2023 Legislation

The 2023 Legislative Session is officially over.  Many good bills were left behind after the longest walkout in Oregon history - 6 weeks - by GOP senators.  After some serious concessions by Democrats, the walkout was ended before the final week in order to pass some critical legislation. Ten state senators have 10 unexcused absences and are banned from reelection per Measure 113, passed by voters with over 68% of the vote in November 2022. They are: Republican Senators Tim Knopp, Lynn Findley, Bill Hansell, Kim Thatcher, Art Robinson, Suzanne Weber, Daniel Bonham, Cedric Hayden, Dennis Linthicum and Brian Boquist, a former Republican who is now a registered Independent. You can read about the walkout below.

Out of 55 bills COIN endorsed this session, 21 passed.  Click here for a list of those bills. 

Scroll further down to see the complete results of our COIN-endorsed (or opposed) bills. Some really good legislation did pass, some of it got watered down along the way, but we are reminded that, while progress isn't always as fast as we'd like it to be, Oregon is at least moving in a good direction. 

Legislative Walkout in the News:

• On 6/15, enough GOP senators returned to have a quorum, though some chose to continue to stay away. Here's a summary by OPB of the concessions Democrats made to salvage what is left of the session and try to pass some of the critical legislation that Republicans have been holding hostage. 

• OPB reported on 6/12 that negotiations took place over this past weekend and that Senate Democrats and No Show Republicans appear to be near a deal to get Republicans to return and conduct business before the constitutional end of the session on June 25. 

• Click here to read the article from OPB describing the terrible cost of the Republican Senator walkout. 

• From Oregon Live, here is another article that warns the walkout could sink the 2023 session.

• From Oregon Live, here is an article about the hundreds of bills that will be killed by the GOP walkout if the Republicans refuse to return to work. 

• Seven times over the last five sessions, enough GOP legislators walked out on their job to prevent a quorum, thus preventing any votes from being cast for or against important legislation. Recall that last fall, Oregon voters overwhelmingly said NO to walkouts when they passed Ballot Measure 113 (68-32), which penalizes lawmakers with 10 unexcused absences by making them ineligible to run for re-election. Apparently, at least some of the delinquents intend to try to deny the will of their constituents and test the matter in the courts.  And in true Trumpian fashion, they have begun a new PAC to fundraise off of their anti-democratic behavior.

• Oregon Public Broadcasting has been covering the walkouts well. Check out this article explaining the reasons the GOP is giving for the walkout, but keep in mind that a lot of this is "cover" for a more hidden agenda of preventing dozens of bills they don't like from getting passed. This isn't about one or two bills they are really opposed to; this is about holding our entire legislature hostage to kill every bill they don't like. 

SB 1089  Universal Health Plan Board  (Previously SB 704)  COIN has endorsed this bill.
SUCCESS! This bill passed the Senate 17-8 Tuesday 6/20 and the House 34-21 on 6/23. Now it's awaiting final signatures.  

Oregon voters passed Measure 111 in November 2022 declaring health care a basic right. This bill will establish a board to design a health care plan and develop implementation processes so that all Oregonians have health care coverage. The board will be expected to submit the plan no later than September 15, 2026. Health Care for All Oregonians (HCAO) is the major advocate for this bill. Their website is https://www.hcao.org/.

RESOURCES:  COIN Worksheet HCAO's Member and Endorsing List HCAO's Business Allies List

Yes, There's a Problem Movies and Interviews  

HB 2002 B  Reproductive Health Care    COIN has endorsed this bill.
SUCCESS! The Senate passed this bill 17-3 with amendments on 6/15 and House passed the amended bill with a 35-12 vote.  Awaiting final signatures. 

This bill declares an emergency relating to reproductive health rights and expands legal protections and access to reproductive health care and gender-affirming treatment particularly to students, protects providers and any person who offers aid or support to individuals exercising reproductive health or gender-affirming rights, creates the crime of interfering with a health care facility, creates a civil cause of action for any person or health care provider injured by violations of these rights, and establishes a policy of protecting access to reproductive health care and gender affirming treatment for those traveling from out of state and their Oregon providers. In light of the recent ruling by a Texas judge to impose a nationwide ban on mifepristone, protecting reproductive rights for Oregonians couldn't be more important. 

Here is COIN's testimony in support of this timely and important legislation.  Here is the COIN worksheet for the bill. 

To view all the past hearings and work session, and to read testimony submitted for this bill, go to the bill's OLIS page and open up the Measure History.  The full House approved the bill Monday, May 1 with a 36-23 vote. 

This bill was one of the primary targets for the Senate Walkout to prevent a quorum.  A number of concessions were made on this bill as part of the negotiations to get the No Show senators back to work. It was referred back to the Rules Committee on 6/15, a work session was held, and it was passed out of committee with a DO PASS recommendation and then passed in the full Senate with a vote of 17-3. Click here to see the official amendment or click here to read a summary of the changes in Statesman Journal. 

SJR 33   Reproductive, Marriage Equality, Gender Constitutional Rights  COIN has endorsed this bill.  No further action expected. 

This resolution filed April 19 is a proposed constitutional amendment to protect reproductive freedom including access to abortion and other reproductive health care, marriage equality, and gender equality; prohibit discrimination based on gender identity, and protect the right to access gender-affirming and other health care related to gender identity. If the resolution passes, this proposed constitutional amendment would be on the November 2024 ballot. View the COIN worksheet here.  A public hearing was held Tuesday 4/25. Click HERE to watch the recorded hearing. In a work session held 4/27, the Rules Committee passed the resolution in a 3-2 vote along party lines. You can watch the recorded hearing here.  A second and third reading was held on 6/15 and was referred back to the Senate Committee on Rules. According to reporting in the Statesman Journal, this bill will likely be amended before it goes to the Senate floor for a vote. 

SB 348  Modification and Implementation of Ballot Measure 114 Gun Safety  COIN has endorsed this bill.  No further action expected.

This measure is a late addition to the legislative docket. See the COIN Worksheet here. It has some positive parts as it attempts to clarify and implement Ballot Measure 114, passed November, 2022. For example, it still closes the Charleston Loophole and requires safety training. It extends the time local law enforcement has to complete background checks from the original measure's 30 days to 60 days. There is a mandatory 72-hour waiting period after a permit has been issued before gun purchase is allowed. It bans the purchase or transfer of most firearms to those under 21 ears of age. However, this bill has weakened some aspects of Measure 114. The background checking process for some at-risk individuals is not as robust as in Measure 114 and SB 348 does not require permits for hunting rifles. Watch recordings of the 3/27 informational hearing and the 3/27 public hearing. The Senate Committee on the Judiciary voted 3-2 vote with a do-pass recommendation and have sent this on to Ways and Means Committee. Watch the recorded session here. 

UPDATE 5/25: This bill has been moved into the JWM Subcommittee on Capital Construction. 

This bill is one of the primary targets for the current Senate Walkout to prevent a quorum. If you have a Republican senator, please urge everyone you know to call or email your senator and urge them to get back to Salem and get back to work. The voters spoke on this issue last year when they passed Ballot Measure 114. The senate minority does not have the right to overturn the will of The People because of pressure from their donors or their personal ideology.  Some reporting is suggesting that there may be compromises on this bill or HB 2005 in order to get Republicans to return to work in order to be able to act on more than 100 bills currently in limbo due to the walkout.  You can contact senate Democrats here and urge them not to give in to Republican extortion.  No action was taken on this bill when the senate returned on 6/15. 

HB 2005 A   Bans Ghost Guns and Raises Age to Possess COIN has ENDORSED this bill.

SUCCESS!  The full Senate quickly voted and passed it 17-3. The House passed the amended bill with a 34-14 vote.  Awaiting final signatures.

This bill was filed at the request of the State Attorney General and (1) defines and bans the manufacture, sale, import, transfer, and possession of any undetectable firearms; (2) bans with few exceptions, the import, sale, or transfer of any gun that doesn't not have a serial number from a federally licensed firearm manufacturer, importer, dealer, or gunsmith; (3) defines and requires unfinished frames or receivers can only be imported, sold, offered for sale, or transferred by federally licensed gun dealers that display the manufacturer's name and the serial number on the unfinished frame or receiver, conduct a background check, and meet other federal requirements; and (4) bans with few exceptions the possession of an unfinished frame or receiver that is not serialized.  This bill was amended to include HB 2006 and HB 2007 (described below) into one bill. 

Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill. A public hearing was held on 3/22. You can view the recording and read testimony here. Here's a recent article from CNN about the growing problems of Ghost Guns to give you some talking points. A work session was held on 3/30 and the bill was passed out of committee 6-4. You can view the recording here. It has been referred to the Ways and Means Committee and the Joint Committee on Public Safety. This bill had a work session 4/4. Watch the  recorded session here.  The Ways and Means Committee PASSED this bill 13-8, sending it to the full Senate with a "Do Pass" recommendation. Watch the recorded session here.   The House passed this bill by a 35-24 vote, 5/2. It is scheduled for a first reading as soon as enough Senate Republicans return to do what taxpayers are paying them to do - their jobs! 

This bill was one of the primary targets for the Senate Walkout to prevent a quorum.  It was amended earlier to raise the age requirement to 21 for certain guns and to allow local governments to prohibit concealed firearms on government property. Both of these provisions had originally been in other bills, but were combined into HB 2005.  Both of these provisions were dropped as part of the concessions made by Democrats to get enough Republicans to return to work for a quorum, so now it will essentially just be the original bill to ban ghost guns.  On 6/15 it was referred back to the Senate Committee on Rules where the new amendments were made and the committee moved it to the Senate floor with a DO PASS recommendation. 

HB 2006  Age Restrictions on Firearm Possession  COIN has ENDORSED this bill. 

Age restrictions have been included in SB 348 No further action is expected for this bill.

This bill prohibits persons under 21 from possessing firearms, with reasonable exceptions, such as for hunting or military service. Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill. An informational and a public hearing were held on 3/22. You can view the recording and read testimony here. The bill was removed from the work session scheduled for Monday 4/3. 

HB 2007  Allows More Government Agencies to Ban Concealed Weapons COIN has ENDORSED this bill.  Banning firearms in certain sensitive area has been included in SB 348 No further action is expected for this bill.

This bill expands on a 2021 law and allows certain government entities to ban concealed weapons within their buildings and adjacent grounds. Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  An informational and a public hearing were held on 3/22. You can view the recording and read testimony here. The bill was removed from the work session scheduled for Monday 4/3. 

HB 3201 A  Broadband Funding    COIN has ENDORSED this bill.  

SUCCESS! This bill passed with amendments in the Senate on 6/22, and was referred back to the House to pass the amended version which they did on 6/23 by a vote of 50-4. 

This bill updates Oregon broadband statute to align with the Federal broadband program in IRA to maximize potential Federal funding to Oregon. It grants the Oregon Broadband Office additional oversight and eliminates the ‘Right of First Refusal’ for incumbent providers on grant awards. HB3249 and SB943 are competing broadband bills that fix the regulatory alignment problem for receiving Federal funds, but leave in place technical issues and rules that favor incumbent providers, which limits competition and stifles innovation.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill. League of Oregon Cities has prepared a factsheet providing additional details. This bill had a public hearing 2/21 and 3/9. Watch these recordings here (2/21) and here (3/9). Watch the recorded 3/16 work session here.  3/30 UPDATE: This bill passed in the House by a vote of 43 - 15. It now assigned to the Senate Committee on Veterans, Emergency Mgmt, Federal and World Affairs.  A hearing was held 5/4 and a work session was held on 5/9. You can watch the recordings here.  The committee voted 3-0 with a DO PASS recommendation to move this bill to the full Senate for a vote.  

HB 3249  Broadband Funding  2  COIN OPPOSES this bill. No further action expected.

This bill updates Oregon broadband statute to PARTIALLY, but not fully align with the Federal broadband program in IRA. Unlike HB 3201 and SB 943, this bill grants the ‘Right of First Refusal’ for incumbent providers on grant awards over other innovative solutions that may be able to provide faster, less expensive service to the consumer, thus limiting competition and stifling innovation. Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill. 

HB 2572-2  Civil Disorder  COIN has ENDORSED this bill. 

Success! This bill passed the Senate 17-8 on 6/24 after passing 36-23 in the House on 5/17. Awaiting final signatures. 

As amended, this bill clarifies the activities that are illegal when committed by persons acting on behalf of private paramilitary organizations and provides for a civil cause of action by the State Attorney General or any person injured by these illegal actions. COIN endorses this bill with the understanding further amendments are in progress to ensure protection of the constitutional rights of all persons. Click here for the COIN Worksheet on this bill. A public hearing was held Monday February 6 at 3:00 PM. Watch the recorded session here. The House Committee On Judiciary held a work session on 3/20 and voted to refer this bill to the Rules Committee. Watch the recording here.  See Rep. Dacia Grayber's newsletter about the evolution of HB 2572 here.  A public hearing was held on 4/6 in the Rules Committee. You can watch the recording here. This bill had a work session on 5/11. You can watch the recorded session here.  This bill passed by 36-23 vote in the House on Tuesday 5/17.  This bill has been referred to the Senate Rules Committee 6/16. 

HB 2772 A   Domestic Terrorism     COIN OPPOSES this bill. 

UPDATE 6/23  This bill passed the House by a 49-5 vote on 6/6 and passed the Senate 24-0 on 6/23. Awaiting final signatures. 

This bill creates the crime of "domestic terrorism."  The bill as amended purports to target people who attempt or succeed in damaging critical infrastructure such as water supply, bridges, power grids; or in releasing toxic substances to injure 50 or more people.  Click here for the COIN Worksheet on this bill. The ACLU of Oregon has taken a stand opposing HB 2772 in an email sent to many Oregonians, and COIN shares the concern that such a law could be used to criminalize protesting, depending on how damage to critical infrastructure is defined.  Public testimony was heard 2/8 by the House Committee On Judiciary and the recording is available here. During the 4/3 work session, the committee members asked many questions and posed many scenarios to be sure they understood the language in the bill. Watch the recorded session here. They then voted 8-1 with a do-pass recommendation. Watch the recorded session here.  HB 2772-1 is assigned to the Ways and Means Committee.  UPDATE 5/22: Assigned to JWM Subcommittee On Public Safety. A work session was held on 5/30 and the bill was referred back to the full JWM Committee. Another work session was held in the full committee and with a vote for a DO PASS recommendation (19-3) to the full House.  

SB 510 - Public Records Advocate  COIN has ENDORSED this bill.

SUCCESS! This bill passed with unanimous support in both the Senate and the House. Next it goes to the Governor for a signature. 

This bill would provide stable funding for the Public Records Advocate who is supposed to help people with public records requests. Such an entity could potentially be an irritant to politicians, who could then cut funding, so it's important the provide for stable funding in law. The purpose of Oregon's open records laws are to "promote democracy and transparency." This bill will facilitate that purpose.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.   4/17 UPDATE: This bill passed unanimously in the Joint Ways and Means Committee and then passed 28-0 in the full Senate on 4/17.  A work session was held in the House Committee On Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans on 4/27 and was passed without recommendation 7-0. You can watch the recording here.   5/23 UPDATE: This bill passed the House by a 45-0 vote (many members were excused for other House commitments). 

SB 610  Food for all Oregonians    COIN has ENDORSED this bill.   No further action expected.
This bill would make food assistance available to Oregonians who would otherwise qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) but are currently denied assistance due to immigration status.  Click here for the COIN Worksheet on this bill.   A public hearing was held Monday February 27 at 3:00 PM. Watch the recorded session here.   Here is testimony in support of this bill from COIN.  The Senate Committee On Human Services passed SB 610 by a 4-1 vote. It was assigned to the Ways and Means Committee. The Food For All Oregonians coalition sponsored an Advocacy Day for this bill on Wednesday April 12 in Salem. 

UPDATE 6/6:  We have just learned that SB 610 will not advance this session. Along with other members of the Food For All Oregonians Coalition, COIN is deeply disappointed. Here is a message from Ellie McDaniel with the Coalition.  Sign up on the Coalition website to stay involved. 

