Good afternoon,
As I have mentioned to many of you, I am trying to stay ahead of some Bills of Concern that are coming up for Public Hearings. I am sending you this information so that you may have an opportunity to bring your voice to the Legislative Process.
Please forward this to your friends and neighbors that might offer their testimony as well.
Thank you for all of your work for our beautiful state. It is greatly appreciated.
Be Safe and God Bless.
Legislation of Concern for the Coming Week
March 20th through 24th
Clicking the bill number will allow you access to more information on the bill. The bill text, any submitted amendments and testimony that may have already been submitted is available in the tabs at the top of the webpage. By clicking the “Register to Testify” tab, you can fill out the form to sign up to testify remotely through Microsoft Teams for the bill either via Teams Video or on the phone. If you would like to submit written testimony, click the “Submit Testimony” tab and then either fill out testimony form or upload your written testimony.
This of course does not incapsulate all the bills for the coming week. Bills could also be added to committee agendas at any time and after the work to put this list together.
Monday
House Committee On Business and Labor 8:00 am
HB 2921 - Requires hospitals to file certain reports showing demographics of hospitals' workforces with Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries for posting to Bureau of Labor and Industries' website.
House Committee On Judiciary 8:00 am
SB 618 A - Directs court to consider, when determining aggravation at sentencing, whether defendant was wearing body armor at time of crime.
Senate Committee on Health Care 1:00 pm
SB 1046 - Expands network adequacy requirements to health benefit plans offered to large employers and modifies requirements. Requires Department of Consumer and Business Services to adopt specified standards for network adequacy.
Click Here for -1 Amendment - Contract with or employ a network of providers that is sufficient in number, geographic distribution and types of providers to ensure that all covered services under the health benefit plan, including mental health, substance use disorder and reproductive health care and treatment, are accessible:
“(A) To all enrollees for initial and follow-up appointments; and
“(B) In an appropriate and culturally competent manner to all enrollees, including those with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, varying sexual orientations and gender identities, disabilities or physical or mental health conditions.
House Committee On Behavioral Health and Health Care 3:00 pm
HB 2002 - Modifies provisions relating to reproductive health rights. Modifies provisions relating to access to reproductive health care and gender-affirming treatment. Modifies provisions relating to protections for providers of and individuals receiving reproductive and gender-affirming health care services. Creates crime of interfering with a health care facility. Punishes by maximum of 364 days' imprisonment, $6,250 fine, or both. Creates right of action for person or health care provider aggrieved by interference with health care facility. Repeals criminal provisions relating to concealing birth. Declares emergency, effective on passage.
House Committee On Climate, Energy, and Environment 3:00 pm
HB 2816 - Requires person who owns, operates or controls high energy use facility to ensure that greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity used by high energy use facility are reduced to 60 percent below baseline emissions levels by 2027, 80 percent below baseline emissions levels by 2030, 90 percent below baseline emissions levels by 2035 and 100 percent below baseline emissions levels by 2040. Requires person to provide annual report to Department of Environmental Quality to demonstrate compliance. Imposes civil penalty of $12,000 per megawatt-hour in violation for each day of violation. Excludes property that is or is part of high energy use facility from enterprise zone tax benefits unless amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity that high energy use facility uses complies with amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity permitted for high energy use facilities.
HB 3459 - Prohibits energy utility from disconnecting service to residential customer for failure to pay amount owed for energy services. Prohibits energy utility from seeking to collect from residential customer who spends six percent or more of household income on energy costs. Requires energy utility to accept reasonable partial payment or payment plan for overdue amounts. Requires any partial payment or payment plan to be less than six percent of customer's household monthly income. Permits energy utility to recover costs for overdue amounts in rates to all residential service customers. Requires energy utility to provide Housing and Community Services Department with contact information for residential customers who have higher than average energy usage. Requires department to contact customers to help customers access programs and resources that may assist with reducing energy usage.
Tuesday
Senate Committee on Labor & Business 8:00 am
SB 418 - Requires subject employers to adopt policy allowing subject workers paid time off during shift to receive medical services related to worker's compensable injury or occupational disease.
Click Here for the Associated Oregon Loggers Services, Inc. Testimony in Opposition.
