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To contact me, please click here: Rep.BenBowman@oregonlegislature.gov
The 2026 Legislative Session has officially ended. And I am tired!
But we ended up getting a lot of great work done for Oregon – and most of it was bipartisan. Most importantly, we completed our constitutional duty to balance the state budget.
In this newsletter, I’ll share an overview of the session, key legislation that passed, and several measures I was proud to support that will make a difference for our community and across Oregon.
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In the short session, each legislator only gets two personal bills. As Chair of the Rules Committee, I was able to introduce a handful more bills. It took a lot of work – but my office had tremendous success getting our bills across the finish line this session.
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Protecting Affordable Healthcare (HB 4127)
 HB 4127 protects access to affordable, comprehensive healthcare by ensuring patients can continue receiving care without political interference. Planned Parenthood Action Fund called our bill “the first time a state has passed a long-term, clear solution to the federal funding threats facing Planned Parenthood”.
As federal actions threaten providers across the country, this bill helps keep essential healthcare available and stable for Oregonians who rely on it every day. I wish we didn’t need this bill – I wish Planned Parenthood could bill Medicaid for cancer screenings, STD testing/treatment, and other preventative health services. But the Trump Administration has made that impossible right now.
Expanding Early Literacy (HB 4022 – Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library)
 This bill codifies Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library statewide, which provides free books to children from birth to age five (I know I’ve written about this a million times – but I still get excited about it, and now it’s officially official). Early access to books helps children build strong literacy skills before they ever enter a classroom, setting them up for long-term success and giving families across Oregon an extra boost.
Buyers Before Billionaires (HB 4128)
 HB 4128 helps level the playing field for first-time and local homebuyers by prioritizing people over large corporate investors. At a time when housing costs continue to rise, this bill works to protect homeownership opportunities, strengthen neighborhoods, and keep housing local. Basically, it ensures large institutional investors can’t bid on a single family home until it’s been on the market for at least three months – leveling the playing field for Oregonians to buy a home.
Permitting Reform (HB 4020 and HB 4021)
 Photo by Oregon Business Plan.
HB 4020 & HB 4021 make state permitting and rule changes clearer and more predictable. HB 4020 requires agencies to track how long permits take and explain why applications are denied. HB 4021 ensures new rules don’t take effect right away and that the public gets advance notice so people and businesses have time to prepare.
Other Sponsored Legislation
Veteran’s Omnibus Bill (HB 4132)
Representative Paul Evans brought this legislation forward this session, and I was proud to join him in supporting it. HB 4132 establishes a Suicide Prevention Program within the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs, enhances the Veterans Service Officer Program to better connect veterans with the benefits they’ve earned, and modernizes the Bridge Grant Program by increasing the financial support available to those in need.
Protections Against Predatory Lenders (HB 4116)
HB 4116 (Rep. Sosa) closes a loophole that allows out-of-state and online lenders to evade Oregon’s 36% interest rate cap, strengthening consumer protections and preventing predatory lenders from charging Oregonians excessive interest rates.
HPV Awareness Day (HB 4135)
HB 4135 designates March 4 as HPV Awareness Day in Oregon, encouraging statewide education about HPV vaccination and routine cervical cancer screening to help prevent HPV-related cancers and improve public health.
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The Death of a Portland Clinic
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Willamette Week | Mar. 4
- Lawmakers were starting to lose their patience. In 2025, the Legislature passed a bill widely regarded as the strongest check on corporate control of medical practices in the nation. It sought to close loopholes allowing for-profit conglomerates to manage the patient care decisions in clinics and doctors’ offices, and restricted nondisclosure and nondisparagement agreements that can dissuade doctors from speaking out.
 Join us for a post-session Joint Town Hall!
I’ll be joined by Mayor Yi-Kang Hu, Representative Rieke Smith, and Senator Neron Misslin from 2:30–4:00 PM for an update on the legislative session and a Q&A. There will be an opportunity to discuss session events, community priorities, and more.
RSVP is not required to attend, but it helps us better understand what topics you’d like covered. We hope to see you there!
RSVP HERE
Thanks for reading!
 Representative Ben Bowman
House District 25
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1425
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-484, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.BenBowman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bowman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RepBenBowman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rep.benbowma
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