HB 2957 A  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Assistance Program  COIN has ENDORSED this bill.  No further action expected.

This bill would direct Department of Human Services to provide financial assistance to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status recipients for specified purposes. Last year a similar bill was put forward to use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to provide Dreamers with up to $695 to pay fees associated with DACA renewal. As most of that money has been spent, this year funding would come from the general fund. Click here for the COIN Worksheet on this bill.   House Committee On Early Childhood and Human Services  held a public hearing on Wednesday February 22 at 1:00 PM. Watch the recorded session here. The work session was held March 29, at 1:00 pm. Watch the recorded session here. Great News! After amending the bill to assist noncitizens who do not possess valid immigration documentation to change immigration status or obtain lawful permanent resident status, the committee passed HB 2957 A by unanimous vote! It now goes to the Ways and Means Committee. 

HB 3176 A  Immigrant and Refugee Welcome and Reception Program  COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
No further action expected.

This bill requires the Department of Human Services, in consultation with the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, to establish the Welcome and Reception Program for immigrants and refugees. The goal is to build infrastructure that will support people in our community seeking asylum and opportunity.  Click here for the COIN Worksheet on this bill. The recorded public hearing from 3/8 in the House Committee On Early Childhood and Human Services is available here. Read the COIN endorsement testimony. 4/3 UPDATE: The committee voted 8-1 with a do-pass recommendation. Watch the recorded session here.  It's now in the  Ways and Means Committee.

HB 2650    Equitable Workgroups with Equitable Outcomes    COIN has ENDORSED this bill.  No further action expected.

Directs Oregon Department of Administrative Services to establish program for compensating eligible members of informal workgroups and task forces. By passing HB 2650, Oregon’s workgroups and task forces process would be more in line with our values by centering lived experience. At least half of workgroup and task force members will need to be representatives of people whose lives are directly impacted by the policies being discussed, community members, and community-based organizations.  There would be equity for historically underserved communities.  At least one-quarter of workgroups and task forces will need to be people who have been historically underserved. This bill would ensure economic justice by compensating workgroup and task force members for their time and travel. Click here for COIN Worksheet.  There was a public hearing March 2. Watch the recorded session here. Sample COIN testimony is available to read here. 4/4 UPDATE: The House Committee On Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans held a work session. Watch the recorded session here. With a 4-3 vote, the bill was passed out of committee. It now goes to the Ways and Means Committee. 

Partnership for Safety and Justice is a criminal justice reform advocacy organization and is a member of the Transforming Justice Coalition that supports HB 2650 and SB 581.

HB 2506-9   Residential Facilities in Residential Zones   COIN has ENDORSED this bill with -9 amendment. No further action expected.

Expands the definitions of residential homes and residential facilities that local governments must approve using the same standards as other residential uses.  The bill would hopefully remove some of the obstacles to opening needed residential facilities. Read the COIN Worksheet here. You may also find helpful this description of a sample residential facility awaiting approval in Wasco County and the letter from the Wasco Sherriff in support of HB 2506-9.

After a public hearing and a work session, the bill passed out of the House Committee on Housing and Homeless with a moderately bipartisan 7-3 vote but without recommendation as to passage. It is currently in the House Rules Committee where another public hearing was held 5/4. Watch here. 

HB 2763   Public Bank Task Force   COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
SUCCESS! The full House passed this bill on 6/14 by a vote of 31-26 and it passed the Senate on 6/23 by a vote of 17-7. Awaiting final signatures.

This bill would establish a task force to study and make recommendations regarding establishment of a state public bank. Advocates of public banking say that it will stretch our tax dollars by reducing the cost of financing public projects. Public banks serve the common good, rather than private interests.  Here is the COIN Worksheet on this bill.  To learn more about the benefits of a public bank, visit the Oregon Public Banking Alliance or see their Public Banking Info Booklet. A public hearing was held 2/16. You can watch the recorded hearing here. A work session was held Thursday, 3/9 at 1:00 pm. Watch the recording here.  HB 2763 has passed out of committee by a 4-3 vote on 3/14 and was referred the Joint Ways and Means Committee.  UPDATE 5/24: This bill has now been moved into the JWM Subcommittee on General Government.  A public hearing / work session was held on 6/6 and you can watch the recorded session here.  The subcommittee returned this bill to the full Joint Ways and Means Committee. This bill was passed out of committee by a 13-9 vote. 

SB 579 A and HB 4147 (2022 Session)   Voting By Adults in Custody  COIN has endorsed this bill.  No further action expected.
This bill allows persons convicted of crime to register to vote, update voter registration, and vote in elections while incarcerated. 95% of those incarcerated will return to their community and research shows that those allowed to vote while incarcerated are less likely to re-offend. Click here for COIN worksheet.  Click here to see Talking Points for this bill. A public hearing was held 1/26. Watch the recorded hearing. A work session is scheduled for Thursday, 3/9 at 1:00 pm. Watch the recording here. 3/9 UPDATE: SB 579 has passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 3-2 vote. The bill is heading to the Joint Ways and Means Committee. Sample COIN testimony is available to read here. The committee minority have submitted an alternative amendment calling for this issue to go to a vote of the people in the next General Election.

SB 581 A   Earned Reduction in Supervision   COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
SUCCESS!  The House passed SB 581A by a slim margin, 31-28, on 4/26, and it was signed by the Senate President on 4/27. Governor signed on 5/8.

This bill would require the Department of Corrections to adopt rules requiring supervising officers to provide to eligible persons on parole or probation, quarterly updates toward earning a reduction in their supervision. Incentives for positive behavior have been proven effective and will lower caseloads for parole officers. Here is the COIN Worksheet on this bill. Sample COIN testimony is available to read here. SB 581 has moved quickly, passing out of committees and PASSED BY THE SENATE  on 3/1 by a 23-6 vote.  A public hearing was held in on 3/21.  You can watch the recording here.  The House Committee On Judiciary passed this bill with a 6-3 vote 4/18. Watch the recorded session here. 

SB 519 A    Modification of Expunction of Juvenile Records    COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
SUCCESS!  The House unanimously passed SB 519 on 5/25. The senate had passed already (before the GOP walkout) so now it goes to the Governor's desk for a signature!  

This bill would make it easier for some Youth to navigate the expunction system.  Juvenile records have far-reaching collateral consequences that impact a Youth’s future. These records can hinder access to housing, jobs, school enrollment, college applications, and professional licensure.  Expunction is an important step in the process for Youth who have successfully completed probation. Navigating the current expunction process is not an easy task for anyone without legal expertise.  Getting connected to appropriate services can be difficult and can make pursuing expunction prohibitive.

Oregon’s juvenile justice system goal is rehabilitation and reformation for Youth. A Youth who successfully participates in the accountability and rehabilitative opportunities grows to become a productive and contributing member of our community. Here is the COIN Worksheet on this bill. A public hearing was held at 1:00 pm March 2. Watch the recorded hearing here. Sample COIN testimony is available to read here. The Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a work session scheduled for Monday 3/27 and the bill passed out of committee 5-0. Watch the recorded session here. This bill has PASSED with an almost unanimous vote 28-1 in the full Senate.  A public hearing was held in the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday May 3. You can watch the recorded session here.  A work session was held on 5/15 and the committee voted 10-0 with a DO PASS recommendation. 

HB 2731   Re-Establishment of the Family Preservation Pilot Project  COIN has ENDORSED this bill. No further action expected.

This bill will modify the funding and management of the Family Preservation Program at the Coffee Creek Women's Facility that offers incarcerated mothers opportunities for engagement with families. The activities promote protective factors and reduce the trauma experienced by children of incarcerated parents. The program will increase successful reentry from prison into healthier families and improve recidivism rates. Find the COIN Worksheet here.  A public hearing was held 8:00 am February 27. Watch the recorded hearing. A work session was held 3/9 and HB 2731 was passed out of committee by an 8-1 vote. Watch the recorded session.  Sample COIN testimony is available to read here. The bill was referred to the Joint Ways and Means Committee on 3/13. This Oregonian article describes the impact of the Family Preservation Program. 

