, directing schools or school districts to provide electronic communication to parents and guardians of students attending, and to school district employees employed at, school at which a safety threat action occurred. Senate Education met 5/2 and 5/4,to send several House bills to the floor. The following is a list of a few nearing complete passage: HB 2669 , Declares children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind have the same rights and potential as children who are not deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind. HB 2740 A , Establishes a uniform method for calculating eligibility of part-time faculty member of community college or public university for certain health care, retirement and other benefits. Modifies method for calculation of hours of employment of academic employees of community colleges and public universities for purposes of Public Employees Retirement System. House Education met 5/3 only, to send several Senate Bills to the floor, previously passed in the Senate. The following is a list of ones that are nearing complete passage you might be interested in: SB 218 , Requires DOE and law enforcement agencies to make available to TSPC certain information received during investigation of suspected sexual conduct or child abuse. SB 238 A , Directs OHA, State Board of Education and Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission to collaborate on developing curricula supplements related to dangers of certain drugs and to laws that provide immunity or other protections related to drug or alcohol use. SB 756 A , Requires school district employees assigned to work with students with specialized needs to have access to specified records related to students, to be consulted when an education plan for a student is reviewed or revised and to be provided with adequate training. SB 767 A , Limits scope by which public charter schools may conduct operations in a school in a district that is not a sponsor of the public charter school. Declares emergency, effective on passage.

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of January 26 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone and Chris Cobey 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 Reform AI, Cybersecurity, and Privacy Governance volunteers will be watching for these possible bills. If you don’t see your issues covered, please contact us to help; we provide training, lwvor@lwvor.org . For elections, systems, audits, and open primaries, redistricting, campaign finance reform and updating voting software, voting rights for the incarcerated Emergency management, including critical infrastructure threats around Oregon. We need volunteers to help, training is provided. Cybersecurity, Privacy, and AI. Immigration, DEIJ, hate and bias crimes Please see LWVOR Legislative Reports and subscribe to our weekly email LR summaries , starting again in February 2026. Campaign Finance Reform Norman Turrill HB 4024 was dramatically passed during the last hour of the 2024 legislative session. It is a complex set of campaign contribution limits and other reforms that Oregon has never had before, and Oregon is one of the last states to adopt. In the nearly two years since, the previous and current Secretaries of State have accomplished little to implement the bill’s provisions. ORESTAR needs an upgrade, since it uses decades-old technology. However, the contribution limits in HB 4024 do not require changes to ORESTAR. The SoS is still trying to include the costs of replacing ORESTAR as part of the computer system needed to implement HB 4024. An RFP (request for proposal, from vendors) is said to be issued for this computer development work in January. The deadline for implementation for the contribution limits in the bill is January 1, 2027; the remainder of the bill must be implemented by January 1, 2028. So, because of the delays, time is very short. Therefore, there is talk in the legislature about (further) delaying the implementation. Also, a “placeholder” bill has been submitted by the Interim Senate Rules committee for technical fixes that may be necessary for the bill. The SoS is also asking for more money for implementation without any good estimate of what will be needed. The Joint General Government committee has deferred a $25 million request until the short session. In spite of the delays, SoS Read maintains that he is committed to implementing HB 4024. AI, cybersecurity, and Privacy JCIMT Summary Stephanie Haycock and Rebecca Gladstone The Joint Committee for Information Management and Technology (JCIMT) will focus for the 2026 session on a comprehensive strategy to strengthen digital transparency and public infrastructure against evolving technological threats, by modernizing state AI and data security policies. The Oregon Cyber Security Center of Excellence (OCSCE) Biennial Report included successful workforce development. The presentation stressed critical election security funding is needed to protect from foreign interference, especially to rural counties. They note growing supply chain breach risks from third-party vendors . Nik Blosser, Oregon Chief Privacy Officer, outlined a roadmap to establish an enterprise-wide executive branch privacy program, to standardize how state agencies collect and protect personal information. The DoJ presented updated implementation and enforcement on the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act, SB 619 Enrolled (2023, see League testimony ). It includes new citizens’ rights to track their data and opt out of its sale. The Department of Justice noted that the privacy violations "cure period" has ended, signaling a shift toward formal enforcement against non-compliant businesses. The Oregon Dept of Consumer and Business Services presented an implementation update on HB 2052 Enrolled (2023) for Oregon’s Data Broker Registry with rulemaking, hiring, and enforcement progress. See League testimony . This mandates that third-party data brokers register with the state and disclose how consumers can opt out of data collection. JCIMT legislative concepts were introduced: • LC 300 (Downcoding): Aims to regulate health insurers using AI to automatically reduce provider reimbursements by requiring notification and an appeals process. • LC 301 (Cyber Security): Requires local governments and special districts to report cyber incidents to the State CIO within 48 hours to improve real-time coordination. Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Revenue , Natural Resources , and Social Policy report sections.

LILY YAO (she/her) LILY YAO (she/her) Youth Council President Lily attends South Eugene High School where she is actively involved in student government, competes in Speech and Debate, and plays varsity tennis and club Ultimate. As an environmental advocate, Lily has served as a regional leader intern with Our Future, a project of Partners for Sustainable Schools that has aimed to create a statewide, student-led climate justice network since 2022. At the same time, in roles as a City of Eugene Sustainability Commissioner and member of the Eugene Youth Advisory Council, she seeks to educate herself and others about the climate while becoming more civically aware. Similarly, as a founding member of the Lane County delegation of the Oregon YMCA Youth and Government program, she has had the unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience advocating for policy solutions and participating in government simulations of the legislative process, which has further sparked her interest in civics education. Alongside her commitment to environmental issues, Lily is passionate about disaster preparedness. In her role as a member of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 10 Youth Preparedness Council, she has educated youth in her local community and collaborated with the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) to promote disaster resilience. Her experience includes presenting at the 2024 Oregon Prepared: Emergency Preparedness Workshop, hosted by OEM, and as a panelist with Resource Tap Disaster Support Services at the 2024 Public Interest Environmental Law Conference, the largest and oldest conference of its kind. In addition to her advocacy work, Lily believes in promoting cultural diversity and understanding. In addition to English, she speaks both Spanish and Mandarin Chinese and is involved in various efforts to foster inclusivity and celebrate cultural heritage. This has included acting as a Mainstage Production Assistant for the Oregon Asian Celebration. Her commitment to bridging cultural gaps, as well as her passion for S.T.E.M., are demonstrated by her selection as a 2024 TechGirls Finalist. This year, Lily is taking on the role of Co-Voter Strategist with the League of Women Voters of Oregon Youth Council. She is dedicated to empowering young voters and increasing voter turnout among young people. In serving on the Youth Council, Lily hopes to learn more about the civic process, reach out to her community, and advocate for voters across Oregon. youthpresident@lwvor.org

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 3/6 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 Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Land Use/Housing Recycling Water Wildfire By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team Policy bills that are priorities for committees are seeing public hearings—even work sessions—and going to chambers for votes or to Ways and Means to be funded by end of session--maybe. For now, most bills are bipartisan. But the session is beginning to heat up. All this amidst the very real limited revenue for anything other than current programs and a few Leadership and Governor priorities such as housing. The next important session date is March 17 when policy bills will need to be scheduled for a Work Session or they are dead for the session unless they are in Revenue, Rules, or a Joint Committee. Budgets/Revenue We provided testimony on the Oregon Dept. of Forestry (ODF) budget ( HB 5020 ), expressing concern that staffing for climate change issues around forest management and urban forestry weren’t included in the Governor’s budget. We also provided testimony on the Oregon Dept. of Energy (ODOE) budget ( HB 5016 ), requesting additional agency programs that were not included in the Governor’s budget. The League provided support for the Land Use Board of Appeals budget ( HB 2028 ) that was heard March 6. The Dept. of State Lands budget ( HB 5037 ) was heard Mar. 7 with public testimony on the 9 th . The League provided testimony in support. The Columbia River Gorge Commission budget will be heard March 13—both agency presentation and public testimony. The Oregon Dept. of Agriculture (ODA) budget ( HB 5002 and HB 5003 ) is scheduled for March 14-16. Public testimony on the 16 th . Oregon Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) budget ( SB 5509 ) week of March 20. Dept. of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) ( HB 5018 and HB 5019 ) week of March 27. Here’s the DEQ one-pager . Tentative date for the Oregon Water Resources Dept. (OWRD) budget ( HB 5043 ) is early April. Here is their one-pager . The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) budget ( SB 5539 & SB 5540 ) is tentatively scheduled the week of April 10. SB 5543-1 Bond Authorization, SB 5544-1 Capital Construction, SB 5545-1 2021-23 Allocations Bill and HB 5045-3 , Budget Rebalance were all heard in Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Capital Construction March 3. Funding for housing/homeless needs ( HB 2001 A ) with the A14 amendment and HB 5019 with the -3 amendment were heard in the JW&Ms Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development on March 7. SB 4 , semiconductor funding requests, has a -3 amendment posted and was heard on March 6 and 8. A -2 amendment by Sen. Knopp requests that the funding come from the General Fund while the -3 has money coming from the Rainy Day Fund. SB 4 is meant to help Oregon access federal CHIPS Act monies. The Full W&Ms met March 10 to address most of the bills above. SB 4 was not included in this meeting, but currently has a $210 million price tag. Lastly, the Office of Economic Forecast provided sobering data on Oregon’s population. Without an increase in young people—with in-migration--our need for a variety of long term care services will explode without the incoming revenue to pay for those services! 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 Christine Moffitt/Peggy Lynch Last week we reported on HB 3382 , a bill to provide certain Ports with an exception from our land use planning system to allow dredging and other activities around these Ports without the current public process and federal consistency requirements. The bill has been assigned to the Joint Committee on Transportation . We understand that the reason the bill has been filed by the Ports Association is in response to a Land Use Board of Appeals decision around the Jordan Cove project. Here is an article about that case. Currently the Coos Bay/North Bend area is in the process of updating their management plans for the Bay. (See past Legislative Reports on this issue.) State agencies that administer permits that could be affected by the legislation are discussing the implications of the proposed legislation. HB 2903-1 , a bill that directs certain state agencies to implement the recommendations of the Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) around marine reserves, protected areas and other management areas and provides $800,000 for that work. The League also supported this bill as a continuation of previous testimony on OPAC’s recommendations. Land Use/Housing By Peggy Lynch Last week we expressed concern around provisions in SB 4 that includes “supersiting” authority by the Governor for many acres of farmland “just in case” the semiconductor industry might want to build a new facility in Oregon. We provided testimony in opposition only to Section 10 of the bill. Since our testimony, a number of amendments have been proposed and two public hearings have taken place. At this time no amendments have been adopted. See above in the Budget/Revenue section of this Report for the status of last week’s housing bills and also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report for details. Reduce/Recycle By Kathy Moyd A Work Session was conducted on March 7 in Senate Energy and Environment for SB 545 , one of our priority Zero Waste bills. A -1 Amendment had been posted. The original bill directed the State Department of Agriculture and Oregon Health Authority to adopt rules allowing consumers to use their own containers for refilling with food at a food establishment. Because the amendment had been posted just before the start of the Public Hearing, the League’s written testimony dealt only with the original bill. The -1 Amendment is a complete replacement of the original bill. It removes the State Department of Agriculture and limits the bill to restaurants, not all food establishments. It removes the administrative details, leaving them up to the Oregon Health Authority, although the following statement may leave too much ambiguity: “The Oregon Health Authority shall adopt rules allowing for a restaurant to allow a consumer to fill a consumer-owned container with food.” The amendment was adopted on a unanimous vote; the amended bill, SB 545-1, was passed by a vote of 4 - 1. No referral was made to Ways and Means. HB 2531 prohibits the sale or distribution in this state of new screw- or bayonet-base type compact fluorescent lamps on or after January 1, 2024. It prohibits the sale or distribution in this state of new pin-base type compact fluorescent lamps and linear fluorescent lamps on or after January 1, 2025. Repeals statutes related to mercury in lighting products. It was passed on March 6 with no amendment and goes to the chamber floor. Water By Peggy Lynch It’s been a busy week for water bills for which the League provided testimony or followed with others. HB 3163 would create a special Fund for place-based planning efforts. The League testified in support of the Fund. We are working with others on the specific criteria listed for qualifying for access to the Fund. The League has strong positions on water quality and the importance of wetlands so it was easy for us to support HB 2238 , allowing for rulemaking to increase removal/fill fees. The bill was pulled from the March 7 committee agenda and no new hearing date has been set. HB 3207 was scheduled for a public hearing on March 7 related to domestic water well testing but was pulled from the agenda. We understand it may not get a public hearing this session. HB 3208 that would expand the Environmental Quality Commission’s authority to annually adjust additional water quality fees up to 3% per year was heard and a work session on this bill is scheduled for March 9. HB 2813 A , a bill that directs OWEB to provide grants to protect drinking water sources and for which the League provided testimony in support was sent to W&Ms. The fiscal impact statement has a $5 million price tag. This money might also be able to be used as a match for federal grant opportunities. The Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS) is being updated . Go to the website for opportunities to participate. The League is engaged in discussions on HB 3100 related to the IWRS. A public hearing was set for March 9 . The League supports the IWRS but has concerns about the current bill . Lastly, we are aware of a newly filed bill, HB 3368 , that would stop all future water permitting applications until Oregon determines the amount of surface and groundwater water available for use that has not already been appropriated. We have no idea where this bill might go this session, but here’s a helpful Oregon Capitol Chronicle article that explains the reasoning behind Reps. Helm and Owens’ filing this bill. 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. 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 March 3 meeting of the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council. The meeting purpose was to review a letter to the Legislature, the composition of which was assigned to a task force of the Council at their January 2023 meeting. The purpose of the letter is to advise the Legislature on a number of recommended adjustments to the Wildfire Risk Map to help ensure a successful next roll-out. Recall the original Map associated with SB 762, the 2021 wildfire bill, was withdrawn after widespread opposition to a number of its components, and work is underway to determine the best path forward. This is part of that effort. Among the recommendations made were to change the name to Wildfire HAZARD Map, which it was noted is the language California uses. Also, while emphasizing the importance of the integrity of the eventual final product, the group decided to eliminate hard deadline dates for completion of the new map that were in the original letter. It was determined there were too many variables beyond their control to set firm dates, including a number of wildfire related bills that could influence the final version of the Map. It was speculated that Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) could be used as a platform to keep work moving forward in the interim. In addition, the Council felt it was important to allow sufficient time for the community engagement process which was not successful the first time around. The final letter can be found here . On March 8, Senate Natural Resources amended SB 509 on defensible space and the CWPPS mentioned above and the Oregon State Fire Marshall’s responsibilities and sent it to W&Ms. They also amended SB 82 related to fire insurance and sent it to the chamber floor. More on these bills next week. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. Volunteers are needed. The 2023 legislative session is almost halfway 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 6/29 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone and Chris Cobey 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: Overview Critical Energy Infrastructure Campaign Finance Reform EPAB: Electronic Government Portal Advisory Board ORMap Advisory Committee Overview Rebecca Gladstone, Governance Coordinator Legislative Days hearings included many issues relevant to Governance. Attending hearings in person, in the renovated Capitol building, helped restore our in-person networking! About 6 people stopped us to say Thank You to the League, they're depending on us! Please pass it on! Thank you to our volunteers reporting below, please thank them and follow up with any questions, and offers to help! Last week we learned… Speaker Fahey staff advised that Rep Ben Bowman and Sen Kayse Jama, both Majority Leaders, will be working on campaign finance reform legislation going forward. Stay tuned. League of Oregon Cities is interested in supporting our Recall Elections reform efforts, see position adopted in 2025. They want our help to support a revenue reform coalition. SoS staff, including Connor Radnovich, who worked for Sen President Rob Wagner, is now with the SoS as Comms Specialist. DAS staff asked to resume our mutual work from last summer, waiting to hear. We were pleased that our CEI Hub reporter, Nikki Mandell, spoke as an invited community advocate, her LR below. Note that ORESTAR funding descriptions differ between Secretary of State staff, limiting work and costs to requirements statutorily required for completion by 2027, and Honest Elections, including costs being added for a complete ORESTAR overhaul. Hearing Notes- a governance work selection: From the Joint Information Management and Technology Committee: Data Privacy See the hearing video , an impressive array of speakers, including national ACLU attorney Chad Marlowe, about 4 minutes into the video, see ACLU Oregon - Data Privacy . Cyber Breach notification legislative work will continue, deferred to the long session. Data Centers We will be following discussion of impacts on Oregon communities, evolving transitions with the use of resources.See What Data Centers Mean for States , from the NCSL, National Conference of State Legislatures. From House Commerce & Consumer Protection Antitrust Action nationally See this report from Attorney General Dan Rayfield staff: Competition in Oregon: Antitrust Enforcement in the Face of a New Federal Landscape . The hearing covered national corporate consolidation effects on Oregonians, perspectives from Oregon businesses, and the Federal Government Retreat from Antitrust Enforcement. We discussed working together with their legislative policy staff for the 2027 session. From the House Emergency Management and Vets: Oregon’s National Guard cuts A US Army Transformation Initiative discussion covered loss of facilities, staff, pilots’ training, certification, and mentoring. This may be partisan federal retribution. Rep Evans was pleased with increased cyber protection, based in Portland. Elections processing and protection We meet with the Secretary of State Staff for ongoing updates. They appreciate coordinating with our local league Voter Services around Oregon for educating voters: “Their 2026 Election Toolkit is a series of nonpartisan voter education materials covering five key issue areas such as the voter registration process, signing and returning your ballot, how to fill out your ballot correctly, and knowing your rights as an Oregon voter. It can be accessed and downloaded for your use at OregonVotes.gov/toolkit .” For Advocacy, we discussed ongoing concerns. Election Security. Three Elections platforms have ongoing cybersecurity attention, the Motor Voter System, the Oregon Centralized Voter Registration System (OCVR), and ORESTAR, the Oregon Elections System for Tracking and Reporting. See the February JCIMT SOS Cybersecurity Briefing (go to 1:17:23 in the video ) and presentation slides to the Joint Info management and Tech Comm. Stakeholders need to know that ORESTAR modifications will be limited to meeting 2027 campaign finance modifications required by HB 4018 (2026) to modify HB 4024 (2025). Those 2027 updates will cost more than the allocated $1.6M. Two election compliance specialists are being hired to respond to campaign finance reforms, how to implement rules correctly and the complaint timing process, amid an uptick in requests and complaints filed. See the HB 4018 Fiscal Statement . Protecting elected officials’ addresses privacy SB 224 Enrolled (2025), ( LWVOR testimony ) requires redacting addresses in ORESTAR. Since it is such old software, it is hard to redact across the board, not a magic switch, and they are currently unable to say that those addresses are not visible anywhere from ORESTAR. Their IT Team is working to protect addresses entered through contributions, which uses different input forms than candidates use to run for office. Another public comment period will be opened, details to follow. Fed Overreach Concerns LWV is fighting voter suppression . See LWV Voting Rights , United States of America v. Oregon, LWVOR and the ACLU of Oregon as amici, updated May 19, 2026. We follow Oregon’s multi-state legal action with AG Dan Rayfield’s Oregon Dept of Justice Federal Litigation Tracker . Federal CISA cuts For the Secretary of State, concern is more tied to federal resource cuts to funding used to fight election security threats. Feds aren’t trying to get access to systems but to data. CISA, “America’s Cyber Defense Agency” funding to counties has been cut. AI Bots are sending many more cyber threats. Knowing these cuts are happening, they’re reallocating election staffing money to focus on county coordination & best practices, but not actual cyber support. They will be asking for $2M for critical equipment & OCVR software upgrades, mostly not visible to voters, but system updates and debugging. Elections Director Dina Dawson has recommendations to better tackle this, long term. Consumer Data Privacy related to LWVOR and ACLU amici status to protect voting data, the Joint Info Management and Technology hearing featured Data Privacy: Impacts on Oregon Consumers and Communities. See the ACLU overview including protection advice, data broker controls, evading warrant requirements, mass privacy waivers, surveillance and vehicle tracking. Critical Energy Infrastructure [CEI] Hub By Nikki Mandell The Interim House Emergency Management and Veterans Committee [HEMVC] devoted a portion of its June Legislative Days hearing to the CEI Hub ( Agenda & Recordings ). Rep. Thuy Tran (HD 45), HEMVC chair, has become the lead champion of CEI Hub legislation in Salem, picking up the torch from Sen. Michael Dembrow who retired in Jan. 2025. At leadership’s direction, Rep. Tran focused the hearing on oversight, requesting that testimony not propose legislation or new programs. The CEI Hub hearing portion featured testimony from the Oregon Dept. of Energy (overview of fuel flow and storage in OR), Dept. of Environmental Quality (description of the Fuel Tank Seismic Stability Program and macro-summary of facility reporting), Nikki Mandell, community advocate (limits of DEQ’s FTSS program and need for a plan to geographically diversify fuel storage), Mike Koretenof, community advocate and retired DEQ program manager (OR’s underground storage program in the 1990s as a guide for an above ground storage diversification program). After the hearing, Nikki and Mike met with Rep. Tran to discuss potential 2027 legislative concepts. The goal is to jump-start action toward decentralizing fuel storage to (1) ensure fuel access in other parts of the state if/when the CEI Hub becomes inoperable due to any of a myriad of hazards (seismic, fire, derailment, sabotage, human error, pipeline break), and (2) for that decentralized storage to reduce the amount of fuel stored at Portland's CEI Hub. Two key challenges will be financing and ensuring that any new or expanded storage does not endanger local communities. Contacts and conversations with League members in coastal or east-central Oregon would be most welcome. Please feel free to email lwvor@lwvor.org . Coordinator’s note, see their handout filed on OLIS. Campaign Finance Reform By Norman Turrill The Montana Plan This proposal is named for the state that started the idea. Supporters in Montana recently submitted enough signatures on a statutory initiative petition to likely force it onto the Montana November ballot. The Hawaii legislature also recently passed a statute implementing it for that state . The idea originated with a former Federal Election Commission staffer. It stems from the recognition that all corporation powers and privileges have been granted by state and federal laws but not by their constitutions. The U.S. Supreme Court created a new corporate power with the Citizen United case that gave corporations the right of free speech. The Montana Plan proposes to revoke all corporate powers and privileges granted by the state, then reinstate these without including campaign finance privileges. The Montana Plan defines an “ artificial person ” as any entity that is not an individual. This is a very comprehensive term that includes every type of corporation: for-profit, nonprofit, union, trust, trade association, foundation, religious organization, partnership, unincorporated association, etc. Each of these types of corporations has a separate section in Oregon statutory law, but they are never mentioned in the Oregon Constitution. The Honest Elections Oregon (HEO) organization, with which the League has been collaborating for years, is now drafting a proposed Oregon constitutional amendment initiative to implement the Montana Plan. HEO believes this must be a constitutional amendment because the Oregon Legislature has shown for decades that it is hostile to any attempt to reform campaign finance. PROS CONS • Broad bipartisan support – 74% of Montana voters back it, including Republican majorities • Legal challenges are near-certain; likely to face federal court battles immediately • Legally creative: targets corporate power grants, not speech rights – designed to survive Citizens United • Montana Attorney General (Republican) has actively opposed it; already blocked one version • Grassroots-driven; gathered signatures without paid collectors • Constitutional version rejected twice on procedural 'single subject' grounds – drafting complexity is a real hurdle • Could become national template for other state campaigns • Could deter corporate investment in Montana if enforcement is aggressive • Precedent: Montana's 1912 law held for a century; deep democratic tradition here • Only Montana statutory version (not constitutional) cleared for signatures – easier to repeal by future legislature Campaign Finance HB 4018 (2026) on campaign finance is now law, rammed through by the House and the Senate during the last legislative session. Because the Legislature betrayed the deal made in 2024 with HEO for withdrawing Initiative Petition 9 in exchange for passage of HB 4024 (2024) , HEO now believes that it has no choice but to draft a new constitutional amendment initiative on campaign finance. HEO believes this must be a constitutional amendment because of the hostility that the Oregon Legislature has shown to any attempt to reform campaign finance. In the meantime, the Elections Division under the Secretary of State is struggling to implement these bills’ requirements by January 1, 2027. In testimony to House Rules in June , SoS representatives said it will be difficult and require more money to meet this deadline. HEO believes this is because they are also trying to replace ORESTAR at the same time and are conflating the two projects. Even though HEO believes that ORESTAR should be replaced, it believes that the parts of HB 2024 and HB 4018 required to be implemented by January 2027 do not require modifications to ORESTAR. EPAB: Electronic Government Portal Advisory Board Rebecca Gladstone Oregon Electronic Portal Advisory Board This state website (portal) advisory board, meeting quarterly, has had increased leadership transitions. As a public member appointed in 2018 , Rebeccca Gladstone requested increased privacy disclaimer visibility and user tracking notices, highlighting the importance of opt-out options and transparency, particularly in light of new payment services and interagency data sharing. The new legislative member, Rep Edwards, mentioned interest in this during the JCIMT legislative days meeting (video). ORMap Advisory Committee Rebecca Gladstone The ORMAP Project has not met for over two years and doesn’t currently have policy questions for the Advisory Committee that Peggy Bengry Rebecca Gladstone serve on, Peggy for the technical group and Rebecca for policy. The goal is to develop a statewide cadastral map, for coordinated (geospatial) districting across the state. We were invited to include our concerns for accurate elections’ districting, along with Secretary of State Elections Division staff, who is no longer listed. It is convened by the Oregon Dept of Revenue. 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 2/27 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone and Chris Cobey 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 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 Noon • Education: Jean Pierce / Stephanie Engle • Equal Rights for All Ballot Measure: Jean Pierce Kyra Aguon • 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.

Jim joined the League of Women Voters of Oregon as Voter Newsletter Editor in 2023. Jim Buck Voter Newsletter Editor Jim joined the League of Women Voters of Oregon as Voter Newsletter Editor in 2023.

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 5/12 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone and Chris Cobey 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 Privacy, Consumer Protection, Ethics, and a Budget Elections Artificial Intelligence Campaign Finance By Norman Turrill HB 3392 is said to be the vehicle for a gut and stuff of the technical fixes for HB 4024 (2024) . This bill is currently a study of campaign finance by the Secretary of State. Complex amendments are under discussion among Honest Elections, the Secretary of State’s Election Division, the Attorney General’s office, Oregon Business and Industries, Oregon unions and legislative staff. However, no amendments are yet posted on OLIS. Privacy, Consumer Protection, Ethics, and a Budget By Becky Gladstone HB 2008 A had a May 5 public hearing in the Senate Judiciary, after unanimous House Commerce and Consumer Protection support and then also on the House Floor. This personal data bill is detailed, basically about protecting personal data for teenagers. League testimony in support. Testimony this week is for bills being heard in the second chamber. Hearings are being scheduled without agendas, to cover for deadlines: “ This agenda may be populated with any measures that have been carried over from previously posted agendas. ” This week’s testimony forecast: HB 3766 A is up for a second public hearing in the Senate Judiciary, May 12, after passing unanimously from the House Floor. It would allow 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. Updated testimony was requested to address amendments. SB 430 -1 is up for a second public hearing in House Commerce and Consumer Protection, May 12, for online transaction cost disclosure to improve transparency. It passed in Senate Labor and Business on partisan lines, similarly, passing on partisan lines on the Senate Floor, 18 to 11. As reported earlier, the League anticipates submitting testimony in support. HB 3167 A is up for a third public hearing in Senate Labor and Business on May 13 to address pricing transparency for admission ticket purchases. The League is researching testimony. HB 2930 is up for a second public hearing on May 14 in Senate Rules, for conflict of interest of public officials’ household members. HB 2932 is also up for a second public hearing on May 14 in Senate Rules, to allow public officials to get paid for teaching at certain post-secondary institutions, as an exception to public officials’ prohibition against using an official position or office for financial gain or avoidance of financial detriment. The League is researching testimony. Reviewing: HB 5017 , the State Library budget bill, has a first work session on May 15, after a February 11 public hearing. The League testimony was the only one filed and is in support of our partnership for League Voter Service information. They share our Voters’ Guides in the Talking Books and Braille Library , here for the 2024 general election. SB 470 A : work sessions had been scheduled on April 24 and May 7, bounced to subsequent agendas, none currently listed for this popularly supported bill. League testimony supported the original bill to protect lodgers’ privacy from illicitly taken videos. SB 238 modifies provisions of law enforcement use of drones. We have not addressed this committee bill and are watching for developments on this new surveillance technology. The bill is passing on partisan lines, from Senate Judiciary and the Senate floor, with a public hearing in House Judiciary. HB 2006 would limit long session bill requests to 25 bills from legislators to legislative counsel. We are watching for a public hearing to be scheduled in House Rules. Elections By Barbara Klein The Senate Interim Committee on Rules requested SB 44 related to elections. There was a hearing for SB 44 on May 7 and it is scheduled for a work session on May 14th (in Senate Rules ). There are two amendments that would completely replace this bill. Details of the staff analysis of the amendments and background can be viewed here . In summary, -2 changes statutory references of voter registration “cards” to voter registration “applications.” During testimony the SOS office did not note fiscal impact; the analysis states it is unclear (at this time) whether there will be a fiscal impact. Amendment -4 to SB 44 changes the statutes related to Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) electing either multiple or single winners. Current law is either silent or does not work with RCV elections in relationship to vote recounts, tallying or write-in votes. The amendment also adds an official definition of Ranked Choice Voting (“Ranked-choice voting means a method of conducting an election in which electors may rank candidates in order of the electors’ preference”). The League’s testimony can be read here . SB 580 -2 had a third reading in the Senate on May 7th, and a first reading on the same day in the House. The bill, which originally required each city or county filing officer “ to make publicly available on the county or city website within two business days certain election documents that are filed with the filing officer, ” was amended to accommodate the different challenges between counties. Some small counties have no webmaster and work more easily with physical copies of information than digital, whereas in larger areas (like Portland) the opposite is true. The amendment allows longer time for more verified information (aside from posting name and office for the candidate, or withdrawal). Additionally, there are exceptions for candidacy declarations for precinct committee persons. The sponsor of the bill, Senator James Manning , explained it as a response to requests from voters for more transparency. Artificial Intelligence (AI) By Lindsey Washburn HB 3936 bans the use of AI on state assets if the AI is owned or developed by a foreign corporate entity. Passed from the Joint Committee on Information Management and Technology with a 6-0 vote and includes the -1 amendment to remove "country of origin". Senator Sollman referenced the League's testimony to this bill during her remarks. Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Revenue , Natural Resources , and Social Policy report sections.

Back to All Legislative Reports Climate Emergency Legislative Report - Week of 2/23 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 Please see Climate Emergency Overview here. Jump to a topic: Climate Update Oregon Water Issues Other Bills Bills Died in Policy Committee Senate Energy and Environment News Oregon Treasury and Oregon Divest Climate Lawsuits and Our Children's Trust Climate Emergency Big Picture Update Course correction needed quickly to avoid pathway to ‘ hothouse Earth’ scenario, scientists say | Oregon State University. Feb 11, 2026 Historically Low Oregon Current Snow and Precipitation Levels – Feb 21 2026 Can Markets Respond to Climate Risk Without Government? | Yale Insights. Feb 20, 2026 Oregon Water Issues/ Fire Risk/Drought Caused by Climate Change As of mid-February 2026, Oregon's statewide snowpack is at its lowest level on record for this time of year, driven by a combination of extreme warmth and low precipitation. The snow water equivalent (SWE) is in the zero percentile, meaning it is the worst on record since consistent measurements began in the early 1980s. Refer to : Oregon’s record low snowpack is not likely to recover , scientists say - OPB OPPORTUNITY FOR ACTION Please contact your legislators , asking them to support SB 1541 A and SB 1526A. Leadership and JWM committee must move these bills to the floor for a vote this session. Oregon has an opportunity to join other states, modeling critical climate fiscal legislation. SB 1541 A - Make Polluters Pay Status New SMS , Senate Energy and Environment , PH 2/5 and work session 2/10 , - 2 amendment , moved to Joint Ways and Means (JWM) . LWVOR submitted testimony . Creates the Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program to assess financial impacts of greenhouse gas emissions and recover costs from responsible entities. Multiple state agencies are involved including, Department of Land Conservation and Development, DLCD, Department of Environmental Quality, DEQ, Oregon Health Authority, OHA, and Land Conservation and Development Commission. LCDC, the oversight body is Environmental Quality Commission (EQC). The League has joined the Make Polluters Pay Campaign . This climate legislation is a national effort covered today by the New York Times , reporting that a number of other states are in the process of passing and/or implementing similar legislation. What to say Oregon’s Climate Resilience Superfund bill requires the world’s largest fossil fuel companies to pay their fair share for climate-related disasters and to fund solutions that prepare Oregon communities for future impacts. Importantly, funds will be prioritized for wildfire preparedness and recovery and climate resilience projects, such as: Preparing homes, buildings, powerlines, and more to be wildfire safe; Sustainable, preventative work such as controlled burns to reduce wildfire risk; More energy-efficient cooling and home weatherization to protect us from extreme heat and smoke, while lowering utility bills; Rebuilding better and more resilient after major floods or wildfires; Combating water shortages with more efficient irrigation equipment for Oregon farmers. SB 1526 A - FORGE: Fund for Oregon Resilience, Growth, and Energy Status New SMS , ’, work session was 2/9, Senate Energy and Environment (SEE) moved the bill to JWM, League testimony . Creates financing tools, including a revolving loan fund, to provide more affordable, accessible long-term financing for clean energy and resilience infrastructure projects in Oregon. This is modeled on a number of other states’ legislation , some as "green" banking nonprofits.
