|
Friends,
Welcome back to The Good, the Bad & the Ugly — my straightforward look at what’s moving in Salem and what actually matters. As the session gets underway, things are already moving quickly, and not every bill deserves the same attention.
This is our first Good, Bad & Ugly of the year, but I’m certain it won’t be the last. Throughout the session, I’ll continue breaking down the good ideas worth supporting, the bad ones that miss the mark, and the ugly decisions Oregonians deserve to know about.
There’s a lot happening, and you deserve clear, honest updates about what’s coming out of the Capitol and how it affects real people across Oregon.
What did we miss?
What do you want to see covered next?
What’s on your list this session?
Let’s get into it.
Thanks,
Darcey Edwards
State Representative, House District 31
HB 4028 – Strengthens protections for behavioral health providers by establishing clearer, more transparent audit standards for insurers, coordinated care organizations (CCOs), and the Oregon Health Authority. The bill limits retroactive recoupments for clerical errors, creates timelines for corrections and repayment plans, and improves oversight of mental health and substance use parity through enhanced reporting requirements.
Status: Passed House Floor Vote: Ayes 41 - Nays 1, 2/18/26
HB 4054 – Requires health insurers that use artificial intelligence or automated systems to downcode claims to notify providers promptly, explain the reason for the downcoding, and outline the appeals process. The bill ensures providers have access to timely review by appropriate medical professionals before final reimbursement decisions are made.
Status: Public Hearing Held 2/6/2026
HB 4151 – Increases penalties for knowingly or negligently making false emergency reports that trigger enhanced law enforcement responses resulting in serious injury or death. The bill also requires restitution for response and investigation costs.
Status: Passed House Floor Vote: Ayes 52 - Nays 3, 2/19/2026
HB 4120 – Allows owners of large multifamily properties to prohibit smoking inside dwelling units and interior common areas to reduce fire risk and secondhand smoke exposure, while requiring notice, tenant protections, and designated outdoor smoking areas.
Status: Passed House Floor Vote: Ayes 51 - Nays 2, 2/19/2026
HB 4153 – Updates Oregon’s on-farm retail rules by allowing counties to approve “farm stores” on exclusive farm use land, providing family farms with greater flexibility to sell products and host limited agritourism activities under locally approved conditions.
Status: Referred to Ways & Means, 2/17/2026
SB 1573 – Prohibits syringe service programs from operating mobile or temporary locations within 2,000 feet of schools or licensed child care facilities, while allowing services to continue in appropriate locations and maintaining harm reduction efforts.
Status: Public Hearing Held 2/5/2026
SB 1561 - Is a compassionate, bipartisan bill that provides Oregon families a faster and fairer way to rebuild homes destroyed by disaster, by allowing restoration or replacement through a streamlined administrative process instead of a full land-use review. It cuts unnecessary red tape, helps maintain our housing supply, and ensures grieving homeowners can recover with dignity and efficiency rather than facing prolonged bureaucratic hardship.
Status: Passed Senate Floor Vote: Ayes 28 - Nays 0, 2/19/2026
HB 4145 – Expands timelines and increases fees related to firearm purchase permits under Measure 114, potentially creating longer delays and higher costs for law-abiding individuals seeking to exercise their rights without clear evidence that the changes improve public safety outcomes.
Status:Status: Passed House Judiciary 2/16/2026, Third Reading scheduled 2/23/2026
HB 4088 – Limits cooperation with out-of-state enforcement related to abortion services and expands confidentiality protections. While intended to protect access and privacy, concerns have been raised about potential impacts on investigations involving coercion, abuse, or exploitation of minors.
Status: Passed House Floor Vote: Ayes 34 - Nays 22, 2/16/2026
SB 1541 – Establishes a new “Climate Superfund” program that would impose retroactive financial liability on energy producers for historical emissions, raising concerns about legal uncertainty, economic impacts, and long-term costs to consumers.
Status: Passed House Agriculture, 2/16/2026, Referred to Ways & Means 2/12/2026
HB 4143 – Authorizes the Governor to direct state agencies to withhold payments owed to the federal government under certain conditions, escalating intergovernmental disputes rather than resolving funding conflicts through existing legal channels.
Status: Passed House Floor Vote: Ayes 35 - Nays 19, 2/29/2026
HB 4125 – Changes the state’s revenue forecasting methodology in ways that could redirect future surplus funds away from taxpayer refunds and into a newly created state fund, raising concerns about transparency and impacts on the Oregon Kicker.
Status: Public Hearing Held 2/2/2026
SB 1599 – Places a voter-qualified transportation tax referendum on a low-turnout primary election ballot rather than a general election, raising concerns about voter participation and fairness in determining statewide tax policy.
Status: Passed Senate Floor Vote: Ayes 17 - Nays 13, 2/23/26
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1431
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-374, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.DarceyEdwards@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/edwards
| 