SB 619   Consumer Privacy Protection Act  COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
SUCCESS!  The Senate passed SB 619 on 6/20 with a vote of 23-2 and then passed the House on 6/22 with a vote of 54-0. It is now awaiting final signatures.

Requires companies to disclose in a reasonable, clear manner their collection, use, and sharing of a consumer’s data. It permits the consumer to insist on correction of inaccuracies. Consumers must “opt-in” to the use of personal data. It specifies civil penalties and allows for class action suits. Is structurally similar to laws in Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah. Here is the COIN Worksheet on this bill. A public session was held 3/7 in the  Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Watch the recording here. And here is an article updating support/opposition. SB 619 was passed out of committee with a do-pass recommendation by a 4-1 vote.  The session recording is available here. The bill was referred to the Joint Ways and Means Committee on 4/12 and then to the JWM Subcommittee on Public Safety. A work session was held on 5/24 and the bill was returned to the full JWM Committee which held a second work session on 5/31, and voted 23-0 with a DO PASS recommendation. You can watch the recordings here.   This bill had a third reading and passed 23-2 in the Senate Tuesday 6/20. 

HB 3409 - Climate Package   COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
SUCCESS!  This important omnibus bill passed with a 34-15 vote in the House on 6/21 and then passed in the Senate 18-7 with amendments on 6/24. It then went back to the House for a re-vote with the amendments, and it passed 34-16. Awaiting final signatures. 

This bill as listed right now in OLIS is just a placeholder for a bill that will combine a number of currently pending critical climate-related bills together, so that if the Senate GOP returns to the Senate Floor for even one day, these bills can be voted on all at one time as a package. The proposed amendment ( submitted 6/8) can be read here. Most of the bills have already been endorsed by COIN. Others are bills COIN hadn't taken a position, but had not opposed.  HB 3409 would put $100 million toward funding these bills. Currently HB3409 is in the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources. A hearing/work session was held June. And you can click here to view the recorded session. A work session before the full Ways and Means Committee was held on 6/12 and a DO PASS recommendation (14-3) was made. Please use this Climate Action Toolkit, which includes sample talking points, action alerts, social media, and tips for writing LTEs/Op Eds to continue to put pressure on decision-makers that we cannot afford to take a year off of climate action. 

Here's a list of the bills that have been packaged together into HB 3409:

• Resilient, Efficient Buildings Package (SB 868, 869, 870, 871, HB 3166) *

• Community Resilience Hubs (HB 2990) *

• Natural Climate Solutions (SB 530) *

• Climate Action Modernization (SB 522) *

• State Energy Strategy and Resilience Planning (HB 2534 & 3378)

• Community Green Infrastructure Act AKA TREES Act (HB 3016) *

• Environmental Justice and Tribal Navigator (SB 852)

• Medium and Heavy-Duty EV Incentives (HB 2714)

• Renewable Energy Siting (HB 3181)

• Solar + Storage Rebate Program Extension (HB 3418)

• Residential Heat Pump Program Extension (HB 3056)

• Climate Protection Program Fee Bill (HB 3196)

• Harmful Algal Blooms (HB 2647)

• Community Renewable Energy Grant Program (HB 2021, 2021)

• Woody Biomass for Low-Carbon Fuels (HB 3590)

Those marked with an asterisk are bills COIN previously endorsed and are described in more detail further down the page.

SB 854  Climate Change Education for K-12   COIN has ENDORSED this bill.  No further action expected.
This bill requires each school district board to develop written plans establishing a climate change instructional program for K-12 grades of public schools and across the curriculum no later than June 1, 2026. The COIN Worksheet for this bill has a lot more specific details of the recommended content. Here are a couple examples of testimony for this bill from Alan Journet and Kathleen Conway.  While it does not appear on the OLIS SB 854 page, a work session was held Tuesday 4/4 at 3 pm.  The recorded session is available here.

HB 3579  Clean Technology Leadership  COIN has ENDORSED this bill.  No further action expected.
The Inflation Reduction Act includes $60 billion in incentives for domestic manufacturing across the clean energy supply chain. Additional funding support could come from the CHIPS and Science Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Unfortunately, Oregon is well behind other states when it comes to leveraging these incentives and proactively attracting, expanding, and sustaining clean energy technology companies and manufacturers in Oregon. 

HB 3579 and the forthcoming amendment seeks to leverage historic investments in domestic clean energy manufacturing to help strengthen Oregon’s economic vitality, workforce development, and climate-smart manufacturing goals in a variety of ways. Please read more about them in the COIN Worksheet for this bill. Here is the awesome COIN Testimony submitted by Jeff Hammarlund. Watch the 3/29 public hearing here. Here's more great testimony from Metro Climate Action and from Southern Oregon Climate Action Now to illustrate some of the benefits this bill can bring to Oregon. A work session was held by the the House Committee On Climate, Energy, and Environment on 4/3. Watch the recorded session here. 4/3 UPDATE: The bill passed out of committee by a 7-3 vote. The bill is now headed to the Joint Ways and Means Committee.

HB 3464 A   Beaver Protections  COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
Success! Beavers Protections passed 32-11 in the House on 4/3 and then passed 19-5 in the Senate on 6/22. It is now awaiting signatures.  

 
This bill cancels the designation of the beaver (Castor canadensis) as a predator. Since it is a herbivore, this designation is inaccurate and it has enable the eradication of beavers from many parts of Oregon. Beavers are a keystone species and they play a significant role in increasing water quantity and quality in their habitats. Thus they can act as a buffer against climate extremes and decrease the risk of wildfires. Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill. This bill had a hearing on Wednesday 3/22. You can watch the recording here.  Here's some sample testimony from COIN Legislative Team member, Alan Journet.  A work session was held by the the House Committee On Climate, Energy, and Environment on 4/3. Watch the recorded session here. 4/3 UPDATE: The bill passed by a 10-0 vote. The bill PASSED by a 32-11 vote in the full House. The Senate Committee on Natural Resources held a public hearing on 5/11 and voted (3-0) with a DO PASS recommendation to move this bill to the full Senate for a vote. You can watch the recording here. 

SB 85-7  Factory Farm Moratorium  Note the change in status: COIN is now NEUTRAL on this bill due to amendments that have weakened it to the point we can't fully support it. Still, we recognize that it is slightly better than nothing.
Success!  SB 85 passed the Senate 17-8 on 6/20 and passed the House 31-19 on 6/21. Awaiting signatures.

SB 85 has now replaced an earlier bill on this topic (HB 2667). COIN is a supporting member of the Stand Up to Factory Farms coalition, SUFF, which is supporting a moratorium on new large factory farms or expansions on existing large factory farms until there are proper regulations to protect air and water quality and animal welfare.  An informational hearing was held on Feb. 28th and was well attended by supporters. Here's a report on that hearing from Laura Allen, a COIN member who attended. You can also watch the hearing here.  A public hearing was held Monday March 6 before the Natural Resources Committee. Watch the recorded hearing here.  The continuation of the public hearing was held March 13, and you can watch the recording here at that time. The Senate Committee on Natural Resources held a public hearing on Wednesday, 3/22. You can watch the recorded 3/22 hearing here. A work session was held 4/3. Watch the recorded 4/3 session here, during which the committee voted 3-2 to send SB 85-1, without recommendation, to the Rules Committee. 

An informational hearing was held on SB 85 on 4/27 in the Senate Rules Committee. Sens. Jeff Golden and Michael Dembrow said that there would not be a moratorium and instead, Sen. Dembrow is spearheading an effort among "stakeholders" to come up with regulations for factory farms. He presented a power point to show what they have come up with thus far. They are working on an Amendment 4 to SB 85 that will contain their final agreement on regulations. You can watch the recorded hearing here. (It begins at about 1 hour 46 minutes.)  Another hearing was held on 5/4. Watch the recording here.  