 What to say SB 1526 would create a new tool to provide more affordable, accessible long-term financing for projects that strengthen Oregon’s clean energy and resilience infrastructure. The bill responds to the need for alternate funding sources to enable the state to continue vital investments in clean energy and resilience. SB 1526 offers Oregon a clear and timely solution. By establishing the Fund for Oregon Resilience, Growth, and Energy, this bill would help fill critical financing gaps left by federal rollbacks, leverage public dollars to attract private capital, accelerate clean energy, resilience, and housing projects statewide, and protect affordability while creating family-wage jobs. Other Bills the League is following: HB 4046A Nuclear Study Bill, House Climate, Energy, and Environment (HCEE), work session 2/12, moved to JWM unanimously as amended. New SMS , directs the Oregon Department of Energy, subject to the availability of funding, to conduct a study on nuclear energy, including advanced nuclear reactors. The -2 amendment, a substantial rewrite of the original bill negotiated with opponents, seemed to satisfy committee members that the study could be unbiased as to nuclear energy issues. 
 HB 4031 A : new SMS , first reading in Senate 2/19, House passed on 2/12. Sen Judiciary PH 2/23 and WS 2/25. Exempts a renewable energy facility from needing a site certificate from the Energy Facility Siting Council if the facility qualifies for certain federal renewable energy tax credits a nd construction is scheduled to begin on or before December 31, 2028. 
 HB 1597 A SEE PH 2/4, WKS was 2/16. Sen chamber vote 2/23. Makes a power provider disclose the costs to store the waste made from making any electric power. New SMS 
 Bills that died in Policy Committee SB 1582 , Community-Based Power: Distributed Power Plants, SEE Senate Energy and Environment The committee declined to move SB 1588 (Upgrade and Save), ostensibly out of concern about adding to the burdens of PUC and the regulated utilities. Sen. Golden expressed regret that SB 1588 would not move forward, saying the goal was to start addressing the significant challenge of developing new energy while keeping utility bills affordable for Oregonians. Capturing energy wasted by many thousands of energy-inefficient buildings would allow us to begin meeting that challenge. This will remain a “much more than trivial problem” moving forward. The committee voted unanimously to move SB 1525-3 to the Senate floor with prior referral to Joint W&M. It would establish the Blue Economy Task Force to study and report on economic development plans or strategies for the “blue” (coastal) economy. As amended, the bill would specify additional members of the task force including labor and tribal representatives. The bill would also authorize the Oregon Ocean Science Trust to create a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) entity to serve as a dedicated fund-raising arm of the trust. Note: The House has passed HB 4097 , scheduled for public hearing in Senate Natural Resources and Wildfire on 2/17, which simply would authorize creation of the tax-exempt entity. See also Natural Resources: Coastal Issues. The committee voted 4-1 (Robinson) to move SB 1597-1 to the Senate floor with a do pass recommendation. As amended, it would require an electric utility (defined as a public utility, PUD, MUD, or co-op) to disclose to its customers the costs of storing the waste produced by a nuclear power facility. Sen. Brock Smith proposed an amendment that would have replaced the bill with one exempting small modular reactors from the prohibition on siting a nuclear power plant in Oregon unless authorized by a statewide general election, but the committee declined to entertain it. Most of the meeting was devoted to a public hearing on HB 4102 . As introduced and passed unanimously by the House, it would modify DEQ's authority to hire third-party contractors to expedite environmental permitting. LWVOR opposed the introduced bill in written testimony , as did multiple environmental organizations, concerned about the use of outside contractors to perform important permitting work, especially if those contractors are paid by the regulated businesses. Senate E&E heard testimony on the proposed -1 amendment, which essentially would replace the House-passed bill in an effort to ward off environmental opposition and win support from labor. Major provisions of the amendment would (1) require 3rd-party vendors to disclose potential conflicts of interest; (2) require permit applicants to report their history of compliance with environmental rules; and (3) specify labor standards relative to the employment of skilled Oregon workers on permitted construction projects. Labor groups that were neutral on the base bill strongly supported the amended bill, and some environmental witnesses said they could live with the -1. Much of the discussion was technical, centering on whether the bill's new language duplicates that of DEQ's existing contractual rules. Of interest, an Intel representative stated on the record that Oregon does “underfund our permitting agencies.” See also Natural Resources: Department of Environmental Quality Find details concerning climate funding for "Climate Equity and Resilience Through Action (CERTA) –$197 million” in these informational meeting materials: JOINT COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES. Informational Mtg - 2/18/26 Department of Environmental Quality - Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Implementation Department of Environmental Quality - Environmental Cleanup - Video link to recording DLCD – 2/19/26, Bulletin Updates on the Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities Program Webinar on Climate-Smart Housing Production Strategies Transportation Planning Rulemaking ODOE – Updates ODOE Now Accepting Comments on Two Executive Order 25-29 Efforts — Energy Info News Earth’s Climate May Go from Greenhouse to Hothouse Uncertainty in climate models could mean Earth systems are perilously close to their tipping points, scientists warn |. EOS. Oregon Adopts Climate Protection Plan | Latest News | News | Oregon CUB The building legal case for global climate justice , MIT Technology Review, February 19, 2026 For nearly 20 years, the EPA has regulated greenhouse gases. No more. | The Excerpt , USA Today, February 18, 2026 Four more sustainability organizations targeted by Republican attorneys general , Trellis, February 17, 2026 Trump Administration Dismantles Federal Climate Regulations , Earth911, February 17, 2026 Trump Scrapping Bedrock of Climate Rules , Bloomberg Law, February 17, 2026 Landmark Greenwashing Case Against Gas Firm Santos Dismissed , Bloomberg, February 16, 2026 Trump's EPA Rollbacks to Have Lasting Impact , Washington Today, February 16, 2026 Oregon Treasury & Oregon Divest New 2025 Treasury : Climate-Positive Investing : Invested for Oregon Report Tracking Net zero climate positive investment strategies. Oregon pension shows climate progress , private markets drive emissions | Private Equity Stakeholder Project.org Oregon State Treasury should engage or divest from companies fueling a new era of resource conflicts. (Divest Oregon. ORG) Climate Lawsuits and Our Children’s Trust February 18, 2026 Youth At the Forefront of Petitions Challenging EPA’s Rescission of Landmark Climate Finding and Greenhouse Gas Standards for Vehicles February 12, 2026 Statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Revocation of the Endangerment Finding on the Dangers of Greenhouse Gases There are a number of active federal lawsuits. Columbia University Law ( CUL) Climate Litigation Jan 30 Updates . Another source: CLU - Sabin Climate DB lists 97 lawsuits , (active and dismissed) mentioning Oregon. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED : What is your passion related to Climate Emergency ? You can help. V olunteers are needed. The short legislative session begins in January of 2026. Many State Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round and need monitoring. If any area of climate or natural resources is of interest to you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, or Claudia Keith Climate Emergency at peggylynchor@gmail.com Or climatepolicy@lwvor.org . Training will be offered. · Natural and Working lands, specifically Agriculture · Transportation and ODOT state agency · Climate Related Lawsuits/Our Children’s TrustDA · Public Health Climate Adaptation (OHA) · Regional Solutions / Infrastructure (with NR team) · State Pr ocurement Practices (DAS: Dept. of Admin. Services) · CE Portfolio State Agency and Commission Budgets · Oregon Treasury: ESG investing/Fossil Fuel divestment Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Governance , Revenue , Natural Resources , and Social Policy report section

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 5/29 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone and Chris Cobey 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 Legislative Delays Campaign Finance No bills on campaign finance have yet been scheduled for a hearing and are unlikely to be scheduled, considering the walkout in the Senate. 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 Legislative Delays By Rebecca Gladstone Oregon’s Cybersecurity put at risk by Senate walkout This is on the annual sine die t-shirt, “Sine Die 2023 It’s Hammer Time at the Capitol”: Hopes for breaking the Senate walkout logjam seem slim, now in the sixth week. The singular focus on HB 2002 is likely to kill many critical bills as processing time vanishes, including critical cybersecurity bills carried over from 2022. Delaying cybersecurity action is already exacting high prices for Oregon, asking for more trouble. Meanwhile, some bills are moving through W&Ms on short notice. SB 166 A addresses some privacy and harassment concerns, amended with a proposed cash “physical currency” annual aggregate limit of $100 for campaign contributions, to directly address some dark money concerns. This is the biennial Secretary of State bill to correct various election laws issues, supposed to be non-controversial. It passed the House on June 1 with no votes against. See our March 14 testimony and previous extensive reports, predating amendments. Sitting in W&Ms: HB 2049 A : This cybersecurity omnibus bill is now assigned to W&Ms Sub Education, referred March 3 Do-Pass with amendments, A-Engrossed. See our testimony in support. HB 2052 A : This AG Data Broker bill is now in the full W&M awaiting a work session. League testimony in support was filed before current -7 amendments. SB 619 : This larger bill from the AG’s bill consumer data protection task force had a work session in full W&Ms and passed unanimously. See our testimony . Waiting for Senate floor attention: HB 2107 further rescheduled for Senate floor reading on June 1, after passing in the House, 34 to 25. See earlier reports for this Oregon Health Authority automatic voter registration extension. HB 2490 : This cyber omnibus bill awaits second and third Senate floor readings, scheduled for June 1 and 5, subject to change. 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 Senate readings 2 and 3, to June 1 and 5, dates subject to change ( our testimony ). HB 3073 A passed from the House floor, May 31, 55 to 1, awaiting first reading in the Senate. See our Feb 16 testimony in support of candidate and incumbent home address privacy. HB 3127 : We are following this “TikTok” bill, relating to state asset security. Currently further rescheduled for June 1 and 5, dates subject to change. SB 1073 A had no action since referral 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. Not yet assigned to a subcommittee. SB 510 Enrolled , for Public Records Advocate and Council funding, awaits the Governor’s signature. SB 417 , the related policy bill, for which we attended weekly workgroup sessions from February to May, will be receiving the awaited group amendment proposal, with no legislative action since the February 7 public hearing. 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 Social Policy Legislative Report - Week of 3/13 Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley / Sharron Noon • Education: Jean Pierce / Stephanie Engle • Equal Rights for All Ballot Measure: Jean Pierce Kyra Aguon • 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 Gun Safety Housing Gun Safety By Marge Easley Two firearm bills have appeared on committee agendas, marking a possible turning point in a relatively calm session. HB 2005 defines undetectable firearms (“ghost guns”) and sets penalties for possessions, selling, and transferring firearms without a serial number. The bill is scheduled for a hearing on March 22 and a work session on March 28 in House Judiciary. SB 527 allows gun dealers or others transferring firearms to set a minimum age of 21 for purchases, repairs, or services. The hearing is on March 27 and the work session on March 30 in Senate Judiciary. Housing By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona Governor Kotek’s $200 million Funding Package “Unprecedented” is frequently quoted if the Legislature passes Governor Kotek’s comprehensive $200 million funding request. Last week the Joint W&Ms passed HB 2001 B and its companion bill HB 5019 A , with strong bipartisan support. On March 15, the House overwhelmingly passed both bills, now headed to the Senate. They are on a fast-track to be signed by the Governor before the end of the month. If signed into law these bills would substantially increase funding for programs to keep Oregonians experiencing housing instability in their homes, move unsheltered people into safe shelter and stable housing and get on a path towards increasing affordable housing production. HB 2001 B addresses the policy side of the package. It will help keep people housed and sheltered, streamline the process of building new homes and housing units, set goals for new housing in cities around the state, provide accountability for the funds, address youth homelessness, and inadequate housing for agricultural workers. It also establishes the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis within the Housing and Community Services Department (OHCS). The Department of Land Conservation and Development and OHCS will assist the Department of Administrative Services in carrying out the requirements. Details on the many aspects of this bill can be found here. HB 5019 A spells out the funding aspects of the appropriation to support the state’s response to the homelessness to provide services to the balance of state in the 2023-25 biennium; to address youth homelessness; and to repurpose $30.6 million in funds from the Housing and Community Services Department 2021-23 budget towards these efforts. Details on these expenditures are here. The League provided testimony on HB 5019. Housing Accountability and Production Office HB 3414 would direct the Department of Land Conservation and Development and the Department of Consumer and Business Services to jointly establish and administer the Housing Accountability and Production Office. The new office would assist local governments in complying with laws related to housing development and reduce barriers to housing production. The office would also serve as a resource for housing developers experiencing barriers to development. The bill also limits conditions under which local governments may deny variance for housing developments within the jurisdiction’s urban growth boundary.

