Important Notice: If a bill comes in later than 5PM on Fridays, check here for updates & changes! We will not be sending additional emails!
Clicking the bill number will allow you access to more information on the bill via OLIS.
Clicking Submit Testimony Button below each bill in the list will allow you to fill out the testimony form online or upload pre-written testimony to OLIS.
Links are provided for more information, testimonies on various sites, including OLIS as featured testimonies.
The bill text, any submitted amendments and testimony that may have already been submitted is available in the tabs at the top of the OLIS webpage. By Clicking the “Register to Testify” tab, you can fillout the form to sign up to testify remotely through Microsoft Teams for the bill either via Teams Video or on the phone. 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.
Are we missing bill? Submit bills every Friday by 5PM for distribution in the weekly alert!
Monday - March 27, 2023
Bills of Concern
Senate Committee On Housing and Development 8:00AM
SB 611 – Increases amount residential landlord owes tenant for landlord-cause termination of tenancy. Limits annual rent increases. Declares emergency, effective on passage.
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Featured Testimony: Veteran Property Owner in Opposition
Senate Committee on Health Care 1:00 pm
SB 1076 – Requires licensed hospitals to include in hospital’s discharge policy specified procedures for discharge of homeless patients.
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Featured Testimony: Oregon Emergency Physicians in Opposition
SB 492 – Imposes new requirements on the determination of health services to be provided in state medical assistance program.
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Featured Testimony: Oregon Pain Action Group in Opposition
Senate Committee On Judiciary 1:00 pm
MAJOR THREAT
SB 348 – Directs Department of Justice to study ways to address unlawful possession of firearms, and to provide results of study to interim committees of Legislative Assembly no later than December 31, 2024.
-1 Amendment basically enacts Ballot Measure 114.
Opinion: Unlawful possession assumes requiring firearms to be registered is constitutional. Nothing good can come of a study with a biased intent.
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Featured Testimony: Standard Objection to Firearm Prohibition
Can’t Submit Testimony? Email Legislators!
SB 527 – Allows gun dealer or person transferring firearms, firearm accessories, ammunition or ammunition components for purchase at gun show, or business engaged in repairing or servicing firearms to establish minimum age of 21 years for such purchases, repairs or services. Creates exemption from antidiscrimination statute for enforcement of policies that impose age-based restrictions on purchase of firearms, firearm accessories, ammunition or ammunition components or on repairing or servicing of firearms in place of public accommodation.
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Featured Testimony: On behalf of myself and liberty
House Committee On Climate, Energy, and Environment 3:00 pm
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.
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Featured Testimony: Eugene Water & Electric Board in Opposition
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Bills of Concern
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.
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Featured Testimony: Oregon Business & Industry in Opposition
SB 851 – Requires Bureau of Labor and Industries to study matters relating to psychological abuse occurring in workplaces in Oregon. Directs bureau to submit findings to interim committees of Legislative Assembly related to business and labor not later than September 15, 2024.
-2 Amendment changes from a study bill to full blown policy.
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Featured Testimony: Oregon Business & Industry in Opposition
SB 907 – Provides employee with right to refuse to perform task assigned by employer under certain circumstances. Protects employee against disciplinary action for exercising right. Prohibits employer from retaliating or discriminating against employee for invoking right. Allows employee to use sick leave to cover period when employee is not working due to employee’s exercising right to refuse to perform assigned task.
Opinion: You have to ask what prompted this. Is the employer a cartel? Where is the arrest and conviction of an employer that is in illegal activities?
There is already a government agency dedicated to this cause, it is called OROSHA and most legal employers already live in fear of it. Overlay this additional regulation over the OSHA rules is double duty that taxpayers don’t need to fund.
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Featured Testimony: Clatsop County Board of Commissioners in Opposition
Can’t Testify? Email Legislators!
SB 925 – Makes unlawful practice for employer or employment agency to advertise job, promotion or transfer opportunity without disclosing pay range and employment benefits in job posting. Requires employers to maintain certain employment records for each employee. Makes violation unlawful practice. Permits Commissioner of Bureau of Labor and Industries to assess civil penalty against employer or employment agency for violation. Makes employment agencies subject to prohibition against inquiries regarding salary history and past criminal convictions. Becomes operative on January 2, 2024. Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die.
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Featured Testimony: Oregon Business & Industry in Opposition
Senate Committee On Judiciary 1:00 pm
SB 256 – Prohibits person from knowingly or intentionally manufacturing, importing, distributing, offering for sale, selling or leasing or otherwise transferring, or installing or reinstalling counterfeit automobile supplemental restraint system component, nonfunctional airbag or object that does not comply with federal standard for make, model and year of motor vehicle.
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Featured Testimony: OVDA, ORVDA & NATA in Opposition
SB 1070 – Requires sentencing court to consider as mitigation evidence whether defendant was subjected to domestic abuse that was contributing factor in criminal behavior. Provides that such evidence constitutes substantial and compelling reasons justifying downward departure sentence. Authorizes court to impose lesser sentence even if sentence is mandatory or otherwise required by law. Creates procedure by which person currently serving sentence may petition court for resentencing if person was subjected to domestic abuse that was contributing factor in criminal behavior. Establishes Task Force on Services and Support for Incarcerated Domestic Violence Survivors. Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die.
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Featured Testimony: Melvin Ketchum – in Opposition
Senate Committee on Education 1:00 pm
SB 270 – Authorizes 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.