Resources:  Use this guide from SUFF for suggestions as you prepare your message.  Here are further information and talking points to help as well.  For more info, see COIN's supplemental testimony in support of SB 85-1 and Alan Journet's testimony on behalf of SOCAN. Another COIN member, Becky Orf, drove from Ashland to Salem to provide testimony in person during the first hearing - here's what she said. And she drove again to give testimony at the second hearing. (Thank you Becky!)  Here is testimony from COIN members Monica Tomosy, Jane Stackhouse, and Liz Luthy. More testimony can be found on the bill's website. A work session was held on 5/24 and the committee voted 5-0 for a DO PASS recommendation with the -7 amendment. Advocates are disappointed that this will not be a moratorium on new factory farms, but instead leaves the matter to rule-making within the Departments of Agriculture, Environmental Quality, and Water Resources.  While we are disappointed this bill was so watered down, it is better than what we had before, and we will have an opportunity for input during the rule-making process, so stay tuned!  The committee recommended a referral of this bill to the Joint Ways and Means Committee and subsequently sent to the Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Capital Construction. The 6/9 work session can be viewed here. The bill was returned to the full JWM Committee.  Another work session was held on 6/12 and the full Joint Ways and Means Committee voted 14-3 for a DO PASS recommendation to the full Senate. 

SB 398    Requiring a Study of Confined Animal Feeding Operations  COIN is watching this bill. No further action expected.
At this point the bill is simply a placeholder. Negotiations are underway to determine what, if any, amendments will be made to add provisions requiring reforms in the permitting and operation of factory farms which remain largely unregulated in Oregon.  The bill has passed without recommendation from the Senate Natural Resources Committee to the Rules Committee.  Based on the testimony at the informational hearing on 4/27 on SB 85, nothing further will be done with SB 398 and any legislation on factory farms will proceed under SB 85. 

SB 530   Natural Climate Solutions Bill   COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
SUCCESS! This bill is now part of the HB 3409 package which passed.
This bill would establish  a state policy regarding natural climate solutions which will sequester carbon in our natural and working lands (forested and agricultural lands and wetlands).  Click here for the COIN Worksheet on this bill.   This bill had a hearing on February 15th, (watch here) but you can still let your legislators know that you support passage of this bill.  For some talking points, check out this Summary from SOCAN, and this testimony from COIN's CEE Team, and Ecumencial Minstries of Oregon. Watch the recorded 3/29 session here.  4/3 UPDATE: Senate Committee on Natural Resources voted 3-2 with a do-pass recommendation.  Watch the recorded session here.  The bill is now headed to the Joint Ways and Means Committee.

SB 502 A  Trust Fund for Wildfire Programs   COIN has ENDORSED this bill.   No further action expected.
This bill would require the Oregon Department of Forestry to study the establishment of a permanent trust fund for wildfire programs.   Click here for the COIN Worksheet on this bill.  The idea to remove wildfire program funding from the General Fund in this way is intriguing and probably a good idea.  3/27 UPDATE: This bill PASSED out of committee without recommendation by a 4-1 vote. Watch the 3/27 session here. It has been referred to the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee. A public hearing was held on 5/31. You can watch the recorded hearing here. 

HB 3019  OFRI Reforms  COIN has ENDORSED this bill.   No further action expected.
This bill would reform the taxpayer-funded Oregon Forest Resources Institute, which presents itself as neutral, but which was originally established by the timber industry to use public funding to serve its private interests. This bill will reform the ORFI to end misleading and biased public advertising, and shift a portion of the OFRI budget to Oregon State University for K-12 forestry education support. Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  The first hearing was on 2-7-23 and carried over to 2-9. Watch the recorded hearing here. Here are some talking points from Metro Climate Action Team. 3/30 UPDATE: This bill passed out of committee without recommendation by a vote of 9-0. Next, it moves to the House Revenue Committee. 

Zero Waste Bills

SB 542 A   Right to Repair  COIN has ENDORSED this bill.  No further action expected.
This bill would require electronic equipment manufacturers to make available to consumers and independent repair providers documentation, tools, parts or other devices that the manufacturer makes available to authorized repair providers. The bill is supported by a number of environmental groups who believe it will make repairs easier and less expensive, therby reducing electronic waste.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  The recorded 2/9 public hearing can be seen here and the recorded 2/14 hearing here. Watch the recorded 3/28 work session here. The Senate Committee On Energy and Environment passed the bill by a 3-2 vote.  

 4/26 UPDATE: The Senate deferred the vote on this bill and instead, referred it to the Senate Rules Committee Tuesday, 4/25. Here are two articles about the right to repair movement.

 Pushback Against Growing Corporate Power                  Colorado Passes Right to Repair Law  

SB 543 A   Phase out Polystyrene and PFCs  COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
SUCCESS! SB 543 passed the Senate (20-9) and the House (40-18), and was signed by the Senate President on 4/27. It was signed by the Governor on 5/8.  

This bill will prohibit food vendors from using polystyrene foam containers or those containing PFKs, and providing single-use foodwared containers unless they meet certain criteria. It also prohibits persons from selling or distributing polystyrene foam containers and packaging peanuts. Prohibitions would become effective January 1, 2025.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  The public hearing for SB 543, recorded 2/14, was continued in the hearing recorded 2/16. Read the factsheet prepared by a coalition of supporters and the COIN endorsement testimony by Tamara Babad. The Senate Committee On Energy and Environment PASSED this bill by a 5-0 vote 3/22. Watch the recording here.  The full Senate PASSED SB 543 by a 20-9 vote. A public hearing was held by the House Climate Energy Environment Committee on 4/17. You can watch the recorded hearing HERE.   A work session was held on 4/19 and the committee voted 7-2 for a DO PASS recommendation. Watch the recorded session here.  

SB 545 A  Legalizing Reusables  COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
SUCCESS! SB 545 passed the Senate (19-8) and the House (39-17), and was signed by the Senate President on 4/27. It was signed by the Governor on 5/8.  

Oregon's Health Code currently does not allow for consumer or store-owned reusable containers to be used in bulk food sections or for produce. This bill would establish "legal" reuse systems and opportunities under Oregon's Health Code for consumers and businesses to transition away from single use containers.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill. Read the factsheet prepared by a coalition of supporters. This bill passed out of committee by a 4-1 vote at the 3/7/23 session in the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment. Watch the recording of the session. There is no fiscal impact to the state, so this bill will not need to go through the Ways and Means Committee. The bill PASSED the Senate by a vote of 19-8.  SB 545 A has been assigned to the House Committee on Climate, Energy, and Environment. A public hearing was held on 4/5.  You can watch the recording here. This bill passed unanimously out of committee on 4/17. 

HB 2571    E-Bike Rebates   COIN has ENDORSED this bill. No further action expected.
This bill would direct the DEQ to establish a program to provide rebates for qualifying individuals who purchase electric assisted bicycles or cargo electric bicycles and qualifying equipment.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill. Here is the recording of the public hearing 2/8. All testimony (except for two that were neutral) was in support, with several suggestions make changes so the bill is more equitable, giving relatively greater benefit to lower income buyers. 3/29 UPDATE: This bill passed out of committee by a vote of 9-1. It is now in the Joint Ways and Means Committee.

HB 3016 A   Green Infrastructure - TREES Act  COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
SUCCESS! This bill is now part of the HB 3409 package which passed.
This bill would establish a grant program to assist communities with improving their urban tree canopy. Research demonstrates that trees can significantly reduce temperatures during heat waves, which can help to prevent health risks associated with extreme heat. Urban forests provide many other benefits: Improving soil, air, and water quality, increasing  property value, improving mental and physical health, and providing wildlife habitat. Increasing green space has also been shown to reduce crime.  We really like this bill, particularly that it prioritizes tree equity in traditionally marginalized areas. Here is the COIN Worksheet on this bill. A public hearing was held on March 1, but there was so much testimony in support of the bill, the committee continued the hearing on Monday March 6.  View the 3/1 recording here and the 3/6 recording here.  Check out COIN's testimony here. This bill PASSED out of committee on 3/15 by a 9-0 vote. Watch the recording here. The bill is now in the Joint Ways and Means Committee.

HB 2998 A   Healthy Soils Initiative   COIN has ENDORSED this bill.  No further action expected.
This bill supports the agriculture community by collaborative voluntary incentives based on soil health strategies, including financial assistance, technical assistance, outreach, education, and research.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  Two public hearings have been held on this bill and the majority of the testimony has been in support.  View the testimony or recording of the two hearings here - 2/16 or 2/21. This bill PASSED out of House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water 3/14 by a 8-0 vote. Watch the recording here. The bill is now headed to the Joint Ways and Means Committee.