SB 850 - Requires public body that procures construction services for certain qualified projects that use $750,000 or more in funds of public agency or moneys made available to state under federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to enter into project labor agreement that, at minimum, provides for payment of wages at or above prevailing rate of wage, to use apprentices to perform at least 15 percent of work hours that workers in apprenticeable occupations perform on project and to establish and execute plan for outreach, recruitment and retention of women, minority individuals and veterans to perform work on project.
This will increase costs for local governments. This puts smaller contractors at a disadvantage.
Senate Committee On Judiciary 1:00 pm
SB 1065 - Establishes procedure for person with qualifying conviction for possession of controlled substance to file motion requesting court order setting aside conviction. Provides that fee, set of fingerprints and background check are not required for motion. Specifies grounds for objection to motion and burden of proof.
House Committee On Economic Development & Small Business 1:00 pm
HB 3431 - Provides permanent revenue stream from Oregon Marijuana Account to fund Economic Equity Investment Program.
House Committee On Rules 1:00 pm
HB 2004 - Establishes ranked choice voting as voting method for selecting winner of nomination for and election to offices of President of United States, United States Senator, Representative in Congress, Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer and Attorney General. Authorizes cities, counties, metropolitan service districts and local government and local service districts to elect to use ranked choice voting to nominate or elect candidates for relevant offices. Moves election for Commissioner of Bureau of Labor and Industries to general election, where election is conducted using ranked choice voting.
HB 3509 - Establishes ranked choice voting as voting method for selecting winner of nomination for and election to nonpartisan state offices and county and city offices except where home rule charter applies. Establishes ranked choice voting as voting method for selecting winner of nomination by major political parties for federal and state partisan offices.
House Committee On Behavioral Health and Health Care 5:00 pm
HB 3090 - Prohibits distributing, selling, attempting to sell or allowing to be sold flavored inhalant delivery system product or flavored tobacco product in this state. Defines "flavored inhalant delivery system product" and "flavored tobacco product." Declares emergency, effective on passage.
Wednesday
Senate Committee On Housing and Development 8:00 am
SB 859 - Allows local governments, and during emergency period allows Governor or certain agencies, to abate waste, graffiti and vandalism associated with homelessness and other factors. Allows costs to be passed to solid waste collection ratepayers. Requires Oregon Department of Emergency Management to report to interim committee of Legislative Assembly on state expenses under program on or before September 15, 2024. Sunsets January 2, 2026. Declares emergency, effective on passage.
Senate Committee On Natural Resources 8:00 am
SB 85 – This bill deals with CAFO’s and has democrats attacking our dairies, chicken and cattle farms and ranches. As they do, the bill itself is just a “study” but the amendment goes far beyond that and will shut down current farming operations. Please see the link to the amendment and part of the language of that amendment below.
“SECTION 2. (1) The Department of Environmental Quality and the State Department of Agriculture may not issue or renew a license or permit to allow the construction or operation of: “(a) A new industrial confined animal feeding operation; “(b) An addition to, or expansion of, an existing industrial confined animal feeding operation; or “(c) An addition to, or expansion of, an existing livestock farm if the addition or expansion would cause the livestock farm to become an industrial confined animal feeding operation.”
https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/ProposedAmendment/22773
If you cannot sign up to testify or submit testimony, you can also email the Committee Chair at: Senator Jeff Golden Sen.jeffgolden@oregonlegislature.gov
Senate Committee On Judiciary 1:00 pm
SB 780 - Creates offense of unlawful fender height modifications. Punishes by maximum fine of $500, unless commission of offense contributes to accident. Punishes by maximum fine of $2,000 if commission of offense contributes to accident.
House Committee On Climate, Energy, and Environment 3:00 pm
HB 3464 - Provides, for purposes of certain statutes relating to taking of predatory animals, that terms "predatory animal" and "rodent" do not include beavers. Instructs State Fish and Wildlife Commission to adopt rules related to taking of beavers. Instructs State Department of Fish and Wildlife to publish annual report related to taking of beavers and to make report available to public. House Committee On Behavioral Health and Health Care 3:00 pm
HB 3320 - Imposes new requirements on hospitals with respect to financial assistance policies and processes. Requires Oregon Health Authority to impose civil penalties for violation of requirements.