CHLOE ACOSTA (she/her) CHLOE ACOSTA (she/her) Youth Legislative Communications Director Chloe Acosta is the Legislative Communications Director for the League of Women Voters of Oregon Youth Council. She is passionate about issues facing youth and health equity. Chloe has been working with the Oregon School-Based Health Alliance since 2021. She was previously a Student Health Advocate, Legislative Advocacy Intern, and an Events and Programming Intern. Chloe was recently unanimously voted into the Board of Directors and continues to advocate for school based healthcare. Chloe is also a part of Next Up Oregon’s Community Action Team where she focuses on voter education and community events. She is also a member of the Next Up Oregon’s Participatory Budgeting Committee and the Candidate Endorsement Committee. Chloe is honored to use her advocacy skills in her local community of rural Southern Oregon with the Jackson Youth Systems of Care Network. In this role, she collaborates with 80 local community professionals on accessible, effective, community-based services and supports for youth’s health and wellbeing. Chloe Acosta is a communications and political science major at Southern Oregon University. She plans to continue working in legislative advocacy and grassroots organizing after receiving her degree. Chloe is excited to be working with the League of Women Voters of Oregon to deepen advocacy skills, especially for young rural Oregonians. youthcommunications@lwvor.org

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - September Legislative Days 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 Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Jump to a topic: Agriculture Budgets/Revenue Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Columbia River Treaty Department of State Lands (DSL) Drinking Water Advisory Committee (DWAC) Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) Forestry (ODF) Hanford Land Use & Housing Mining Nuclear Energy Pesticides Regional Solutions Septic Systems Transportation Water Wetlands Wildfire Volunteers Needed Natural Resources By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator and Team Agriculture During the Sept. Interim Days, there were many presentations related to the importance of agricultural lands. Agriculture is the second most important and most stable industry in Oregon. As part of an effort by Oregon farmers to educate legislators on their issues and concerns and loss of farmland, see the presentation to the Senate Natural Resources and Wildfire Committee and a presentation to the House Agriculture et al. Committee by Oregon Dept. of Agriculture’s Jim Johnson, as well as a presentation by Oregon farmers, a presentation by the American Farmland Trust, and a presentation about the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program. The Land Conservation and Development Commission had a public hearing on Sept. 27 and will consider updating their Farm and Forest rules at their December meeting. The rules are meant to codify case law to help local governments administer land use applications. In an article in the Oregon Capitol Chronicle: In a recent analysis of data from the latest U.S. Census of Agriculture , Oregon State University Economics Professor Dan Bigelow found that the estimated value of Oregon farm real estate grew $10.7 billion between 2017 and 2022. That’s a 23% gain in just five years, and more than triple the 7% gain in total estimated farm real estate value nationwide. Although good news if you own that land, it creates a challenge for new farmers trying to buy farmland. Here are the top 20 Agricultural commodities in Oregon from the 2022 crop year. It is the diversity of Oregon’s crops that helps with the stability of the industry. Budgets/Revenue By Peggy Lynch The August 28th Revenue Forecast and recording noted that the available General Fund resources increased for the current 2023-25 biennium by $676 million relative to the March forecast. ( Here is a link to the 2023-25 Legislatively Adopted Budget after the 2024 session.) Most of this increase is due to tracking actual tax collections, with the remainder due to a stronger revenue outlook. With this increase, a “kicker” is possible again. The League was pleased that the last forecast report included a recognition of how the effects of climate change affects our revenue and expenses. Looking ahead to the 2025-27 biennium, available resources are revised lower by $66 million. The increase in earnings is not enough to fully offset the $987 million personal kicker that may be paid out in 2026. Of help for the k-12 school funding needs, the corporate kicker may provide over $880 million. A big change at the Office of Economic Analysis is the announcement of a new Chief Economist . This is a very important position beyond the quarterly revenue forecasts as noted in the article. Oregon’s one of a kind kicker law and the mixed rural/urban tech/agriculture/timber economies are challenging. We can only hope that fresh eyes will provide accurate data for our decision makers. Other data to consider: The effective tax rate has increased over the last decade, due to both policies (i.e. Measure 66) and rising incomes. The labor market is softer than it appears (harder to find new jobs). Recent layoffs and announcements in some key industry clusters are of concern because many of these jobs are higher paying than the state average. Wildfires are having significant location-specific losses on agricultural production. Eastern Oregon was hit especially hard. The Emergency Board met on Sept. 25th. Here is a synopsis of the actions taken and a video of the meeting. At the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee meeting on Sept. 24th (see the first 30 minutes), they received a presentation on the history of property tax reform in Oregon and the many efforts to take action related to the current law. It’s time to review the inequitable and unfairness of the implementation of both Measures 5 and 47/50 from the 1990s. Here is a good video on property taxes in Oregon. Cities and counties rely on property taxes for the services they provide. It’s possible that there will be conversations on property tax reform in 2025. The Oregonian provides some insight into that future conversation. Want to know more about Oregon state government’s financial condition? This report “provides important information regarding key economic and demographic indicators for Oregon’s financial status, such as revenues, expenditures, debt, and fiscal health.” The report covers a 10-year period ending June 30, 2023. Budgets 2025 By Peggy Lynch As of Sept. 1, agency request budgets (ARBs) should have been posted on agency websites. The Governor will now need to consider those requests in light of her priorities, the Aug. 28th Revenue Forecast, and any recommended revenue enhancements then provide the Governor’s Recommended Budget (GRB) by Dec. 2nd. The Governor proposes; the legislature disposes. There will be another Revenue Forecast Nov. 20, again in March and finally in May of 2025. The May 2025 Forecast will be the basis for the legislature to determine the 2025-27 state budget. The 14 natural resource agencies were given instructions to only ask for funding their Current Service Levels (CSL) and 1% more unless they received a special approval by the Governor’s office. There were new instructions related to the increase of percentages for services and supplies, of rent for those who rent from the state and increases in salaries. Also, a 5% vacancy savings was requested—holding approved positions open to save costs during the 2023-25 budget cycle. Most of the documents linked below include a full complement of CSL, new Policy Option Packages (POPs) and the required 10% reduction lists. Here are most of those ARBs: Dept. of Environmental Quality budget . Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries budget . Dept. of Land Conservation and Development: The Policy Office has been leading the development of policy option packages (POPs) for the 2025-2027 legislative sessions. This presentation provides information and notes the inclusion of six new POPs out of the Governor’s Housing Production Framework. Dept. of State Lands budget . Oregon Dept. of Agriculture budget . Oregon Dept. of Energy budget presentation . Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife budget . Oregon Dept. of Forestry budget . As of Sept. 27, there is $288.9 million in gross fire costs for 2024. Although we expect the federal government and others will eventually pay a great deal of those current costs, the bills need to be paid now. That means money will need to be found to cover those costs for the next 2-4 years. See the Emergency Board actions where these costs are beginning to be addressed. Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board budget . Oregon Water Resources Dept.: The full Agency Request Budget, policy option package narratives, and a summary, can be viewed on the Department's Budget and Legislative webpage. The State Debt Policy Advisory Commission will provide bonding guidance in January of 2025. 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 Christine Moffitt and Peggy Lynch The issue of offshore wind energy has dominated conversations at the coast. The League supports the concept of renewable energy but also supports our coastal estuaries. Advisory votes have been scheduled by both Coos and Curry counties ( article ). After much sharing of concerns by the local League, our coastal fishing industry, by our tribes (including one lawsuit ) and the environmental communities, on Sept. 27th the auction of leases off Coos and Curry Counties has been cancelled . However, discussions will continue and a new auction could be considered in the future. Here is the Dept. of Land Conservation and Development’s Coastal Division offshore wind website . The Port of Coos Bay has new leadership. The Port is still considering the container ship project, of concern to the League. You can choose to attend a Rocky Habitat Management Workshop series . Learn more about the OSU Coastal Futures Project . Or attend the Oct. 2nd Oregon Ocean Science Trust meeting. You can find Oregon’s Coastal Public Access Guide for Local Government Planners on the DLCD website. This guide provides local coastal governments a framework for planning for a community's public access program. Columbia River Treaty By Phillip Thor After an August 5th webinar where the U.S. and Canada shared their new agreement, the League signed a joint letter expressing concern that the amended Columbia River Treaty agreement didn't also include the concept of ecosystem function as part of the river's management. Soon after learning about the agreement, the federal government announced a Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative that addresses some of our concerns about the Treaty. Department of State Lands (DSL) By Peggy Lynch See Elliott State Research Forest below for the agency’s role in that issue. See the Wetlands section of this report for information on removal/fill fee rulemaking. The next State Land Board meeting is Oct. 15th. Drinking Water Advisory Committee (DWAC) By Sandra Bishop DWAC met July 17. Lead Service Line Inventory requirements & progress: Service line inventories are due October 16th. Technical help has been offered to public water systems (PWS) to complete this federally required reporting to identify any Lead Service Line to facilitate replacement. An inventory is required from all PWS in Oregon. Any PWS serving less than 10,000 people may access no-cost technical assistance if needed to complete an inventory. Federal funding is available to complete the inventories, and for planning and design work for replacement if needed. In Oregon there is no knowledge of any PWS ever having used a lead service line. Nor have any lead service lines been found. Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Services managers are working closely with federal regulators for water systems to be allowed to use a lack of evidence (no lead lines in their records) as a record showing there are no lead services lines in the system. PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl-substances): A final federal rule from the EPA was announced on April 10th. PWS are to complete initial monitoring of any PFAS levels by 2027. Any exceedances of MCL (maximum containment levels) are to be addressed by 2029. The American Waterworks Association (AWWA) & Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) have challenged the EPA rule. There is also a possibility that the overturning of the Chevron Deference , which applies to all federal rule making, may come into play in these water association groups’ challenges of PFAS regulation. In Oregon there have been 25 PWS found to have measurable PFAS detected. Cleaning up these PWS is expected to be very costly. Federal funding may be available to remedy problems in systems exceeding allowable limits. (See also the section on Water in this report.) Consumer Confidence Reports: There has been a federal rule change in requirements for these once-a-year reports on water quality that are sent from water utilities to consumers. Changes are designed to make the reports more easily understandable, to improve the accuracy of reporting and to highlight any contamination violations. The reports are also required to provide a brief explanation of contaminants that may reasonably be expected to be found in drinking water (including bottled water) and include efforts the water system operators will be taking to prevent lead from entering the drinking water, as well as other quality control actions like corrosion control. The next DWAC meeting is Oct. 16. Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) By Peggy Lynch The State Land Board met on June 11 to appoint the new ESRF Board and address the transition related to the new Board’s obligations. The new Board and information on the Forest Management Plan starts on page 87 of the Land Board packet . The new Elliott Board met on Sept. 12. Here is the Elliott Board meeting agenda and meeting materials . Carbon markets are being considered to help fund the ESRF per this article . The Dept. of State Lands will request funding in 2025 to continue management of the ESRF until limited timber harvest can begin—perhaps by 2026. From the Bird Conservation Oregon newsletter : It is expected that in 2025, after nearly a decade of inactivity, harvest activity will resume on the Elliott. When that happens it should be conducted in a manner that is far more protective of the Elliott’s mature forests and imperiled species, brings together historically conflicted stakeholders to work collaboratively on implementation, is driven by conservation and research rather than timber receipts, transcends decades of historic conflict. As the Elliott moves back into more active management, there will be opportunities for the public to weigh in on biennial operations plans and other management programs. Visit DSL's Elliott webpage to learn more . Forestry (ODF) By Josie Koehne Mike Wilson and Tyson Wepprich sought input and future direction from the Board of Forestry for the Western Oregon Forest Management Plan (FMP) which is based on the current state forest Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) now under federal review. The FMP will reflect the computer modeling of various outcomes based on the many variables involved in forest management. Such management scenarios include emphasizing or weighting each of the following values: Adaptive capacity of forests Carbon sequestration and storage Forest division finances Economic opportunities Financial support for counties Harvest and inventory Habitat elements for wildlife These values can be factored into various modeling parameters and juggled in order to maximize the desired outcomes for managing forests for “greatest permanent value” for all Oregonians. In part, offering these options is in response to the Forest Trust Land Advisory Committee’s (FTLAC) objections to ODF’s Harvest Conservation Plan (HCP) for not maximizing timber harvest that provides a large portion of revenue for the timber-dependent counties (Clatsop, Tillamook, Coos and Washington counties primarily). FTLAC was represented in person at the Sept 6 board meeting. ODF used improved model metrics (growth and yield tables) to test run maximizing for revenue, timber stand metrics and harvest volumes at various timber ages, such as 72, 80 or 92 years (rotation age), or for net present value with discount rates or for steady revenues each year (even flow). ODF sought direction on which other modeling parameters to test out in order to meet desired state forest goals. John Sweet, representing the FTLAC was supportive of the effort, and asked for increased reforestation. He also requested that the model test to allow for the current annual timber volume of 185 million board feet (MMBF) with non-declining even flow timber production over the next 30 years and increasing timber production to 195, and then 205 MMBF. Other sources of revenues besides timber revenue for counties could be considered to even out revenues among counties. Combining county revenues for more even distribution was also discussed. The FTLAC counties said they are willing to maximize not just for immediate increased timber revenue, but wanted to see all the tradeoffs on the various scenarios. A facilitated discussion followed on the FMP modeling values among the board members and Trust counties. This first run of values to model focused on aiming to balance all tree age classes over time, and another focused on maximizing timber harvest (maximum Net Present Value) with no other constraints (uncollared) other than following HCP criteria. Other comments were to put some county revenue into investing in reforestation of unproductive forestland outside the protected Habitat Conservation Areas for future harvest. In November, these scenarios and their modeled outcomes will be reviewed and other choices will be made by the board. All in all, this meeting marked a turning point in improved trust between the timber counties and ODF working together with the board on their priorities using a facilitated discussion tool. There will be a report in April on the board's input. Discussion in June will follow with the scenario modeling incorporated into a revised Western Forest Management Plan. See also the Wildfire section of this report below. Hanford Waste Site Per the Oregon Dept. of Energy newsletter : The Oregon Department of Energy submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Energy regarding the draft Hanford Tri-Party Holistic Negotiations Agreement. The draft agreement outlines a new approach to treating and transporting certain tank waste at the Hanford Site. Oregon’s comments focus on three critical areas: solidifying tank waste before transport, the means of transport, and clarity on National Environmental Policy Act requirements. The Oregon Capital Chronicle noted: “A federal proposal to move radioactive nuclear waste from Washington through Oregon and onward to Utah and Texas via truck and rail has raised major concerns among Oregon officials and environmentalists. The proposal doesn’t yet detail a route, but critics have said it would most likely end up on major interstate highways through Oregon, or on a rail line through central Oregon along the Deschutes River, passing near areas like Bend and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation.” Streetroots also covered the issue . Land Use & Housing By Peggy Lynch The Governor’s Housing Advisor Matt Tschabold provided the Senate Housing and Development Committee with Governor Kotek’s vision for the 2025 session. Then the Dept. of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) provided information on the work they have been doing and plan to do related to housing. The House Housing and Homelessness Committee also received a presentation on the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis (OHNA) project. Proponents of the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) expansion section of SB 1537 (2024) shared how that process is going and which cities might be interested in using that provision. The Land Conservation and Development Commission met on Sept. 26 and 27. Those interested in the OHNA process should watch the second half of the Sept. 27th meeting on YouTube . The process moves required housing needs calculations from local governments to the state. The Office of Economic Analysis (OEA), under the Dept. of Administrative Services (DAS) does the forecasts with help from the Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) and DLCD. The final methodology for calculating the various housing needs is due Jan. 1, 2025. They will provide a regional estimate of need, then allocate that need among the cities in each region and then will set production targets for each city. These are meant to be “aspirational targets”, to be used by cities to understand their housing needs for all residents. The hope is these targets will “empower local governments to take action”, using Housing Production Strategies . The information will provide the state and legislators with data on state housing funding needs. Instead of just looking at future needs, the calculations will include current needs—for homeless, workforce housing, market rate housing and others. They will take into consideration second homes and short-term rentals. The draft calculations indicate that at least 50% of the housing need in all regions will require government subsidies. Here is a staff presentation . The public can provide comments to the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) on the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis (OHNA) Draft Methodology between now and Oct. 4th. The Land Conservation and Development Commission will hold a public hearing on Oct. 25 before making a final decision in December. 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. The League has followed DLCD since its inception in the 1970s. We have supported their mission of helping local governments implement the 19 statewide land use planning goals. See page 23 of the Director's Report to see the growth in staffing at DLCD. Much of the growth has been since House Speaker and then Governor Kotek engaged in housing policies and their connection with Goal 10. The League has supported funding for infrastructure, needed to help building housing developments. Here is the 2024 infrastructure card . Finding funding for these projects will be a multi-year challenge. The Governor may ask for $100 million in General Funds in 2025 for Business Oregon to use as grants for projects. The federal government has provided millions of dollars for water and wastewater projects. But it’s not enough. And sometimes requires matching funds. The League has engaged in discussions on the criteria that should be used to select the projects to assure they will provide housing units as quickly as possible. The League provided testimony on HB 4026 (2024), a bill that would not allow initiative votes for UGB expansions—aimed directly on an initiative proposed for the North Plains UGB expansion. Our testimony was focused on the right of citizens to use the initiative process. A Judge allowed the vote to go forward. He upheld the right to hold the vote and citizens overwhelmingly rejected the HUGE UGB expansion. Now North Plains is revisiting their UGB plans. The League opposed Section 10 of SB 4 (2023) that allows the Governor to override our statewide land use planning program to allow a UGB expansion for the chips (semiconductor) industry. Recently, the League joined others in a letter to the Governor, asking that she NOT use that authority to expand into prime farmland in Washington County. However, the Governor selected 373 acres north of Hillsboro. There will be a public hearing on this action on Oct. 10. There is also a 20-day public comment period available. See also the Agriculture section of this report on the value of Oregon agriculture. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. Mining The League has continued to follow the application for the Grassy Mountain Gold Mine near Vale. An interdisciplinary team of agencies met on September 12 on the proposed chemical process gold mine in Malheur County. The public notice and related documents are available. This is the first project using a consolidated permitting process where all permitting agencies are meeting together to process the permit applications. Nuclear Energy Small scale nuclear reactors are being considered to help provide power to the many data centers in Umatilla County. One of the chief blocks of these reactors in Oregon is Measure 7 (1980). In a pro-nuclear energy editorial, the libertarian think tank Cascade Policy Institute wrote that Oregon voters approved the measure in 1980 in the wake of the partial meltdown at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. The measure prevents the state from siting any nuclear power plants until the federal government licenses a waste depository. With the federal system in place today, nuclear power plants are effectively prohibited in Oregon. The League adopted a position in 1980 focused on assuring there was a plan to deal with waste storage: The League of Women Voters of Oregon believes that the nuclear power program must be managed to protect current and future generations and to maintain an environment beneficial to life. Technical uncertainties must be publicly recognized and planned for, Responsibility for establishing and maintaining a waste system must not be deferred to future generations, and Effective coordination among all levels of government - federal, state, local - and the private sector is imperative in planning and carrying out programs for transportation, waste storage, and safety, with responsibility and authority clearly designated. Pesticides By Paula Grisafi We look forward to seeing legislation in 2025 on control or banning of “NeoNics”: Neonicotinoid pesticides. Our Pesticides and Other Biocides Study will be a wonderful resource for legislators and advocates of the bill. Regional Solutions By Peggy Lynch The Governor has restarted the Regional Solutions Regional Advisory Committees with a: standardized charter (although each committee can amend the draft provided to them), compensation policy (to be sure that all Oregonians can afford to volunteer if assistance is needed), guidance policy for identifying regional priorities while also addressing the Governor’s priorities of housing production, community resilience and infrastructure In addition, each advisory committee gets to add up to two priorities of their own. Oregonians can sign up to attend the 11 regional meetings. They are held both in the regions and virtually. A public comment period is provided at the end of each meeting. The League has supported the concept of Regional Solutions, testifying in 2014 to pass legislation to formalize the program. We support the state agency team collaboration. The Regional Solutions website provides meeting agendas, meeting materials and other meeting information. We encourage local League member participation and engagement in these meetings. Septic Systems A League member will serve on a Dept. of Environmental Quality rules advisory committee to update onsite septic system rules. Do you have a septic system? EPA and its partners are making educational resources available to homeowners, local organizations, and government leaders to explain how septic systems work and how to properly maintain them. Maintaining septic systems is critical to protecting public health and ecosystems in small and rural towns across the country. Transportation With 2025 expected to be the year of Transportation, this August presentation in Hermiston might be of interest. This effort was last addressed in 2017. Thanks to Rep. Gomberg, here is a 5-minute video on ODOT’s funding challenge. And here’s an online interactive map that shows projects and their details throughout the state. In early February, the Joint Committee on Transportation (JCT) released a 2024-25 Beginning Conversation Draft Action Plan for the development of the expected 2025 State Transportation Funding Package. Water By Peggy Lynch New groundwater rules were adopted Sept. 12 ! The Oregon Water Resources Commission voted unanimously to adopt updates to Oregon’s groundwater allocation rules , marking a historic step in how the state manages and allocates groundwater. The adopted rule updates will go into effect upon filing with the Oregon Secretary of State. LWVOR and LWV Deschutes both provided testimony in support. The League hopes that the new rules will stop over appropriation of groundwater in the future, but there are concerns about future availability. A member of the League is serving on two rules advisory committees for the Water Resources Dept.: Place-Based Planning and Best Practices in Community Engagement . More information is on the linked websites. A panel provided information on PFAS, a class of manmade chemicals, also known as “forever chemicals” that have been discovered to be a health hazard, at the House Agriculture et al Committee. They are in many of our products, from clothes to fire fighting foam. See pages 28-29 of the slide deck for a list of public resources related to PFAS. The League continues to monitor the actions related to the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area. Like others , we are concerned about the latest Nitrate Reduction Plan . OPB also shared an article on this important public health issue. The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) will be hosting an informational zoom webinar about the new Drinking Water Source Protection Grant Program in advance of opening the grant offering. The webinar will be hosted on Thursday, October 10 at 10:30 am. Please register in advance for the informational webinar. The League supported this program. Help save water and energy usage per the Environmental Protection Agency: To make it easy to find plumbing and irrigation products that are certified to save water and perform well, consumers and businesses can search for WaterSense labeled products . 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 Governor declared Jefferson County as a drought emergency through Executive Order 24-08 and has declared a drought in Lake County through Executive Order 24-26 , and directed state agencies to coordinate and prioritize assistance to the regions. 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. Wetlands By Peggy Lynch The League supported HB 2238 (2023) to address the need to increase removal/fill permit fees to reduce the burden on the Common School Fund. As a result, the League has a member serving on the rules advisory committee . The League will also be supporting legislation to increase staffing at the Dept. of State Lands and the Dept. of Land Conservation and Development to provide assistance to local governments so they can more accurately address wetlands in their jurisdictions. Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers Leading up to the September Interim Legislative Session, the League has closely watched, with increasing concern, as a terrifying wildfire season has unfolded. Oregon has experienced its worst wildfire season on record, with nearly two million acres burned. This number presents nearly three times the 10-year average, and doubles the previous record set by the devastating 2020 season. Suppression costs are already at $288.9 million, obliterating the previous record, and over three times the 10-year average. And it is still ongoing, with several large fires still burning, and more expected. A constant drumbeat of how unsustainable this situation is was present during this interim session. Agencies laid out the dire situation during presentations from the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), and the Department of the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM), detailed below. This Capital Chronicle article provides a brief overview. For a look at how this is straining ODF’s budget, read this article from KGW News , which goes into detail on what is planned to address the shortfall. The first meeting the League monitored was that of the Joint Emergency Board Interim Subcommittee on Public Safety, on September 23. Kyle Williams, Deputy Director of Fire Operations for ODF, described the circumstances that have led to this year’s unprecedented wildfire season. He relayed, after first anticipating a “normal” wildfire season, how our wet spring weather led to explosive growth of fire fuels and grasses, which was followed by early extreme heat and arid conditions, leading to perfect wildfire conditions. He further relayed how it is somewhat unusual to have more than one widespread dry lightning event per season. But this year there were 4 widespread dry lighting events, two in July one week apart, and two more in August, also one week apart. He also described how that, at one point, there were so many fires at once that “we ran out of people.” He was referring to the fact that all of the ODF incident management teams and other personnel, as well as additional firefighting support from other States and Federal agencies, were all “tapped out”. Williams was followed by Chief Mariana Ruiz-Temple of OSFM, who echoed his concerns. She described how her department responded to a record-breaking six “conflagrations” - the term used for mega-fires over 100,000 acres. The Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO) recommended that the board pay the requested $47.5 million to ODF, but with this workaround - using $20 million from the board's general fund and $20 million from a separate special allocation reserved for natural disaster emergencies. In its analysis , though, the LFO says ODF will need much more than $47.5 million in the coming months. The full Joint Emergency Board approved the request at their meeting on September 25th, accompanied by much angst expressed over the reactive manner in which wildfire funding is currently handled, and acknowledgement that more money will be needed at their December meeting. Later the same day was a meeting of the House Interim Committee on Emergency Management, General Government and Veterans. Kyle Williams of ODF, and Chief Ruiz-Temple presented much of the same information as at the previous meeting, with Williams adding that this may well be “our new normal”, and the State is not prepared to handle this new reality with the current funding or approach. He told the committee that this season, they “…fit 3 years-worth of fires into 3 months.”, and that their people were completely exhausted. Ruiz-Temple emphasized that while the Department’s pre-positioning and immediate response tactics helped save many residences, fires are starting earlier, are more in number, are growing more complex, lasting longer and destroying more property. She and Williams both stated that they try to remain hopeful, but that “Hope is not a plan.”, and solutions to the lack of adequate, sustainable funding to address the wildfire crisis must be found. There was also discussion of current shortages of firefighting personnel, and the factors that will exacerbate this problem in the future, such as the difficulty and danger of the work, which leads to problems with recruitment, and the upcoming “wave of retirements”. Chief Ruiz-Temple reiterated, “There wasn’t another firefighter in the system at the worst of it.”, meaning there were, at one point, no more available personnel if another fire had broken out. This OPB article highlights the shortage of firefighting personnel. Another point made by Chief Ruiz-Temple was how, in her view, “We are 20 years behind in this work.”, in reference to durable, sustainable funding, and workforce development. The Interim House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment met next, and received an update on the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council from Doug Grafe, Military and Wildfire Advisor to Governor Kotek. He stated that the Council would deliver their Annual Report to the Legislature on October 11, and that the new Wildfire Hazard map would be completed by the beginning of the 2025 long session. He also noted the Council is appointing 10 new members this year. Grafe was followed by Kyle Williams of ODF, who gave yet another update on the 2024 wildfire season with many of the same highlights as previously reported. New details emerged, such as the fact that the previously mentioned dry lightning events yielded 6,100 lightning strikes and ignited over 100 fires. Chief Ruiz-Temple also summarized the wildfire season, adding the salient point that, “Wildfire is the one natural disaster we can mitigate.” She shared one bit of good news, relaying how up-staffing grants, which have been used to help local fire departments build staff and acquire equipment, helped reduce loss of structures and assets throughout the state. September 24th brought a meeting of the Interim Senate Committee on Natural Resources, and an update on the Wildfire Funding Workgroup , which was created by HB 5701, Budget Note 5 . This group was charged with convening a workgroup to find an equitable, affordable, durable, sustainable solution to the wildfire funding crisis. Presenting were Doug Grafe, Kyle Williams, and Travis Medema, Deputy Chief of OSFM. There was emphasis on how there was not likely to be one solution but some combination of approaches proposed, including money from the General Fund. Senator Jeff Golden suggested that, though it was part of the work groups’ discussions, he felt that unprecedented pressure on the General Fund made it unlikely that it would be part of the solution. Other avenues being explored are targeted fees, a reworking of existing funding to make it more equitable, and what was called “a broad approach”, which means exploring any and every idea that hasn’t been explored yet. The group has met three times and will meet in October, and deliver a progress report in December. In addition, Williams offered the sobering expectation that ODF anticipates there will likely be two more significant wildfire events this season based on conditions and weather forecasts. Deputy Chief Medema informed the committee that OSFM had 44 responses this season so far, a number he called “extremely unprecedented”. Later, on the 24th, the League listened in on a meeting of the Interim Senate Committee on Energy and Environment, at which Nolan Moser, Interim Executive Director of the Oregon Public Utility Commission, gave a presentation on Wildfire Mitigation and Rate Making. Moser detailed the effort this organization’s Safety Division is making toward wildfire mitigation, and what the associated costs, which will affect rates, are projected to be. All the details of that presentation may be found here . In other news, Doug Grafe reported that we have lost 49 residences and 124 additional structures across 19 different fires. These numbers might be updated by the end of the fire season. 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.

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 5/26 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone and Chris Cobey 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 Artificial Intelligence Rule Making Campaign Finance and Initiatives By Norman Turrill The Elections Division of the Secretary of State is asking the public for feedback on draft administrative rules that would implement HB 4025 (2024). It has also appointed a Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) to work on these new administrative rules. SB 1180 would require the Secretary of State to send to the Legislature for odd-numbered year sessions a list of prospective initiative petitions. The purpose is said to provide the Legislature a better chance to consider initiatives. The League will probably comment that the list of initiatives is readily available on the SoS website, and that the Legislature can now do any oversight of initiatives that it wants to do. In other words, this bill is likely a waste of money. General Governance, Privacy, and Consumer Protection By Becky Gladstone SB1191 Enrolled has now been signed by both the Senate President and the House Speaker. The bill states that informing someone about their civil or constitutional rights cannot be construed as obstructing justice. The League submitted testimony and asked members to speak to the bill on our Lobby Day. Thanks to legislators for unanimously passing HB 3875 Enrolled for car makers to comply with Oregon’s privacy laws in controlling and processing the personal data that our cars collect from us. Oregon Senate Expands Protections Over Personal Data Collected By Your Car . Privacy Protections for Oregonians Are Stronger Under Legislation Passed Today in the State Senate . We regret missing HB 3875 before now. We can use volunteer help for many of our issues. This Governance portfolio section is pleased to have recently added specialists in AI, emergency preparedness, and general governance issues. HB 3569 A : We are researching comments of concern for a second public hearing for this amended bill, to (basically) invite a sponsoring legislator onto the bill’s Rules Advisory Committees, as a non-voting member. SB 473 A passed a second, House Judiciary, work session, to create a crime of threatening a public official, with amendments to include those elected, appointed, or filed to serve an established office, adding numerous judicial branch roles. See League testimony in support. SB 952 to consider interim US Senator appointments, passed a second work session in House Rules on a partisan vote, after passing on the Senate floor along nearly partisan lines, 26 to 13. See League testimony in support. SB 430 B : Our League testimony in support was filed and comments abridged for hearing brevity, addressing the extensive amendments that broadly address business transparency for consumer protections. The bill passed a second work session in House Commerce and Consumer Protection. The initial bill, for online transaction cost disclosure to improve transparency passed in Senate Labor and Business on partisan lines, similarly passing on partisan lines on the Senate Floor, 18 to 11. SB 1121 A passed a second chamber work session, almost unanimously, to create a new Class B misdemeanor crime of unlawful private data disclosure. We are following up on the dissenting vote based on conflating property destruction with personal crimes. Amendments edited for doxxing, timing to protect “basically OPB”, and adding as a provision to the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act. League testimony was filed and presented, supporting the bill, including the amendment relating to data broker issues. HB 3382 is up for a May 28 work session in House Rules, directing the Secretary of State to maintain an online Rulemaking Information system. We are watching HB 3382 based on Sen Sollman asking about the concept of a central state rulemaking site in the context of the HB 3931 coordinated state portal Task Force proposal presented here earlier. See League testimony . HB 2006 would limit long session bill requests to 25 bills from legislators to legislative counsel. We are preparing, watching for a 5/29 public hearing in House Rules, which will also consider a -7 amendment. HB 3569 A has a second public hearing, scheduled for 5/28 in Senate Rules, after passing not quite fully on partisan lines in House Rules, similarly on the House floor. SB 5537 , the SoS budget bill, is up for a 5/28 first work session after the 5/9 public hearing in Joint General Government. We are watching for opportunities to follow up on highlighted issues. Artificial Intelligence (AI) By Lindsey Washburn The Governor has signed HB 2299 Enrolled , which modifies the crime of unlawful dissemination of an intimate image to include the disclosure of digitally created, manipulated or altered images. Rule Making By Peggy Lynch A number of bills related to agency rulemaking and the role of the legislature, many of which are listed below, are getting work sessions. The League and others have concerns about many of these bills. The legislature’s job is to set policy. The agencies are responsible for implementing that policy. 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. Blurring those lines is problematic. HB 3569 , a bill that would require a Chief Sponsor (legislator) of a bill to be a part of a rules advisory committee for legislation they had a hand in passing, passed the House and now goes to Senate Rules. A public hearing is scheduled for May 28. 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. It is unclear that, if funded, what the relationship will be with the Secretary of State’s Audit Division and the work of the Legislative Fiscal Office staff. 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 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 is set for May 28. 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 . Sadly, a work session is scheduled for May 28 in House Rules. 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 - September Legislative Days Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone and Chris Cobey 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 Legislative Report Interim Technology, Cybersecurity Governance By Norman Turrill, Governance Coordinator, and Rebecca Gladstone The House and Senate Rules committees met during the interim days last week. Senate Rules met Sept. 24 to consider various executive appointments. House Rules met Sept. 25 to hear testimony about some 1259 errors made at the Dept. of Motor Vehicles in forwarding records for non-citizens to the Secretary of State for voter registrations. The good news was that only 9 of these people actually voted (out of more than 3 million registered voters), and none of them affected the results of any election. The mistakes were made by the DMV, not by the SoS, nor by the non-citizens. The DMV has stated that the errors have been corrected, will not impact the November election, and will not happen again. Campaign Finance A CFR workgroup called by Rep. Fahey began meeting via video conferencing June 3. The work group’s goals are to identify technical adjustments needed to ensure successful implementation of HB 4024 (2024) , to recommend legislative fixes for 2025, and to consider broader policy improvements for future sessions. The workgroup includes most of the groups from business, labor and Honest Elections that negotiated on HB 4024. The LWVOR is represented by Norman Turrill. Honest Elections representatives have been disappointed that the other workgroup members have so far been unresponsive to suggested changes to HB 4024. Legislative Report Interim Technology, Cybersecurity By Becky Gladstone This section addresses this volunteer’s current projects and a few interim topics from the Joint Committee on Information Management & Technology, JCIMT , for AI, linked to cyber and election security. Oregon GEOHub app exploration: Rep. Gomberg submitted a legislative concept at our request, to resemble our Vote411.org for incumbents, like our printed They Represent You. This could be more comprehensive than the LWV Find Your Elected Officials or the OLIS Find Your Legislator . Importantly, it could help facilitate data compatibility improvements between various stakeholders we’re working with in the DoR Tax Districts workgroup, for ORMAP Tools . OLIS video navigation buttons. The League is requesting the insertion of 10 or 15 second forward and back navigation buttons for OLIS video recordings, since we listen carefully, to cite deliberations accurately, and toggling the time bar is awkward. Staff will request these OLIS video player buttons from the 3rd-party vendor. They suggest we cite OLIS users' support for this improvement, from legislative staff to lobbyists to interested citizens. Watch for more information. A few Interim Technology topics: See the JCIMT agenda , materials , and video . This ambitious, well-run, compatible committee has excellent grounding from Co-Chairs with relevant professional experience, to a highly engaged, diverse membership. Sean McSpaden, Committee Admin, serves as Oregon’s representative to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Taskforce on Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Privacy , where states are collaborating to improve cyber defenses. They will be working on the following subjects heading into the 2025 session, including anticipating our bill on a GEOHub app to Find Your Legislators. An AI update, HB 4153 Enrolled (2024) : AI is expanding our abilities, to better present existing data, for example augmenting wildfire monitoring, with cameras up 99% of the time, supporting human observers. See the OSU Wildfire Map . We recommend subscribing to Watch Duty for fires and Shake Alert for quakes. AI is more of a discipline than a technology, note the 2024 OR Cyber Resilience Summit theme, Cybersecurity in an AI World . The vigorous Oregon Cyber Advisory Council has compiled 78 recommendations, aware of concerns that AI could replace humans and ensuring that humans be in these loops, more freed from tedium to improve public service access. Cyber attacks: AI might become helpful to protect against false information blasts, against elections work and media, and cyber attacks. Think “big data” sized attacks. The WA Employment Division breach was mentioned. Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment ( BEAD ) funding: Challenges include workforce and supply chain shortages and permitting complexities. A common state permitting app, across all Oregon governments, is a candidate’s hope. A cyber placeholder bill, expect another, no mention of data centers yet. Protective phone and tablet settings for minors, change to opt-out instead of opt-in settings.