THE BUILDING RESILIENCE COALITION    COIN has JOINED this coalition.
The Climate Energy Environment (CEE) Team of COIN has recommended COIN join this coalition to help support getting the best possible version of the set of four bills (below) to come out of the 2022 Joint Task Force on Building Resiliency.  Note that the details of these bills are still being worked out.  Here are some documents that help explain why we think it's a good idea to be a part of this coalition:  Building Resilience Coalition Guiding Principles;  Building Resilience Coalition Kick-off Slides;  CEE Rationale and FAQs for COIN to join the Building Resilience Coalition. A public hearing was held on these 4 bills Mar. 16. You can watch the recording here. These bills all received overwhelming support in oral and written testimony during the hearing. One of our CEE members, Jeff Hammarlund, has submitted excellent testimony representing COIN and CEE that you can read here. You can watch the latest work session in the Senate Energy and Environment Committee here.  All four of our bills have been voted out of committee by a 3-2 vote. All are in the Joint Ways and Means Committee.  The coalition held a LOBBY DAY at the Capitol April 20, attended by about 100 people. 

Resources: Organization Testimony Toolkit Individual Testimony Toolkit

    Email to Invite Testimony Template       Supporting Coalition Letter

• SB 868   Healthy Heating and Cooling for All    COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
  SUCCESS! This bill is now part of the HB 3409 package which passed.
  This bill aligns energy efficiency programs with state climate goals, set a heat pump target for the state, supports workforce development, and improves navigation of federal and state incentives for energy efficiency and retrofits of homes and businesses. Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  And here is a one-pager from the bill sponsors while the bill text is being drafted. 

• SB 869  Build Smart from the Start   COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
  SUCCESS! This bill is now part of the HB 3409 package which passed.
  Buildings are the second largest source of carbon emissions in Oregon. An existing Executive Order (20-04) requires the Building Codes Division to evaluate and report on Oregon's current progress toward achieving goals for new residential and commercial buildings, and options for achieving that goal. This bill would codify this executive order into law and do a few other good things, too.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill and here is a one-pager from the bill sponsors while the bill text is being drafted.

• SB 870  Building Performance Standards   COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
  SUCCESS! This bill is now part of the HB 3409 package which passed.
  Older buildings consume more energy and produce more carbon emissions than newer buildings. This bill will establish building performance standards for large commercial buildings to reduce their energy use and climate emissions over time, requiring them to meet energy and emissions reduction targets over time from a flexible menu of improvements. It is modeled after Washington State BPS, which passed in 2019. Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill and here is a one-pager from the bill sponsors while the bill text is being drafted.  

• SB 871  Smart State Buildings   COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
  SUCCESS! This bill is now part of the HB 3409 package which passed.
  This bill removes barriers to accelerate energy retrofits and upgrades in state buildings, allowing the state to lead by example, and demonstrate how increasing resilience and efficiency and transitioning to clean energy is feasible, affordable, and beneficial. Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill, and here is a one-pager from the bill sponsors, while the bill text is being drafted. 

Toxic Free Bills

• SB 426   Toxic Free Schools    COIN has ENDORSED this bill. No further action expected.
  This bill would establish resources for Oregon Department of Education and create a stakeholder advisory group to modernize school integrated pest management; expected outcomes are consistent recordkeeping, equitable distribution of resources and training, and reduced pesticide exposure for students K-12.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill. This bill had a hearing on 2/21 where there was near unanimous support expressed.  You can view the testimony or the recording here. 3/30 UPDATE: This bill passed out of committee by a vote of 6-1. You can watch the recording here. The bill is now in the Ways and Means Committee.

• HB 3043  Toxic Free Kids Modernization    COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
  SUCCESS! This bill passed 18-6 in the Senate. A re-vote was held in the House on 6/23, due to an amendment in the Senate, and it passed 42-11. Awaiting final signatures.
  
  This bill would revise provisions related to chemicals in children's products. It would go into effect January 1, 2024.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  A hearing was held on 1/25 for this bill, with great deal of support, and some opposition mostly from companies that produce toys and other children's products.  View the testimony or the recording of the hearing here.  The Climate Energy Environment Committee voted 9-0 to PASS this bill out of committee after holding a work session 3/14 (recording here). Good News!  This bill passed the HOUSE with strong bipartisan support in a vote of 42-14, moving it to the Senate. A public hearing was held in the Senate Energy and Environment Committee on 5/4.  Watch the recording here. A work session was held on 5/9 and the committee voted 3-0 to move this bill with a DO PASS recommendation to the full senate for a vote. Note that all Republican members of this committee were absent due to the GOP senate walkout.  

• SB 546   Toxic Free Cosmetics   COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
  SUCCESS!  This bill passed the Senate 20-5 on 6/20 and passed the House 33-21 on 6/22. It is now awaiting final signatures.
  
  The personal care products industry is one of the least regulated in the U.S. This bill would ban the worst chemical classes found in cosmetics and personal  care products from sale in Oregon to make these products safer.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  A pubic hearing was held on 2/28 with most of the testimony in support of the bill.  View the testimony or the recording of the hearing here.   Here is a sample of testimony from one of our COIN members.  The Energy and Environment Committee had a work session scheduled for this bill on Tuesday 3/28. Watch the recorded session here. SB 546 passed out of committee by a 5-0 vote. This bill is now in the Ways and Means Committee.  5/23 UPDATE: Assigned to the Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Human Services.  A work session was held 5/30 and the bill was returned to the full JWM Committee which then held a second work session and voted 14-8 to move it forward to the full senate with a DO PASS recommendation. You can watch the recorded 5/30  or the 6/2 work session here.   

SB 522 A   Modernization of the Global Warming Commission   COIN has ENDORSED this bill. No further action expected.
The current bill listed on OLIS is a placeholder bill that was submitted prior to the legislative session. It will be replaced by new language developed by the Global Warming Commission with extensive public input. This description summarizes our understanding of the new language offered by the Commission: TIGHGER Process (Transformational Integrated Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction).  SB 522 will support continued climate progress in Oregon by strengthening our state greenhouse gas reduction goals and modernizing the Oregon Global Warming Commission. Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  The public hearing for this bill was held on 2/21.  Check out the great testimony for this bill submitted by Alan Journet, one of our COIN members. A work session was held 4/4. You can watch the recorded session here. 4/4 UPDATE: Passed out of committee by a 4-1 vote.  This bill is now in the Ways and Means Committee.

HB 2990   Community Resilience Hubs   COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
SUCCESS! This bill is now part of the HB 3409 package which passed.
This bill would create a grant program that will go directly to communities to build and implement Community Resilience Hubs and networks, including:  Resilient buildings, new or retrofitted with heating and cooling, air filtration, and emergency supplies; Collaboration in energy systems and community-based renewable energy programs; Community-based communication networks, resource navigation systems, and services across districts. Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  And here is a 2-page summary of the bill from Unite Oregon.  UPDATE: The Climate Energy Environment Committee held a public hearing for this bill Wednesday, 3/22, at 3:00 pm., and it received overwhelming public support in both the oral and written testimony. Watch the recording here. A work session was held Monday, 3/27 and this bill PASSED out of committee with a 9-1 vote. Watch the recorded work session here. This bill now moves to the Ways and Means Committee.

SB 82 A   DFR Wildfire Bill: Wildfire Insurance Risk Mitigation  COIN has ENDORSED this bill.
SUCCESS! SB 82 passed the Senate (25-4) and the House (36-20), and was signed by the Senate President on 4/27. It was signed by the Governor on 5/8.  