Opinion: “Adult in custody” means a person sentenced to a period of incarceration in a prison or other correctional facility until such time as a lawful release authority authorizes the release of the person.
Even though there is authority for administrative rules, rules cannot go beyond what the statute calls for. This proposal allows inmate to apply and attend in person any community college in the state, which raises the question of transportation, guards for safety of students, and who pays for the schooling, transportation and guards. There isn’t a limitation on the degree of conviction, which is another issue that adds risk.
Punishment for a crime is not a summer camp to come and go. This bill should be limited to distance programs with good behavior qualifications.
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Featured Testimony: Law Abiding Citizens in Opposition
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Senate Committee on Finance & Revenue 3:00 pm SB 1068 – Authorizes board of directors of rural fire protection district to annex to district, under certain circumstances, lands that are within coverage area of district. Read Submitted Testimonies |
Bills to Support
Senate Committee On Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs 8:00 am
SB 1009 – Authorizes issuance of general obligation bonds under Article XI-Q of Oregon Constitution for construction of veterans’ home in Roseburg, Oregon.
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Featured Testimony: At this writing there are NO testimonies! Do you support this bill? Please testify!
Senate Committee On Education 3:00 pm
SB 17 – Requires Higher Education Coordinating Commission, in coordination with Department of Public Safety Standards and Training and community colleges, to study how best to make classes that are part of recruit academy training for police officers be academic credits that are part of associate degree.
-1 Amendment implements the program.
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Featured Testimony: At this writing there are NO testimonies! Do you support this bill? Please testify!
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Bills of Concern
Senate Committee on Natural Resources 8:00 am
SB 85 – Although there is no hearing scheduled, advocacy is needed to make sure it does NOT move out of committee – THERE IS STILL TIME TO SUBMIT TESTIMONY!
This bill ultimately closes CAFO’s (confined animal feeding operations). Democrats are attacking our dairies, poultry, livestock farms and ranches. There is a difference between having a “climate-study” done while operations continue and halting operations by not renewing permits until a study is done. The Amendment below shows that this bill will place a 5-year moratorium on current operation permit renewals until a climate-study is completed. In other words, shutting down current CAFO existing operations. CAFO’s are the dairy farms that produce milk products.
CAFO’s are where livestock ranches & farms send their livestock for finishing and processing that end up on your dinner table. CAFO’s are already very regulated. Don’t let them fool you into thinking they are only trying to regulate the building of new operations or that these facilities are animal cruelty. Quite the contrary, a happy animal that doesn’t have to forage for food makes better meat on your dinner table. Plain and simple, this bill will have a domino effect from the ranch to your dinner table, ultimately exponentially increasing consumer prices at the market. This will devastate the agriculture industry in Oregon and effect the hardest working family ranches and farms in this state. 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.”
The -1 amendment to this bill will bring unneeded overregulation on our producers and ultimately halt operations.
Read Submitted Testimonies
Featured Testimonies in Opposition: My Family of 5 and Klamath Co. Cattlewoman
Note: Support outweighs opposition at this writing.
If you cannot sign up to testify or submit testimony, you can also email the Committee Chair (Senator Jeff Golden) at Sen.jeffgolden@oregonlegislature.gov
***URGENT*** LAST MINUTE ADDITION! TESTIMONY NEEDED TODAY (3/29) BY 5PM!
Senate Committee On Judiciary 1:00 pm
SB 348 – Defines “undetectable firearm.” Punishes manufacturing, importing, offering for sale or transferring undetectable firearm by maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, or both.
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Featured Testimony: Don Powers on Behalf of the US and the Constitution
Senate Committee On Judiciary 1:00 pm
SB 528 – Modifies provisions relating to protective proceedings.
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Featured Testimony: Oregon Estate Protective Proceeding Attorneys in Opposition
SB915 – Creates Deadly Force Prosecutions Unit within Criminal Justice Division of Department of Justice. Appropriates moneys from General Fund to department for purposes of unit.
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Featured Testimony: There are no testimonies at this writing! Are you for or against this bill? Please Testify!
Thursday, March 30, 2023
Bills of Concern
House Committee On Judiciary 8:00 am
HB 3390 – Prohibits sale, offer for sale or trade of fur product in State of Oregon. Establishes that “fur product” does not include animal skin to be converted into leather, cowhide, deerskin, lambskin or sheepskin or animal pelt or skin preserved through taxidermy or for purpose of taxidermy. Provides exemptions from prohibition. Provides that violation committed intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence is punishable by maximum of 364 days’ imprisonment, $6,250 fine, or both. Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die.
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Featured Testimony: LLC in Colorado for Oregon Businesses & Anglers in Opposition
House Committee On Housing and Homelessness 8:00 am
HB 3503 – Repeals prohibition on local rent control.
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Featured Testimony: Note! There are no Opposing Testimonies at this writing! Do you agree with this bill? If not, please testify!
Senate Committee On Energy and Environment 1:00 pm
SB 522 – Changes name of “Oregon Global Warming Commission” to “Oregon Climate Action Commission.” Modifies membership and duties of commission. Modifies state greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. Directs state agencies to report to commission on progress toward achieving greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.
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Featured Testimonies: Western States Petroleum Assoc in Opposition and Oregon Citizen in Opposition
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Disclaimer: Any views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the various authors, and not necessarily each author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.