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of January 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 Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: 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 Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) Drinking Water Advisory Committee (DWAC) Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) Forestry (ODF) Hanford Land Use & Housing Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept. (OPRD) Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) Regional Solutions State Land Board Transportation Water Weather Wetlands Wildfire Intro The Feb. 4 th Forecast will be the legislature’s guidance. See the Revenue section of this Legislative Report and sections of other Legislative Reports. The Natural Resource agencies have been implementing legislation passed in 2025 and previous legislative sessions. That means rulemaking where Oregonians can help clarify the intent of that legislation. Then we are all grappling with those potential budget cuts as shared in the last Legislative Report. Lastly, we cover some of the information from the recent Interim Legislative Days (Jan. 13-15). The House Interim Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water Committee: 1/13/2026 Meeting at 11:30 AM heard a presentation from the Governor’s Office on her recent Executive Orders. See more information about them and the proposed committee bills in the Meeting Materials . A recording of the meeting is also available. The same is true of all the committees, so please use this information as a guide for checking in on other committees of interest. The Salem Reporter provided a review of what to expect in 2026, including some areas of concern to the League related to permitting and land use. We want a vibrant economy with good jobs for Oregonians while also respecting the values Oregonians have supported for years. AGRICULTURE The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) accepted public comments on proposed rules for the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area. In an article by the Oregon Capital Chronicle, it was noted: In comments shared with the Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Board of Agriculture shortly before the new year, farm groups opposed to the rules told regulators they go too far, while others contended they don’t go far enough. The Oregon Health Authority since 2024 found that at least 634 domestic drinking water wells in the area contain unsafe levels of nitrate, some with nearly 10 times the federal limit for safe drinking water, and more than 420 show elevated levels that could lead to long-term health problems. BUDGETS/REVENUE Peggy Lynch Soon after the 2025-27 Oregon budget passed, Congress passed H.R.1 (see Summary), a collection of tax cuts and program cuts. (See the Revenue section for more detail.) As we await the Feb. 4 th Revenue Forecast, agencies were directed to reduce their spending as well as to provide a list of potential cuts of up to 5% per agency per revenue source (General Fund, Lottery Fund, Other Funds) and to provide a list of any new programs that were approved since 2021—all due to reduced revenue forecasts, federal legislation and actions. Here are the meeting materials submitted to the Legislative Fiscal Office by the 14 natural resource agencies. In the last few months, the Governor and legislators have been reviewing those lists and learning more about the impact of H.R. 1 on programs vital to Oregonians. Working in the natural resource world which is less than 3% of the state’s budget, each cut reduces the ability for Oregon to protect our air, land and water. See the Revenue section of this Legislative Report for in depth information. We encourage you to read ALL sections. CLIMATE 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 Christine Moffitt The League of Women Voters of Coos County has been following the proposed Pacific Coast Intermodal Port (PCIP) project in Coos Bay. (See their public website .) An article by the Oregon Journalism Project provides an outside review of the project: “ For the past couple of months, the Oregon Journalism Project has examined the PCIP’s claims and its goals. That reporting, along with interviews of economists and transportation and supply chain experts, yields a starkly different conclusion than politicians have reached. Coos Bay’s location and the highly competitive nature of transportation markets, experts say, make it unlikely the project can succeed.” A presentation was allowed by advocates of the PCIP to the Senate Interim Committee On Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs on Jan. 14. League members were disappointed that only one point of view was shared and we provided legislators with a response to an email sent earlier by advocates. The Ocean Policy Advisory Council will meet virtually on January 29 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. A draft meeting agenda and materials will be posted online soon at https://oregonocean.info/ . Register for the meeting here or contact: Andy.Lanier@dlcd.oregon.gov Public Access Rulemaking has begun to clarify how local governments will address protection of public access to Oregon beaches. OPPORTUNITY FOR ACTION The Oregon Coastal Management Program is Seeking Feedback on Seven Rocky Habitat Management Plans: The Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) and the Oregon Coastal Management Program (OCMP) are currently developing management plans for rocky habitats that were designated in 2024. The Plans, informed by coastal communities, will provide a framework to support activities within Marine Conservation Areas, Marine Research Areas, and Marine Gardens near Cannon Beach, Netarts, Depoe Bay, and Port Orford. The new draft Plans can be found on the Oregon Ocean Information website . Please provide comments on or before February 2, 2026. The League supported the creation of these Rocky Habitats. Email comments to: tsp.comments@dlcd.oregon.gov with the title of the plan in the subject line. Mail comments to: ATTN: Andy Lanier, OCMP-DLCD, 635 Capitol St. NE, Suite 150, Salem, OR 97301-2540. Read the Draft Plans:  Ecola Point Marine Conservation Area Management Plan Chapman Point Marine Garden Management Plan Cape Lookout Marine Conservation Area Management Plan Fogarty Creek Marine Conservation Area Management Plan Cape Foulweather Complex Marine Conservation Area Management Plan Blacklock Point Marine Conservation Area Management Plan Cape Blanco Marine Conservation Area Management Plan Your feedback is important. OCMP is especially interested in feedback on: Chapter 2: Site Management Strategies Appendix H: Recommended Implementation Actions Table When commenting, please reference specific page numbers and section headers. You’re also welcome to suggest additional writing, graphics, images, or links that could enhance the Plan. This work is the result of a multi-year proposal and planning effort to designate new rocky habitats on the Oregon Coast. Marine Gardens are any intertidal and subtidal area that the State designates to protect ocean resources through public enjoyment, learning opportunities, public access, and by supporting ecological integrity. Marine Conservation Areas are sites designated to conserve the ecological integrity of the habitat. Marine Research Areas are sites designated to support scientific research, preserve natural ecosystems, and limit the collection of marine plants and animals. Please reach out to Andy Lanier, Marine Affairs Coordinator, Andy.Lanier@dlcd.oregon.gov with questions. More information is available at OregonOcean.Info/RockyHabitats . DEPT. OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES (DOGAMI) OPPORTUNITY FOR ACTION The latest on the Grassy Mt. Gold Mine Project per the Dept. of Environmental Quality’s Director's Report : Grassy Mountain Gold Mine Project: DEQ prepared four draft permits for the Grassy Mountain project, a proposed gold mine located in Malheur County approximately 22 miles south-southwest of Vale. Mining will be sub-surface, and gold will be extracted from the ore using a cyanide extraction process. DEQ permits regulate potential releases of contaminants to air, land, and water. DEQ has been working closely with the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries and other state agencies to develop draft permits, following a consolidated permitting process that is unique to chemical process mining. DEQ is currently working with DOGAMI on draft permit conditions related to the protection of groundwater resources and solid waste management in response to preliminary comments from the applicant. DEQ expects to make draft permits available for public comment in early January 2026. DOGAMI and other state permitting agencies have issued draft permits for the Grassy Mountain gold mine project and will hold a public hearing for the draft permits on January 29 from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm PST (5:00 pm – 7:00 pm MST) at the Vale Senior Citizens Center, 100 Longfellow St S, Vale, OR 97918. People can make comments in person at the hearing or submit written comments prior to February 6. DOGAMI is accepting public comments through February 6, 2026, as outlined in the public notice , including related documents. The League has followed this project—the first chemical processing gold mine proposed for Oregon. A new streamlined permitting process has been used for this application. OPB provided an article . More information can be found here . OPB also covered exploration of a lithium mine in Southeast Oregon. DRINKING WATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DWAC) Sandra U. Bishop The League has a standing seat on DWAC. 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 and are maintained by the Oregon DEQ’s Drinking Water Protection group and may be accessed via the Drinking Water Services website . The next DWAC meeting is January 21. ELLIOTT STATE RESEARCH FOREST (ESRF) The Board had a 3-day retreat on Nov. 12-14. And a meeting on Jan. 14. The next meeting is set for March 11. FORESTRY (ODF) Josie Koehne Public comment period on the proposed rule-making for the Western Oregon State Forest Management Plan opened on Nov. 1 and will close at midnight on the Jan.31st. “The mission of the Western Oregon State Forest Management Plan (FMP) and Implementation Plans (IP) project is to implement the social, economic and environmental values required of state forests. The comment period will include written comments as well as comments collected from Rule-making hearings. The proposed change to this rule will replace the three current FMPs (Northwest Oregon, Southwest Oregon, and Elliott) with a single FMP for these forest lands. The State Forests Division is pursuing an alternative method for compliance with the federal Endangered Species Act by applying for incidental take permits from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Fisheries. The incidental take permits will require the division to manage Oregon state forest lands in compliance with a habitat conservation plan. The League submitted comments on December 24. ODF is reviewing obligations under the Governor’s Executive Order 25-26 related to climate resilience. HANFORD For those who follow the activities at Hanford, here is a US Dept. of Energy newsletter with multiple articles. The League has positions on Hanford and has had volunteers covering this important facility. LAND USE & HOUSING Peggy Lynch LCDC Oregon Housing Needs Analysis (OHNA) Rules adopted at the LCDC Dec. 4 th mtg. They were statutorily due by Jan. 1, 2026. “ These rules shift Oregon’s housing planning framework from a narrow focus on land capacity toward a comprehensive system that emphasizes local actions to promote housing production, affordability, and choice. ” These rules are among the most significant changes in Goal 10, Housing, and Goal 14, Urbanization since the program’s inception. On Jan. 15, the Dept. of Administrative Services released OHNA Targets for 2026. The Housing Accountability and Production Office (HAPO) is scheduling a webinar on Jan. 28 from 1 - 2pm on the Local Residential Development Process Improvement Study. You can access the project website here and the meeting here . On Jan. 14, the House Housing Committee included Housing Legislative Concepts (LCs) (to become bills) and presentations on other bill proposals. Another LC of interest in the land use area is LC 205 as a result of a SB 1537 (2024) Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) Workgroup and the Governor’s LC 94 to provide expansion for senior housing and manufactured home parks. LC 222 is the Governor's Omnibus Housing bill with sections of interest to land use and to social policy. Included in Sen. Sollman’s Oregon Jobs Act (LC 237) as presented to the Senate Interim Committee On Commerce and General Government on Jan. 13, are many elements of concern to the League, including a substantial expansion of Hillsboro’s UGB. See the Meeting Materials for more expansive information on this LC and others. There is also tax policy and required rules and permit processing changes that could reduce revenue and place a substantial burden on Natural Resource agencies. OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OREGON JOBS ACT January 30, 2026 5:00 - 6:00 PM: There will be an informative session, speaking against Senator Sollman's bill, featuring brief introductions, individual presentations, and Q&A. Address : United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way, Forest Grove RSVP: https://www.friendsofsmartgrowth.org/rsvp 6:30 PM: Senator Sollman's Joint Town Hall (across the street)Senator Janeen Sollman hosts Reps McLain, Sosa, and AG Rayfield. Address : Pacific University’s McCready Hall (in the Taylor‑Meade Performing Arts Center), 2043 College Way, Forest Grove The 2025-27 Policy Agenda 2025-27 Policy Agenda was approved by LCDC on Oct. 24. There will be seven rulemakings on Housing alone, including: Housing Rulemaking for HB 2138 and HB 2258 (2025) and Rulemaking to clarify and allow housing and other needed development outside of wetlands. The rulemaking would create an optional, alternative compliance pathway for wetlands resources when a city is preparing bill annex lands from the urban growth boundary (UGB) to accommodate needed housing and economic development. See their Rulemaking page for more info on all the rules work being done by this agency. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. OREGON DEPT. OF FISH AND WILDLIFE (ODFW) Melanie Moon A new state transient lodging tax (TLT), HB 2977 , was introduced in 2025 to ensure regular and robust funding for wildlife conservation programs. The bill passed the House floor, but did not make it out of the Senate. HB 4134 will be introduced in 2026, now titled the 1.25% for Wildlife bill. LWVOR signed on to a letter in support . OPB provides an article on the legislation. Currently these are the bill’s sponsors: Chief Sponsors: Rep Helm, Owens, McLain, Walters; Sen Golden, Prozanski, Gorsek, Nash, Frederick Regular sponsors: Rep Grayber, Marsh, B Levy, Gamba, Munoz, Chotzen, Hai Pham, Finger McDonald, Nosse, Andersen, Fragala, Nelson; Sen Jama, Neron Misslin, Gelser-Blouin, Pham, Weber OREGON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPT (OPRD) Peggy Lynch The League is working with others to address the fiscal crisis at OPRD. Oregonlive provided an article on ways they are nibbling around the edges. But OPRD is responsible not only for our wonderful state parks, but also for historical sites. Many need infrastructure repairs. There is a conversation around getting some amount of bonding to help with this maintenance, but also setting up a Task Force to study new long term operational funding options. The League studied Oregon Parks in 1998: Oregon State Parks, Part 1 (PDF, 7 pgs) Oregon State Parks, Part 2 (PDF, 9 pgs) . OREGON WATERSHED ENHANCEMENT BOARD (OWEB) The Oregon Environmental Restoration Council (OERC) held a virtual meeting on January 22. The agenda and meeting materials are available on OERC’s website. The state of Oregon has secured a historic $698 million dollar settlement against Monsanto for long term harm caused by the company’s polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) chemicals to Oregon’s land, water, fish and wildlife. In 2024, Governor Kotek signed Senate Bill 1561 into law, creating the Oregon Environmental Restoration Fund (OERF or Fund), which will invest the proceeds of the settlement in projects and purposes that benefit Oregon’s environment and its communities. The Interim Ways and Means Committee approved an Other Funds expenditure limitation increase of $35 million to be included in the 2026 budget reconciliation bill. REGIONAL SOLUTIONS 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. 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. Upcoming Regional Solutions Advisory Committee (RSAC) Meetings: Regional Solutions: Metro (Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties) January 30th from 11:00am-1:00pm Mid-Valley (Marion, Polk, and Yamhill Counties) March 12th from 1:30-3:30pm South Valley/Mid-Coast (Benton, Lane, Lincoln, and Linn Counties) March 26th from 1:00-3:00pm The Mid-Valley Regional Solutions RAC had a great set of presentations from a group of natural resource agencies at their Jan. 8 th meeting . See the meeting materials for Jan. 8 to see some of the presentations. STATE LAND BOARD Peggy Lynch The State Land Board met Dec. 3 rd ( agenda and meeting materials ). The League follows these meetings since the Governor, Secretary of State and State Treasurer comprise the Board membership. Included in the presentations as seen on YouTube were the annual report on wetlands and a report on the Elliott State Research Forest. TRANSPORTATION (ODOT) Movement between parties to solve the ODOT funding is happening per an article in Oregonlive on Jan. 17. On Jan. 7, the Governor suggested reallocating current ODOT funds, repealing HB 3991 (passed in last Sept.’s special session and currently being sent to the voters in Nov. 2026 for repeal) in 2026 and work on long term funding in 2027: The Statesman Journal reported : The Oregon Department of Transportation faces a budget gap of $242 million for the 2025-2027 budget cycle. ODOT director Kris Strickler and incoming interim director Lisa Sumption wrote in an email to staff, "It’s a smaller gap, and while that’s good news, it’s still big enough to require service level cuts and future layoffs if we have to manage this on our own with existing revenue and within existing spending restrictions." A press release from ODOT on Jan. 14 reports: Impacts of Funding Gap Isn’t Addressed. In the upcoming short session, legislators will be looking at a $297 million funding target to support ODOT’s operations beyond June 30, 2027. Without new resources for the current budget cycle, the agency estimates it would need to reduce its workforce by more than 1,000 positions, including eliminating 570 vacant positions and laying off approximately 470 current employees. The House Transportation Committee shared their Committee LCs and the Senate Transportation Committee did the same for the 2026 session. KATU reminds Oregonians of the need for road maintenance. WATER Peggy Lynch League members may want to check the U. S. Drought Monitor , a map that is updated every Thursday. Governor Kotek has declared a drought in eight counties ( map ). 