This is a Consumer Protection Bill, written by Andrew Stolfi (Oregon Insurance Commissioner). The intention is to encourage insurance companies to consider individual- and community-level investments in wildfire risk mitigation in determining policy rates and qualifications. It includes improved consumer disclosure requirements by insurance companies and rating and underwriting consideration for wildfire mitigation efforts. Here is the COIN worksheet. Public hearing held 2/6. Testimony came from four insurance industry representatives, and largely reflected their willingness to work with the Commissioner and Oregon homeowners, while voicing concerns about paucity of data on which to base meaningful rates. Watch the recorded hearing here.  A work session was held on 3/8/23. See the recording here. A -3 amendment was adopted, which include clarification of several features of previous amendments, including:

1. Improved consumer notices of changes to homeowner’s insurance policies will provide description of property-specific characteristics, wildfire risk mitigation actions that could affect policy conditions, and the data used to determine the risk score.

2. Improved transparency of insurance underwriting and rating programs

3. Prohibition of the use of the State Wildfire Risk Map developed under SB762.

The Senate Committee on Natural Resources voted “do-pass” (4/5) with referral to move to the Senate Floor.
Good News:   This bill was PASSED out of committee by a 4-1 vote on 3/8 and it passed in the full SENATE by a vote of 25-4 on 3/21. Assigned to House Climate Energy Environment Committee.  A work session was held on 4/5. You can watch the recording here.  This bill passed unanimously out of committee (8-0) on 4/17.

SB 509 A   Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Programs  COIN has ENDORSED this bill. No further action expected.

This bill refines and operationalizes a number of programs legislated in SB762, passed during a previous session. Establishes a community risk reduction grant program, a neighborhood cooperative program, and a home-hardening assistance program, through the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Notably, it establishes a central user-friendly public website, an inter-agency data collection program with a frequent reporting schedule. Read the COIN Worksheet here. Update: A public hearing was held 2/6; testimonies were generally favorable, since this is incentive-based (not regulation) and leverages significant Federal match funding opportunities. Watch the recorded hearing here.  A work session was held on 3/8/23. A -2 amendment was discussed, which included two main changes from the -1 amendment:  1) the home hardening program was removed (and will be included in another bill); 2) creation of a 20-year Strategic Plan was added, with a $10 million appropriation. The Senate Committee on Natural Resources voted "do-pass" (4-1). The bill is now in the Joint Ways and Means Committee.  

HB 2986 A  Prescribed Burning Program   COIN has ENDORSED this bill.  No further action expected.

This bill would facilitate the use of cultural burning and controlled (prescribed) burning to help mitigate the risk of climate-enhanced wildfires, restore the natural climate resilience of forest ecosystems, and provide for greater Tribal sovereignty.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  A public hearing was held for this bill on 1/25. You can read the testimony submitted or watch the recording here.  A work session was held in the Climate Energy Environment Committee  March 13. You can get the link to watch the recording here. The bill was amended and passed out of committee by an 8-1 vote. Headed now to the Joint Ways and Means Committee.

HB 3459 A   Access to Heat and Electricity for Lower Income, Children, and Elderly Oregonians

COIN has endorsed this bill.  No further action expected.

HB 3459 would protect all low-income Oregonians from energy utility disconnections in winter months (Oct 1 - Mar 31), protect low-income households with children and/or seniors from disconnection year-round, and increase coordination between utility companies and community action agencies. An amendment is about to be added that would add another major provision to the bill. The amendment would extend to January 2, 2026, the existing Oregon Energy Assistance Program (OEAP) that was created during the pandemic to provide electric bill payment assistance for low-income customers. Without the OEAP extension, that assistance program would terminate at the end of 2023. 

Resources: COIN Worksheet     Sample Testimony

   Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Flyer Additional Talking Points

   COIN HB 3459 Endorsement Testimony Testimony from Forrest Cammack

View the recorded public 3/27 hearing here. Watch the 3/29 work session here. UPDATE: The bill PASSED out of committee by a 6-4 vote 3/29. Awaiting a vote by the House. Assigned to the Joint Ways and Means Committe.

HB 2248   Effects of Wildfire on Water Quality COIN is watching this bill. No further action expected.

This bill requires Water Resources Department and DEQ to study impacts of wildfire on water quality of streams and tributaries. Here is the COIN  Worksheet for this bill. This bill is currently in the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water. You can view the public hearing and two work sessions held thus far here: 2/16 public hearing, 3/16 work session, and 3/21 work session.  

HB 2601   Divesting from Fossil Fuels  COIN has ENDORSED this bill. No further action expected.
This bill would require the State Treasurer to exit from certain carbon-intensive investments, subject to fiduciary duties. It requires the Treasurer to develop a plan to protect state investments from risks related to climate change, and to issue periodic reports on actual and planned progress towards these goals.  Click here for the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  For more information about this bill, see this Overview and List of Divest Oregon Coalition Members.    We are extremely disappointed that this bill was not voted out of committee by the constitutional deadline for this session. Visit the Divest Oregon website to learn how you can keep pressing Tobias Read and the Oregon Treasury for this important change in policy. 

SB 544  Reducing Plastic at its Source  COIN has ENDORSED this bill. No further action expected.
This bill would reduce the amount of single-use plastic packaging and foodware by 25% over the next decade, to reduce the amount of plastic entering the market, resulting in less plastic pollution and less greenhouse gas emissions. Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  Read the factsheet prepared by a coalition of supporters. We are very disappointed that this bill did not get scheduled for a work session by the constitutional deadline, so it is effectively dead.  Let's  work extra hard to get the other  Zero Waste Package  bills passed.

SB 90  State Forest Task Force    COIN is watching this bill.   No further action expected.
Strong and vibrant communities with access to clean water and healthy forests are essential for all Oregonians. Yet, where funding for counties and key local services are tied to timber harvest on state forests, some communities pay the price. Resilient communities need both stable funding for local services and healthy state forests. SB 90 creates a task force to study alternative sources of funding, so that Oregon communities can support critical services without compromising on clean drinking water and healthy forests.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  Here is a flyer from the Wild Salmon Center summarizing the importance of establishing such a task force. 

SB 795   Conveys State Forest Lands to Counties    COIN OPPOSES this bill. No further action expected.
This bill would direct the State Board of Forestry to convey certain state forest lands to a county that determines that county would secure greatest permanent value of lands to county and request conveyance.  It would allow county boards of commissioners to request conveyance of state forest lands to the county.   Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.   

NUCLEAR ENERGY ALERT:  We are relieve to see that none of these nuclear power bills seem to have made it out of commmittee by the constitutional deadline - none were scheduled for work sessions by the March 17 deadline.
We'll keep watching them to make sure they aren't revived as part of a separate bill that is moving forward, but for now, we'll take this as a good sign that the Oregon Legislature has some common sense. Here is an article describing examples of cost overruns at new reactor sites. And here's one describing the 

• SB 676 AND HB 2215  Allows Nuclear Power Plants without Safe Nuclear Waste Disposal  No further action expected.
  COIN OPPOSES this bill.  
  These identical bills seek to overturn the will of voters who, in 1980, rejected the idea of allowing new nuclear power plants to be built in Oregon without adequate and safe disposal for nuclear waste.  If passed in the legislature, this bill would then be referred to Oregon voters. If voters were to pass it, any kind of commercial nuclear power plant would be allowed in Oregon, without first requiring a federally licensed repository for the high level nuclear waste, or statewide voter approval (as Oregon law currently requires).  Click here for the COIN worksheet on this bill.     Check out the Resources  and Fact Sheet from Oregon Conservancy Foundation. 

• SB 831   Repeals 1980 Ballot Measure Relating to Nuclear Power   COIN OPPOSES this bill. No further action expected.
  Like SB 676 and HB 2215 above, this bill seeks to overturn the will of Oregon voters on that 1980 ballot measure banning  nuclear power without safe disposal of the waste.  However, this bill goes a step further: It would NOT provide referral of bill to Oregon voters, completely leaving them out of the decision-making.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  

• SB 832   Removes Small Nuclear Reactors from Regulation.   COIN OPPOSES this bill. No further action expected.
  As with the bills relating to nuclear power above, Senator Brock is seeking to overturn the will of the voters. Small modular nuclear reactors (SMNRs) still produce nuclear waste and Oregon still does not have a federally approved nuclear waste repository. Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  

• SB 251  Tax Credits for Oregon Energy Producers   COIN OPPOSES this bill. No further action expected.
  This bill would give tax credits (equal to 50% of taxes due) to ALL energy producers in Oregon, including fossil fuel and nuclear power companies. Rather than moving away from these dangerous forms of energy, the bill would subsidize them, and would take away funding from truly safe, renewable energy production. Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  

• SB 833  OSU and ODE to Study Thorium as Nuclear Fuel   COIN OPPOSES this bill. No further action expected.
  This bill would direct Oregon State University, creator of NuScale's Small Modular Nuclear Reactor, and The Oregon Department of Energy to study the use of Thorium as nuclear fuel, with taxpayer funding, even though Oregon voters rejected the use of nuclear power in 1980 without a federally approved nuclear wasted repository.   This bill would take funding away from safer and truly renewable energy production, and thorium, once irradiated and converted to U-233, still produces dangerous nuclear waste.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill. 