House Committee On Judiciary 5:00 pm
HB 2005 - Defines "undetectable firearm." Punishes manufacturing, importing, offering for sale or transferring undetectable firearm by maximum of 10 years' imprisonment, $250,000 fine, or both. Punishes possession of undetectable firearm by maximum of 364 days' imprisonment, $6,250 fine, or both, and 10 years' imprisonment, $250,000 fine, or both, upon second and subsequent convictions. Punishes possessing, offering for sale, selling or transferring firearm without serial number by maximum of $1,000 fine upon first conviction, 364 days' imprisonment, $6,250 fine, or both, upon second conviction, and 10 years' imprisonment, $250,000 fine, or both, upon third and subsequent convictions. Defines "unfinished frame or receiver." Requires gun dealer to conduct criminal background check before transferring unfinished frame or receiver. Punishes importing, offering for sale or transferring unfinished frame or receiver by maximum of $1,000 fine upon first conviction, 364 days' imprisonment, $6,250 fine, or both, upon second conviction, and 10 years' imprisonment, $250,000 fine, or both, upon third and subsequent convictions. Specifies exceptions. Punishes possession of unserialized unfinished frame or receiver by maximum of $1,000 fine upon first conviction, 364 days' imprisonment, $6,250 fine, or both, upon second conviction, and five years' imprisonment, $125,000 fine, or both, upon third and subsequent convictions. Provides that person commits crime if person possesses unfinished frame or receiver and is prohibited from possessing firearms. Punishes by maximum of 364 days' imprisonment, $6,250 fine, or both. Declares emergency, effective on passage.
HB 2006 - Prohibits person under 21 years of age from possessing firearms with specified exceptions. Punishes by maximum of 364 days' imprisonment, $6,250 fine, or both. Prohibits person from transferring certain firearms to recipient person knows, or reasonably should know, is under 21 years of age. Punishes by maximum of 364 days' imprisonment, $6,250 fine, or both. Specifies exceptions.
HB 2007 - Authorizes governing bodies of certain public entities that own or control public building to adopt policy, ordinance or regulation or precluding affirmative defense for possession of firearms in public building and adjacent grounds by concealed handgun licensees. Provides that in prosecution for possession of firearm in building or on grounds subject to such policy, ordinance or regulation, concealed handgun licensee affirmative defense is not complete defense, but results in Class A misdemeanor conviction punishable by 364 days' imprisonment, $6,250 fine, or both.
Thursday
Senate Committee On Energy & Environment 1:00 pm
SB 525 - Directs Environmental Quality Commission to adopt standards prohibiting engine exhaust and evaporative emissions from new small nonroad engines beginning January 1, 2026, unless a later date is required by federal Clean Air Act. Directs Department of Environmental Quality to establish program to provide incentives for purchase of zero-emission small nonroad equipment.
House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources Water 3:00 pm
HB 2238 - Authorizes Director of Department of State Lands to adopt rules establishing fees related to removal or fill permit applications, wetland delineation reports and general authorizations. Removes specified fee amounts from statute. Authorizes method by which Department of State Lands may dispose of personal property left on state lands.
Friday
Bills of Concern to Watch
Bills to Support
Monday
Senate Committee On Housing and Development 8:00 am
SB 1051 - -2 Amendment – Section 2 and 3 allow cities an alternative process to include land in their UGB that has already been designated by the local government and LCDC for future urban development if the land can meet certain conditions and a percentage is guaranteed to support construction of homes and jobs for those earning below 120% average median income.
Click Here for the One Pager
Senate Committee On Natural Resources 8:00 am
SB 872 - Instructs State Forestry Department to endeavor to partner with federal agencies to undertake certain activities in federal forests related to fire prevention and request that federal agencies fund activities. -1 Amendment emphasizes work within the Wildland-Urban Interface.
SB 1006 - Appropriates moneys from General Fund to Oregon Department of Administrative Services for distribution to Umpqua Fishery Enhancement Derby to conduct fish habitat restoration projects at specified locations.
House Committee On Education 3:00 pm
HB 3236 - Authorizes expenditures from Statewide Education Initiatives Account for funding of regional career and technical education programs.
Senate Committee On Finance & Revenue 3:00 pm
SB 655 - Provides, for purposes of ad valorem property taxation, frozen assessed value for homestead of individual at least 68 years of age, or person with disability, if homestead and individual would be eligible for homestead property tax deferral program but for fact that homestead is pledged as security for reverse mortgage.
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Yours Truly,
 Senator David Brock Smith
Together, We Will Build a Better Oregon
 Senate District 1
Curry, Coos, and Douglas Counties
Southwest Oregon’s Fish, Farm, and Forestry District.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1701
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-316, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Sen.DavidBrockSmith@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/smithd
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