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. WEATHER In a KOIN article : The days of La Niña are numbered. The climate phenomenon is expected to fade away in the next few months, making way for its counterpart to take over, national forecasters said on Thursday… Over the next few weeks or months, La Niña is expected to fade away. We’ll then be in a state that climate scientists describe as “ENSO neutral.” It’s not La Niña, it’s not El Niño – it’s La Nada. Whether we’re in a La Niña year, El Niño year, or neither is determined by sea surface temperatures near the equator over the Pacific Ocean. The temperature of the water and air above it can shift the position of the jet stream, which in turn impacts the types of weather observed on land. KLCC reports on our snowpack concerns: Nearly all of Oregon has less than 50% of its normal snowpack, with western and central Oregon having percentages largely in the 30s. That’s according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. December was the warmest on record in Oregon, Washington and California, while Idaho had its second-warmest December, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. WETLANDS Peggy Lynch Comments from Oregon state agencies were provided to the EPA and U. S. Army Corps of Engineers on the proposed changes to the Waters of the U. S. (WOTUS) rules . Upon reviewing this latest iteration of federal regulations proposing revisions to the definition of WOTUS, Oregon concludes this proposed rule is unnecessary and should be revoked. The existing “Revised Definition of 'Waters of the United States'; Conforming" that became effective on September 8, 2023, was revised to conform with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Sackett v. EPA. The Conforming 2023 rule is consistent with the Supreme Court’s decision and should remain untouched. See the December 1, 2025 Legislative Report for details on one of the most significant changes in federal rules being considered relating to Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS). On Nov. 18 th , the EPA announced new proposed rules for implementing the Waters of the U.S., reducing 55 million acres of currently assumed wetlands—that protect drinking water and provide flood protection as well as giving a home to a variety of flora and fauna. WILDFIRE Carolyn Mayers The Oregon Legislature kicked off the week of January 12th with meetings offering a preview of what we can expect when the 2026 Short Session begins in earnest on February 2. The Senate Interim Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire met January 14, and received updates from the Department of the State Fire Marshal (DFSM) and Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF). Various officials recapped the 2025 wildfire season, relaying that while - from an acres burned perspective - it was better than expected, it was much worse than an average year in terms of structure losses. It was emphasized that this aligns with increasing trends toward more fires burning close to and in communities, and an accompanying increased risk of urban conflagrations. This amplifies the need to address mitigation measures in these areas in particular. At the January 14 meeting, DFSM officials emphasized progress on defensible space assistance for homeowners, noting that 357 inspectors have been trained to carry out defensible space inspections and make recommendations to mitigate risk to one’s residence. This work came as part of SB 762 , the 2021 wildfire bill which created a path toward comprehensive community wildfire preparedness and resiliency. It was noted that a voluntary Oregon Defensible Space Code is under development, which can be adopted at the local level. That Code is expected to be rolled out later this year. Other highlights of the meeting included a lengthy update on efforts between DFSM, the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DBCS) and others following the passage of SB 85 during the 2025 session, aiming to tie homeowner and neighborhood level wildfire risk reduction work to factors insurance companies use to determine homeowner insurance rates. This Capital Chronicle article provides the details. This Legislative Concept, LC 182 , is modeled after a similar bill passed by the Colorado Legislature in 2025. In addition, Senator Sara Gelser-Blouin came before the committee to introduce her “Fire Hardened Homes Act”, LC 33 , which would prohibit Homeowner’s Associations from preventing residents within their jurisdiction from taking home hardening measures, such as replacing fences and siding with fire-resistant materials. Senator Golden appears to be poised to revisit the concept of a climate superfund bill, the Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Act. This and similar bills in several other states aim to extract funds to help cover the losses suffered as a result of climate change driven catastrophic events such as wildfires and floods. In 2025 the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment Wednesday decided not to advance a similar bill, SB 1187 . Finally, the Governor’s Wildfire Program Advisory Committee, WPAC, met on Friday, January 16, and discussed most of the items described above and more. They also covered the new Consolidated Wildland Fire Service announced by the US Department of the Interior recently. The jury is out on whether this is a meaningful change, and there appears to be some concern in the wildfire community that it appears to be looking to focus on suppression at a time when it becomes ever more evident how important mitigation efforts are. More about this initiative may be found here . 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 - September Interim 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 Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Jump to a topic: Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Columbia River Treaty Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) Dept. of State Lands (DSL) Elliott State Research Forest Forestry Emergency Services Hanford Cleanup Board Land Use Radioactive Waste Reduce/Recycle Regional Solutions Toxics Water Wildfire By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team We hope you read the October 1 st LWVOR All-Member Newsletter with the list of volunteers needed for the League’s Natural Resources Team. The League depends on YOU to help advocate—using our adopted positions. Our voice is respected because of our studies and nonpartisan volunteer voices. A fun survey—Please take the 2023 Oregon Values and Beliefs Center Typology survey to help strengthen Oregon’s civic culture. Your voice can steer public policy. HCR 38 (2023) sets the process for the February 2024 short session that runs Feb. 5 through March 10th. The legislative calendar is posted on the Oregon Legislature website . There were three days of legislative meetings Sept. 27-29 and more interim days in November and January. Budgets/Revenue By Peggy Lynch On August 30 th , a new quarterly Revenue Forecast was provided to the legislature. The total available resources for the current 2023-25 biennium was increased by $437 million after accounting for a bigger beginning balance which was the result of a larger ending balance in the previous 2021-23 biennium after it closed this summer. There will be another forecast Nov. 15 and one on February 7 th which will determine potential revenue that can be spent during the 2024 session. During these Sept. interim meetings, we understand that Tax Measures 5 & 50 which capped yearly property tax increases at 3% were discussed. Mayors from around Oregon testified in support of increasing the cap to improve local services funding. The League has often supported a review and possible changes to our property tax system, in particular because of these constraints on our local governments. The League is hopeful there will be additional bonding capacity available as we advocate for spending on infrastructure for needed housing. The Legislative Fiscal Office shares that the State Debt Policy Advisory Commission (SDPAC) issues an annual report, so there will be a 2024 report that includes the most current revenue and interest rate projections. However, typically any additional debt capacity resulting from an increase in forecasted revenues is attributed to future biennia. Based on the 2023 SDPAC report and bonding authorizations approved in the 2023 session, there is $65.8 million in remaining general obligation bond capacity and $27.4 million in remaining lottery bond capacity for the 2023-25 biennium. The final “kicker” amount of about $5.6 billion will be returned to taxpayers as a credit on their 2024 tax returns. The 1979 Oregon Legislature passed the "Two percent kicker" law, which requires the state to refund excess revenue to taxpayers when actual General Fund revenues exceed the previous odd-year May revenue forecast amount by more than two percent. The Legislative Fiscal Office has published its 2023-25 Budget Highlights which provides summary information on the legislatively adopted budget from the 2023 session. You can look for the Natural Resource Program Area for specifics on the monies provided to our 14 state agencies. The Emergency Board met right after Sine Die to adopt rules for their work during the interim. They were provided $50 million in the 2023 end-of-session bill, SB 5506 , to spend on emergencies until the next session, as well as a number of “special purpose appropriations” for expected expenses such as additional wildfire funding and salary increases. Otherwise, agency budgets are only changed by an act of the entire legislature. At the time of this report, the League understands that the Emergency Board does not plan to meet before the 2024 session. Climate By Claudia Keith and Team See the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report which overlaps with Natural Resources. We encourage you to read both sections. Coastal Issues By Christine Moffitt/Peggy Lynch LWVOR continues to advocate for protection of wetlands and estuaries. Here is a PEW Research article on Oregon’s work to leverage coastal wetlands to help address climate change. The Coos County League is preparing testimony on the Coos Bay Estuary Management Plan (CBEMP). The County file for this project is AM-22-005 . The Coos League continues to watch with concern for a potential federal grant to help dredging deeper and wider the Port of Coos Bay. It is unclear if there is an official proposal to create a container ship proposal moving forward. The Coos League is having trouble getting information from the Port on these issues. (See the LWVOR 2023 Sine Die issue for more information.) The Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is listening to comments related to proposed ocean energy sites offshore from Brookings and Coos Bay. Information is available on the BOEM Oregon state activities page . To comment on the draft WEAs please go to regulations.gov and search for docket number BOEM-2023-0033. BOEM will accept comments through 11:59 pm ET on October 16, 2023. The Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) has approved revisions to the Territorial Sea Plan Part 4 . This plan now goes to the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) for adoption. OPAC was “disappointed” the Governor’s representative did not attend the meeting. OPAC sent a letter expressing concern that the Governor does not seem to understand the impact of our coastal industry, communities, its ecological value and the important role of OPAC as a voice for those communities. We do note that the Governor has added temporarily a staffer from the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife to her natural resources advisors and perhaps that will help with the myriad of natural resource issues on the Governor’s plate. See the League’s 2012 Coastal Study to learn more about wave energy. Columbia River Treaty By Philip Thor On August 14, 2023, a ”Media Note” was released by the “Office of the Spokesperson,” presumably, from the United States Department of State, which announced that “The United States and Canada conducted the 18th round of Columbia River Treaty regime negotiations on August 10-11 in Seattle, Washington.” The note went on to state “As committed by President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau at the conclusion of the President’s March visit to Canada, the U.S. negotiation team has further accelerated negotiation efforts towards an agreement that meets the needs of the Columbia Basin with greater certainty and improved results.” To that end, the United States recently put forward a range of options for Canada to consider that the U.S. believes provides both countries with increased certainty in managing flood risks, planning for Treaty hydropower operations, integrating Canada’s desire for greater flexibility, establishing mechanisms for incorporating tribal and indigenous input, and taking advantage of opportunities to strengthen Treaty ecosystem provisions and collaborate on ongoing salmon reintroduction studies. During the session negotiation teams exchanged views on this set of proposals. The United States is focused on ensuring that resource planners, operators, and others have time to make plans to implement a modernized Treaty regime or rely on the current Treaty regime as it exists today. And, finally, the note said that the U.S. government would hold a virtual listening session on August 22, 2023 “to engage the public about treaty regime modernization…” Below is some of what various representatives had to say about Treaty renegotiations in this session: U.S. Government negotiators opened the meeting with statements (State Department, Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and Bonneville Power Administration). Many of the next speakers were from PNW Public Utility Districts (PUDs), Cooperatives (Co-Ops), and power-related associations. It appeared that they had prepared in advance since their key messages were very similar. Namely: Flood control should be paid by taxpayers, as elsewhere in the US. The Canadian Entitlement is unbalanced – Canada gets more hydropower returned to them which they then sell back to the U.S. at great profit. Wildfires are occurring in both countries and Canada has a right to choose how they release water. Climate change is affecting us. “We share the fires, we share the floods, so we should share the water.” The marketing of power (i.e., the imbalance) impacts many smaller communities, which are vulnerable. Electricity rates are increasing, as is overall electrical demand – both effects are especially hard on rural folks, served by the smaller PUDs and Co-Ops. Renegotiation is taking too long – Canada is delaying the new treaty so they can continue to get more than their fair share of benefits. Many other speakers commented that the renegotiations needed to speed up. Most of the remaining speakers were from environmental groups, Native American Tribes and other like organizations. Their statements were like what had been presented before, namely: Inclusion of Ecosystem Function is critical and should become the third leg of the CRT purposes. The U.S. Entity should be expanded to include representatives from PNW Native American Tribes. They should be given a manager role in the CRT, not as a consultant. Ecosystem Function should include: A Spring freshet Flow augmentation A dry-year strategy Salmon reintroduction is another critical piece of Ecosystem Function. Temperature has been higher than 70 degrees since mid-July at main stem dams, considered lethal to salmon. BPA and COE have failed in managing the river as the U.S. Entity. Adding Ecosystem Function would improve this. So, given what I have heard now and before this, and with my background, I would offer the following conclusions: There appears to be some interest to resolve negotiations, largely so that flood operations in 2024 can be managed, and to avoid “pay for flood control regime” then. But, the perceived imbalance of hydroelectric power sharing between the two countries is (in my opinion) a monumental hurdle that may not be easily overcome. This could stall negotiations for a long time. Both countries currently think they are not getting their fair share of the power benefits. This may be a negotiation tactic. Adding Ecosystem Function as an important component of a new Treaty is likely to occur, but the “devil is in the details.” What is included in Ecosystem Function and how will it be provided? This listening session was the first one that identified what some of the specifics are, namely – reintroduction of salmon into Canada (a rather tough objective since Grand Coulee Dam is very high and Lake Roosevelt is quite long), a spring freshet (already largely have increased flows in the spring now), flow augmentation (more water will not likely cool the river much, if at all), and a dry-year strategy (useful concept but defining it is a challenge; also its implementation could impact other river users, such as recreation – deeper drawdowns in storage reservoirs during the summer period causing lower reservoir refill probabilities in subsequent years, particularly if another dry-year occurs). The other important note is that the negotiators are being very closed lipped about details, which is fully understandable. So, there is no telling when an agreement will come together since the public has no method for judging how close the talks may be. We will continue to stand by and watch for announcements. Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) By Peggy Lynch The League continues to follow the Grassy Mountain Gold Project in Malheur County, using a streamlined permitting process. Here is the latest on this project. Dept. of State Lands (DSL) By Peggy Lynch As part of the discussions on housing, the Governor’s Housing Production Advisory Council (HPAC), shared a proposal to significantly change our wetlands protections laws and rules. The League provided testimony in opposition with comments explaining our prior actions to support more assets for wetlands permitting and data. The Governor has recently said this HPAC proposal will not be part of her housing proposals for 2024, but we may well see a bill from an individual legislator. If you want to receive notices of HPAC meetings, click here . HB 2238 passed in 2023 and allows for rulemaking to increase fees related to removal or fill permit applications, wetland delineation reports and general authorizations. We will work with the agency to increase processes for clearly identifying wetlands in urban growth boundaries to be sure lands that should be developed can be and those that can’t should be are removed from the buildable lands inventory. Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) By Peggy Lynch The League continues to engage in the ESRF, including attending their prospective Board meetings. The prospective ESRF Board met September 22 ( agenda ). Visit DSL's Elliott webpage to learn more . They plan to meet again October 16, Noon to 4 p.m. in Corvallis and December 4, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meeting videos are posted to the Department of State Lands YouTube channel and meeting notes are posted to DSL's Elliott website . Work is continuing on eventual adoption of a Habitat Conservation Plan and a Forest Management Plan for the forest. Of concern to the League is how their plan can be financially viable without excessive timber harvest. See also the OSU College of Forestry website here as they work on the proposed Forest Management Plan. The Shutter Creek facility has been transferred to the Dept. of State Lands and federal monies awarded to upgrade the facility to be used as the headquarters for the ESRF as well as potential opportunities for local tribes. Here is an OPB article with the latest on the Elliott. We may see an ask for additional General Funds to pay for starting up this new agency in 2024 since any timber harvest will not occur for a few years. They were allocated $4.1 million in 2023 but will need to hire an Executive Director and limited staff while working on all future plans for research, for recreation and for limited harvest in the forest. The OSU Board of Trustees will receive an update at their Oct. 20 meeting. There will be a special OSU Board meeting in December when the OSU Board will consider final approval of OSU’s engagement with the ESRF. The State Land Board will meet Dec. 12 to provide a final decision on the ESRF going forward. Forestry Oregonians can help shape the future of Oregon’s forests: Oregon’s Kitchen Table posted a survey, available through October 9. Oregon’s forests provide a variety of social, economic, and ecological benefits to Oregonians. The Oregon Board of Forestry and ODF are responsible for developing and implementing policies and strategies that promote forest health and resilience to preserve those benefits for future generations. They are in the process of updating their shared strategic plan that will guide the policy and operational work for the next several years. They’ve partnered with Oregon Kitchen Table—a program of Portland State University—to hear from as many Oregonians as possible to ensure the plan covers what matters most to people when it comes to our forests. As the Board of Forestry makes decisions on our state forests, including potential adoption of a Habitat Conservation Plan, future harvest plans, and their strategic plan, we remind you that Oregon’s forests are managed for the greatest permanent value : “healthy, productive, and sustainable forest ecosystems that over time and across the landscape provide a full range of social, economic, and environmental benefits to the people of Oregon.” The state has received more than $58 million in federal funds aimed at increasing tree canopy in community spaces and neighborhoods that most need to reduce impacts of extreme heat. Emergency Services Register for The Great Oregon ShakeOut , a self-led earthquake drill, at 10:19 a.m. on Oct. 19 th . Also consider signing up for the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system for earthquakes in the area with a magnitude of 4.5 or greater. This can provide critical seconds of advance warning to seek cover from falling objects and brace ourselves. ShakeAlert uses science and technology to detect significant earthquakes quickly, to send an alert to people on cell phones. Hanford Cleanup Board By Marylou Schnoes The Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board will hold a meeting on October 10, both online and in person in Richland, WA. The meeting will begin at 2:00 pm and conclude after the public comment period that will take place at approximately 5:00 pm. Public participation is welcomed and encouraged. A full meeting agenda, information on how to participate, and other meeting materials are available online . Learn more about Hanford and Oregon’s role . New public Board members are needed. We are grateful for the time Marylou has spent serving on this Board. Land Use/Dept. of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) & Housing By Peggy Lynch The League has been feverishly engaged with the Governor’s Housing Production Advisory Council as it now meets bi-weekly and has five less-than-public work groups making recommendations to the Governor. Some ideas have merit but many attack our environmental protections and our public involvement opportunities at local levels. The League has always supported our statewide land use planning program with local implementation. We are seeing local elements eroded by some of the recommendations. See the League’s website where the plethora of our testimony is posted. If you want to receive notices of HPAC meetings, click here . We are working with partners, with the Governor’s Office and legislators, as we expect bills in the 2024 session that we may want to support or oppose. This is the latest article on challenges. Look for additional articles AND look for the League’s voice as we work to support affordable housing for ALL while also protecting other Oregon values. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. Oregon Marine Board The League has supported Oregon’s boat inspection program. We are alarmed that Quagga mussels have been spotted in the Snake River near Twin Falls, Idaho. We support the boat permits under the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Dept. with monies transferred to the Marine Board to enforce protections. Radioactive Waste By Shirley Weathers The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) continues its work to protect Oregon from the acceptance, accumulation, and storage of hazardous levels of radioactive waste. Since the 2023 Sine Die issue of the Legislative Report (see for background, scroll down to Radioactive Waste), LWVOR and other members of the Rulemaking Advisory Committee (RAC) submitted informal input on the third draft of revised rules for OAR 345-050. Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) Staff presented a final proposed draft to the Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) on September 22, 2023. After some discussion, the Council voted to put the draft out for public comment. There are several issues of concern, most pertaining to the League’s priority for rules that will best safeguard the public health and safety over short and long terms. On some elements of the rules, tension exists between that and costs of detection/identification and management to Oregon entities that generate and otherwise manage wastes containing radioactivity would incur. There has been an unfortunate shortage of participation in RAC activities by those sharing the League’s focus, but we are working to inform and bring in others for public comment. The deadline for comment is Friday, October 27 at 5 p.m. Materials can be found on the ODOE website (scroll down to Radioactive Waste Materials). Reduce/Recycle The League supported the 2023 Right to Repair bill, SB 542 , that required the original equipment manufacturer to make repair information available to owners of consumer electronic equipment or independent repair providers. The bill did not pass, but we expect a version to return in 2024 or 2025. Sen. Sollman’s staff attended the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. The Right to Repair movement was in full swing at this year's event which featured a Repair booth helping attendees with free phone screen replacements on their cell phones. One of NCSL's live-streamed seminars, titled "Will You Let Me Fix This Thing?", also focused on Right to Repair and how states across the country are leaning into this policy. The panel included Representative Lew Jones from Montana who spoke about challenges for his constituents in repairing agricultural equipment and also Representative Scott Nishimoto from Hawaii with information on his right to repair bill that he has been working on since 2018. Included on the panel were Gay Gordon-Byrne from the Repair Association and Walter Alcorn, representing Consumer Technology Association. You can watch the panel discussion here . Look for a new version of this bill in 2024 or 2025. Regional Solutions The Regional Solutions Team is working hard across the state. See the latest report on their work. Toxics By Paula Grisafi The League engaged in three bills in 2023. Here is an updated report from our volunteer: SB 546 (Toxics Free Cosmetics Bill) is a first step to protect both children and adults from the adverse effects of chemicals listed in the bill. The chemical compounds included in the bill like formaldehyde and phthalates are known to have cumulative toxic effects through exposures from multiple sources. While some of these chemicals are used ubiquitously in many industries, beginning to free ourselves and the environment of them by their removal from products that are applied directly to our bodies seems the most intelligent place to start. This bill was passed in the 2023 legislative session. HB 3043 (Toxics Free Kids Bill) is important because it allows more than 5 chemicals to be added to the list of high priority chemicals concerning known impacts to children’s health per year. It also requires consideration of chemical classes instead of individual chemicals, so that small chemical changes that may not improve safety are not sheltered from addition to the list. The bill passed in the 2023 legislative session. SB 426 (Toxics Free Schools Bill) provides a much-needed update to the original Toxic Free Schools legislation that includes structured plans to help implement the bill’s intent. It included systems that will improve expert and stakeholder oversight over the use of pesticides on school grounds, standardize the use of Integrated Pest Management at Oregon schools, develop even-handed school funding for managing pesticide use, and increase transparency of IPM in schools throughout the state. This bill did not pass in the 2023. Water By Peggy Lynch The Oregon Water Resources Dept. (OWRD) presented an update on new groundwater rules being considered by the Water Resources Commission. As with all water issues, this is a contentious proposed policy as explained in this OPB article . If we don’t do a better job of regulating groundwater, more and more people and farms will be in water crisis. The League has been watching but not engaging directly in this rulemaking. We learned that the legislature has created a Joint Water Caucus with members from both the House and Senate, with both major parties as leaders. These caucuses can often be powerful voices for the issues they support. Here’s the latest Integrated Water Resources Strategy 2023 public engagement . The League is very concerned by the report that quagga mussels were detected on Sept. 18 in the Snake River at Twin Falls, Idaho. That is approximately 60 miles from the Oregon border. Quagga mussels can seriously damage lakes, streams, irrigation, and water delivery systems. This is why the League supports boat permits and a robust boat inspection system at our borders. EPA Statement on Waters of the U.S. rule: “EPA and Army statement regarding intent to amend WOTUS rule in wake of U.S. Supreme Court’s Sackett decision – On June 26, EPA and Army released the following statement regarding next steps for the agencies’ WOTUS rule: “The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of the Army (agencies) are in receipt of the U.S. Supreme Court's May 25, 2023, decision in the case of Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. In light of this decision, the agencies are interpreting the phrase “waters of the United States” consistent with the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett.” Oregon has our own wetlands rules and laws, so wetlands in the jurisdiction of Oregon will continue to be protected unless the legislature changes those laws. (See Land Use above.) 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. . 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 these counties of Crook, Jefferson, Grant, Deschutes, Wasco, Harney, Sherman, Lake and Jackson counties. On Sept. 6, the Governor declared a drought in Gilliam, Douglas and Lincoln Counties through Executive Order 23-20 and Executive Order 23-22 , This is concerning since the forecast El Nino weather pattern may well mean a reduced snowpack this winter. Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers Senate Interim Natural Resources and Wildfire met on September 27. Senator Elizabeth Steiner, Co-Chair of Full W&Ms and candidate for State Treasurer, and Doug Grafe, Governor Kotek’s Wildfire and Military Advisor, gave an update on the work of the Wildfire and Forestry Workgroup. Senator Steiner, who serves as “convener”, listed the group’s stakeholder groups and described the complexities of various funding mechanisms, which the group seeks to “decomplexify”, and then outlined the group’s “Guiding Principles”. See details of her presentation . Senator Girod raised concerns about the role of federal lands in wildfires on the Oregon landscape. Senator Golden expressed his concern that the severity of cuts to funding as a result of the last legislative session will dramatically impact Fire Adapted Communities’ efforts, geared at community level wildfire mitigation plans and actions. He also felt that monies from the General Fund would likely never be adequate. Senator Steiner proposed that it may be helpful to try and persuade legislators that investments in mitigation, prevention and suppression would, by reducing the need for expenditures as the RESULT of wildfires, actually end up saving enough money to enable the General Fund to cover the cost of these programs. She urged a focus on how spending more on these activities and programs would end up, ultimately, costing the State less. Later in the meeting, Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) reviewed their Final Report on the Landscape Resiliency Program and 20-Year Strategy (LRP). The LRP was established through SB 762 (2021) to improve forest restoration and resiliency. It appropriated $20 million General Fund to be spent by the end of the 2021—2023 biennium by ODF. This program was set up to fund landscape-scale projects that reduce wildfire risk on public and private forestlands, rangelands, in communities near homes, and around critical infrastructure through restoration of landscape resiliency and reduction of hazardous fuels. On September 28, Senate Interim Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs met and received an update on the 2023 wildfire season so far. Mike Shaw, ODF Chief of Fire Protection, gave an update, highlighting how well ODF and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s (OFSM) new department have worked together, extremely well to “catch” and quickly suppress several wildfires around the state. He highlighted the wildfire events in the northwestern part of the state, calling it “unusual timing”, as those events most often do not happen before September. He also pointed out that the dry lightning event with over 1,000 strikes, igniting hundreds of wildfires in western Oregon on August 24 and 25, was extremely unusual. He stated that the “effectiveness of the lightning was very high, and not in a good way”, and that he was proud of their response, in partnership with OSFM. Prepositioning OSFM assets and Regional Mobilization, programs begun with funding from SB 762, also played a large role in keeping fires small. Under the Emergency Mutual Aid System, as relayed by Travis Medema, Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal, OFSM assets were deployed to assist in structure protection efforts. In these cases, as highlighted by Chief Mariana Ruiz-Temple of OFSM, not a single structure was lost. Find more information here. Also in her report, Chief Ruiz-Temple pointed out the alarming trend of declining interest in firefighting, both as a career and for volunteer firefighters. She said: “The pipeline is not keeping up.” Underlining the potential problem, she shared that in the past decade there has been a 246% increase in structures lost to wildfire. Finally, she serves on the Federal Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission. In closing she shared the Commission’s report, aptly titled On Fire , published the day before, September 27. It described how.“The face of wildfire is changing.” While there have been many successes in Oregon this wildfire season, there was a distinct air of caution, if not outright pessimism, about the future we face both as a state and as a nation. SB 80 was one of the important wildfire bills passed in 2023. The Dept. of Forestry has been meeting with counties as ODF and OSU work on developing a new Wildfire Hazard Map. Watch for upcoming public meetings to consider the new map when a new draft is proposed. OFSM has launched a Defensible Space website , which provides a multitude of resources to help Oregonians make their home more resilient in the face of increasing wildfire risk, including the ability to schedule a home assessment based on entering your home address. Here is a review of the 2020 wildfires and the status of our friends who suffered from tragic loss. Volunteers Needed What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. The short 2024 legislative session is Feb. 5-March 10. There are interim committee meetings in November and January. Natural Resource Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round and need monitoring. If any area of natural resources interests you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, at peggylynchor@gmail.com . Training is offered.

Back to Legislative Report Education Legislative Report - Week of 4/10 Education By Anne Nesse The Governor’s Literacy Initiative, HB 3198 -3 held a public hearing on 4/3 and a work session that passed this Bill unanimously to the floor. See LWVOR testimony in support. Rep. Reynolds was in House Education to voice her support for the Bill amendments that provide new support for early childhood education, age 0-5. She stated ‘that the US spends far less on early learning than any other developed nation, and that this Initiative will only begin to address the problem in Oregon.’ The Initiative is proposed to start this summer and the entire program will begin with a $120 M budget. OSBA stated that utilizing grants should incentivize school districts. COSA and the ESD representatives stated they might work together to provide support for smaller districts. Additional funding for teacher training might be required. It was noted that what is happening at school must happen at home as well, if this is to be entirely successful. Senate Education had difficulty passing to the floor the equally important Governor’s Bill SB 1045 , relating to improvements in student academic performance as a result of improvements in educational quality governance with state oversight; and declaring an emergency. It was admitted that this was submitted late in the session, with less time to work. The Bill did pass, but is headed to Rules for further study. Sen. Frederick stated Federal and State Law should permit consequences of failure to comply for school districts. Sen. Dembrow reminded us that only a few districts seem to have this problem of non-compliance to law, maintaining excellence in educational policy, and maintaining studies of equity in education; while the majority of school districts are in compliance. Senate Education sent a large number of bills to the floor 4/4: Of note are the following two library Bills, attempting to restore losses in school librarians and greater broadband service to rural libraries: SB 885 , appropriates moneys from the General Fund to the State Library for the purpose of hiring a consultant to assist libraries to apply for federal monies for the purpose of providing improved broadband access. A prior public hearing noted this significant problem. SB 1075 , directs DOE to establish school media program standards and provide technical assistance related to those standards. SB 262 -2 , HECC continuation of Oregon Promise Grants for Community College, to students of low income, improving the focus of the funds for those who need this. SB 473 , directs school district boards to adopt prevention curriculum that addresses child sex trafficking. A question was asked why this could be done before 2026, unlike other curriculum bills? SB 269 , directs the Department of Corrections HECC to enter into understanding regarding the correctional education system. SB 270 -1 , authorizes an adult in custody to enroll in academic program at any community college in state, any distance learning academic program or any other higher education academic program that adult in custody applies for and is accepted into, provided that enrollment in academic program is consistent with administrative rules and regulations adopted by Department of Corrections. SB 278 , requires separate calculation of virtual public charter school ADMw if the school district that sponsors virtual public charter school had decreased in ADMw as compared to previous school year, to avoid over or under payments. SB 283 -4 , DOE and workforce study committee Omnibus Bill to determine how to address workforce shortage in education. All requests are not yet printed. SB 517 -1 , prohibits licensing board, commission or agency from denying, suspending or revoking occupational or professional license solely for the reason that applicant or licensee was convicted of crime or subject to qualifying juvenile adjudication that does not substantially relate to specific duties and responsibilities for which license is required. SB 549 -2 , directs Oregon Health Authority to modify amounts of grants for school-based health centers for inflation. SB 575 -2 , directs DOE to develop and implement a statewide education plan for students who are eligible for special education and who have experienced disproportionate results in education due to historical practices. SB 596 , requires school districts to submit specified information to ODE related to talented and gifted children. SB 600 , appropriates moneys to HECC for distribution to Oregon Office for Community Dispute Resolution at University of Oregon. SB 658 -1 , establishes pilot program to provide funding to school districts for purposes of increasing access to schools by homeless students and improving academic achievement of homeless students. SB 768 -2 , requires DOE to conduct study to determine feasibility of collecting student course grade history in grades 6 through 12. SB 923 -1 , requires school districts to designate a person's school or program of enrollment, so that all students are a part of some database of responsibility. SB 922 -1 , differentiates certificate of attendance in school, versus credits earned for diploma. SB 1050 , aligns implementation date of academic content standards for Holocaust and genocide studies with implementation date of academic content standards for ethnic studies, and allows for funding for teacher training. SB 1082 , requires HECC to establish a project connecting adults in custody and former adults in custody to community colleges, public universities and apprenticeship programs. SB 489 , eliminates restrictions on payment of unemployment insurance benefits to certain nonprofessional educational workers within the state educational system. SB 523 -1 , requires HECC plan regarding Registered Nurse to Bachelors Degree Nurse Programs throughout our state. The House Education Committee sent the following Bills to the floor 4/3: HB 2739 -4 , creates an Advisory Committee of experts to assist with the State School Fund budget. HB 2767 -2, establishes requirements for approving recovery schools. HB 3199 -2 , requires DOE to convene an advisory group to review physical education requirements for certain students in grades six through eight. HB 3288 -1 , directs Oregon Health Authority to adopt uniform standards related to collection of specified data for DOE, i.e. disabilities, languages spoken, etc. HB 3348 -1 , directs DOE to study impact, cost and feasibility of implementing Salem-Keizer Threat Assessment System in school districts statewide to help prevent school threats. HB 3595 -2 , establishes factors to be considered when Superintendent of Public Instruction enters into contract with ESD or school district to provide educational services to youths in Youth Corrections Education Program or Juvenile Detention Education Program.