SB 653   Forest Thinning in Wildfire Prone Areas   COIN OPPOSES this bill. No further action expected.
This bill would appropriate $50 million to the Oregon Department of Forestry to fund increased thinning operation in specified wildfire-prone counties. However, the science does not support logging as a solution to fire risk.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill. 

SB 665   Forest Fuel Load Levels   COIN OPPOSES this bill. No further action expected.
This bill would require the State Forester to actively manage forests to achieve and maintain low forest fuel load levels. As with SB 653, the science does not support this type of forest management as a solution to fire risk.  Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill. 

SJR 23   Aggressive Fire Suppression  COIN OPPOSES this bill. No further action expected.
This bill urges agencies various agencies to act as aggressively as possible to prevent, mitigate, and suppress wildfires.  No hearings are currently scheduled and minimal details are available yet on this bill, but as with the previous two bills, these strategies are not supported by available science.  Here is the COIN Worksheet on this bill. 

HB 3022    Prohibits Environmental Agencies from Adopting or Enforcing Rules  COIN OPPOSES this bill. No further action expected.
This bill would essentially prohibit the Environmental Quality Commission and the Department of Environmental Quality from doing their jobs. This bill will protect the interests of fossil fuel corporations by preventing environmental agency experts from adopting or enforcing rules or standards related to motor vehicle fuels or emission unless authorized by the Legislature. Click here for the COIN Worksheet on this bill. Check out SOCAN's response to this bill to see why it is such a bad idea for our climate and for Oregonians.  

HB 2953   State Forester May Order Wildfire Suppression   COIN OPPOSES this bill. No further action expected.

This bill would allow the State Forester to use state resources to suppress wildfire. Wildfire suppression is increasingly a controversial practice. Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill.  

HB 2940   Directs State Forester to Coordinate Logging Activities    COIN OPPOSES this bill. No further action expected.
This bill would require the State Forestry department to coordinate actions to conduct logging activities on federal lands adjacent to private property in the wildland-urban interface, under the guise of preventing wildfire. Here is the COIN Worksheet for this bill. 

HB 3593   Electoral Fusion      COIN has ENDORSED this bill. No further action expected.

Restores electoral fusion (fusion voting, open balloting) to Oregon by allowing voters to select preference by candidate and by party on the general election ballot; requires clerks to aggregate the result when a candidate is nominated by more than one party. Currently in the House Rules Committee.   A public hearing was held on 4/6. Watch the recording here.     

• RESOURCES:     COIN Worksheet        Fusion Ballot FAQ             

 Voters, Coalitions, and Policy Debates    The Case for Proportional Representation      

Reform American Democracy Act for Democracy Endorsement

COIN HB 3593 Endorsement 

Overview of Campaign Finance Reform CFR

COIN is working with a collection of "good government (GG)" organizations (led by Honest Elections Oregon and including Oregon League of Women Voters, Common Cause, Progressive Party and several others) to track legislation related to  Campaign Finance Reform (CFR). Although a number of bills have been introduced and had an initial reading, none has yet come up for a first public hearing. Click here for an updated summary and comparison of the bills we're following. Below are the bills we are currently taking a position on, though these recommendations are subject to modification should these bills be amended.   

SB 500 Real Campaign Finance Reform  No further action expected.

The kind of reform Oregon voters have been demanding!

This bill is in the Senate Committee on Rules and is in the process of being amended to copy the 2024 ballot initiatives prepared by Honest Elections Oregon and other "good government" organizations. The legal council is writing the language for the -1 and -2 amendments and will submit amendments for committee consideration. The amended bill will most certainly be considered for COIN endorsement. Stay tuned!!!

RESOURCES: First Look SB 500-1   First Look SB 500-2

 2024 Ballot Initiative Petition 9    2024 Ballot Initiative Petition 23  

HB 2038-A   Expands Reporting on Financial Disclosure Forms   6/10 UPDATE: Note the change in status: COIN is now OPPOSING this bill due to an amendment that has significantly weakened it. 

UPDATE 6/22: Unfortunately, this bill passed both the House and the Senate with bipartisan support. Click here to see if your senator and/or rep voted for it and let them know that that you're disappointed that once again, they failed to pass meaningful campaign finance reform, three years after voters overwhelmingly (78-22) passed Measure 107 to amend the Constitution allowing for campaign finance limits way back in 2020. 

This bill would have expanded what must be reported on financial disclosure forms and would have prohibited spending campaign money on businesses in which the candidate has economic interest. In its current form, the GG groups believe this is a good bill.  The Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on General Government held a work session for this bill on 6/6 and referred the bill back to the full Joint Ways and Means Committee. You can watch the recorded session here. Then it passed in the full JWM Committee by a vote of 21-0 and then in the full House on 6/13 by a vote of 51-5. We suspect this is an effort by our legislators to disingenuously claim they have met the demands of the voters who asked for campaign finance reform by passing Measure 107 way back in 2020 with an overwhelming 78%.

There are still some bad campaign finance bills out there, and they could possibly advance. So COIN will continue to monitor them. This article from the Oregonian describes some of the problems with the bills listed below, which we are opposing:

• HB 2003  Campaign Finance Contributions    COIN OPPOSES this bill. No further action expected.
  This bill would establish limits on campaign contributions that may be accepted by candidates and political committees.  The GG groups believe this bill, in its current form, is full of exploitable loopholes that would allow big donors and special interests to continue to engage in the campaign process in much the same way they have in the past simply by routing their money through corporations, "clubs," and committees. Click here for the COIN worksheet on this bill.   Should this bill come up for a public hearing, COIN members are encouraged to submit testimony. Here are some talking points for testimony.  And here is the very detailed opposition letter from COIN and Act for Democracy  of HB 2003 as it now stands, should it come up for a hearing. 

• HB 3455   Campaign Finance Contributions V.2    COIN OPPOSES this bill.  No further action expected.
  This bill, introduced by Speaker Rayfield at the request of Governor Kotek, represents only a modest improvement on HB 2003 above. It reduces some contribution limits, but does nothing to address the major problems that were present in HB 2003. Given that Rayfield introduced this at the request of the Governor, this is now the leading bet for the bill he will try to push forward. Here is the COIN Worksheet on this bill. The GG groups were lobbying various members of the legislature to bring pressure on Rayfield to amend HB 2003, and now will do the same with HB 3455 before it comes up for a vote, so that we don't have to ask Democrats in the legislature to oppose a bill supported by the Speaker and the Governor. However, in its present form, COIN strongly opposes this bill, and we urge COIN groups and members to contact their legislators and press for amendments that do a better job reducing the influence of big donors and special interests. Without such amendments, we recommend submitting testimony against this bill should it come up for a hearing. Key Talking Points can be found here.  And here is a table showing the bill's proposed limits for different circumstances.  Here is COIN's and Act for Democracy's letter in opposition of HB 3455 as it now stands, should it come up for a hearing. 

• SB 162   Small Donor Elections Program    COIN OPPOSES this bill.  No further action expected.
  This bill would establish a Small Donor Elections Program to enable candidates for offices of state Representativce and state Senator to receive a 6-to-1 match on small dollar contributions. Although COIN and the GG groups are supportive of public funding via a small donor matching program, this bill is the same as HB 2690-12 that then Rep. Rayfield introduced in 2021 and we opposed on the grounds that it allowed way too much money from membership organizations. Here is the COIN worksheet on this bill.