Tag: 2026

This bill addresses how to pay for the rising cost of fighting wildland fires by levying a tax on nicotine pouches.

The tax is 3.25 cents per individual unit with a flat charge of 60 cents on packages of fewer than 20 units.

2024 was the most expensive fire season in state history — costing over $350 million — and left lawmakers split on how to fully fund the Oregon Department of Forestry.

Democratic lawmakers heralded House Bill 3940 as a “significant update to Oregon’s wildfire finance and response system.” The bill passed in a bipartisan vote of 37-8, though 13 representatives had excused absences for the vote, primarily among Republicans.

The bill entered the State Senate as something of an all-purpose method of testing wildfire funding methods, with updates to how rural working lands are assessed, taxed and protected and a 5-cent surcharge on beverage containers. Ultimately, those methods were dropped in favor of the oral nicotine tax. It passed the Senate in a bipartisan vote of 20-8 with two absences for the vote.

This bill allows children conceived from donor sperm, eggs or embryos to gain access to the names of their respective donor or donors, as first reported by The Oregonian.

At a lengthy 105 pages, the law thoroughly lays out the legal standards for establishing parentage — similar to other laws giving adopted children the same rights and protections.

As part of the law, clinics are required to ask for the names, addresses, birth dates and contact information of gamete and embryo donors. That information will then be logged on a state registry that will be maintained even if the clinic goes out of business. Previously, these donors were allowed to stay anonymous and records were often lost with the closing of involved clinics.

Even though the law is taking effect this fall, it’s going to be some time before it sees serious use. Donor-conceived children won’t have access to the registry until they turn 18. Functionally, this means that the registry won’t be used until 2043 or 2044.

The bill passed 21-8 in the State Senate with one Democrat and seven Republicans voting against it. It saw a similar split in the House, passing 41-9 with only Republicans opposing the bill.

Similar bills have been popping up around the country. Clinics now face increased scrutiny after it was revealed a few years ago that a Dutch man fathered at least 550 children in multiple countries.

This bill requires that insurers explain to policy holders why their premium will go up when their policy is renewed, and even specifies how they’re supposed to deliver the news.

The law applies to either homeowner or personal insurance policies. At the policy holder’s request, their insurance provider must “give a clear and reasonable written explanation for any increase” in the premium. Insurance providers aren’t allowed to use technical language that wouldn’t be easily understood by the average policy holder.

Insurers will be required to list up to four of the most significant reasons for the price increase. Also, it will now be up to the Department of Consumer and Business Services to define when a factor significantly contributes to a rate hike. This law will only apply to existing policies that are being renewed, and not to new applications.

Insurance providers will be required to respond within 20 days of the customer’s request.

The bill made it through the House almost entirely on party lines, passing 33-22 with no Republican support and one Democrat voting against it. It only fared slightly better in the Senate, passing 21-8 with three Republicans voting in favor.

SB 243 bans “bump stocks” and other rapid-fire activators one can attach to guns. They were once banned on the federal level, but that ban was overturned by the Supreme Court last year.

The bill also allows local governments to decide for themselves if they want to bar people from bringing guns into public buildings, even if that person has a concealed carry permit.

While the bill was still on the floor, Republicans said they could have backed the ban on bump stocks, but this second part of the bill goes too far. Ultimately, the bill passed both the House and the Senate on a party-line vote.

This bill revises two laws from 2021 and 2024 by clarifying the legal meanings of long-term care facility, residential care facility and senior emergency medical services.

It also adds tighter requirements for the Senior Emergency Medical Services Innovation program and pushes back the end date for that program.

This bill makes it mandatory for Oregon hospitals and birthing centers to give each newborn a hearing screening test. Smaller facilities are required to at least give parents more information about the screening and where they can get it done.

In addition, hospitals and birthing centers will be responsible for screening for cytomegalovirus (CMV) — a disease related to mono that can cause birth defects.

This bill regulates staffing plans for health care providers. One of the most notable changes is that a direct care registered nurse can only be assigned to one trauma patient at a time, and no more than five general patients at a time.

This bill clarifies the previous laws and spells out when and how insurance providers can require a reimbursement claim for certain federally discounted prescription drugs.

Under this bill, physical therapists in Oregon will be allowed to perform dry needling for their patients, and won’t need to get a separate license to use sonographic equipment if it’s for physical therapy.

Physical therapists will also be able to certify a disabled person’s parking permit application.

Oral healthcare providers will be required to complete an intake screening within 60 days when someone enrolled in the Veterans Dental Program contacts them.

This bill passed unanimously in both chambers of the state legislature.

This bill, along with HB 2066, establish a regulatory framework for small-scale power grids that can operate independently from the main grid known as “microgrids.”

HB 2065 in particular lays the groundwork for hiring consultants, getting engineering evaluations and submitting designs to connect a microgrid to a main power grid.

This bill directs the Public Utility Commission to create rules and frameworks for people to own and operate microgrids and community microgrids within the service area of electric companies. It also requires the Department of Consumer and Business Services to establish rules to support buildings with community microgrids.

Local governments will be able to set their own land use regulations for what areas are considered microgrid zones.

This bill makes technical corrections to the tax credit granted for research conducted by a semiconductor company. It’s more legal housekeeping than anything that will impact the average state resident.

Under this bill, power companies will be required to file strategic plans for improving the power grid where they can afford to do so. Companies are then given until Jan. 1, 2030 to carry out the plan.

This bill extends the Forest Products Harvest Tax — a tax on timber harvested from any land in Oregon — through 2027. You’re still required to file harvest returns even if the total volume is less than the minimum threshold for being taxed.

This bill directs the Oregon Investment Council and the State Treasurer to take action to mitigate the risks of climate change to the Public Employees Retirement Fund.

This bill increases certain wildlife license, tag and permit fees. The cost of an annual hunting license for a resident will increase from $34.50 to $39 under the new law. It will then increase again to $45 in 2030. The last time the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife raised license fees was 2020.

This bill eliminates the estate tax for farm, forestry and fishing interests owned by trusts and businesses that are entirely owned by family members of the deceased. It will apply to the estates of people that died on or after July 1, 2025.

This bill will create the Task Force on Municipal Solid Waste in the Willamette Valley. The committee will be expected to study and identify solutions for waste disposal in Willamette Valley, and will be dissolved at the end of 2026.

This bill makes it easier for small forestlands to qualify for an exemption from the estate tax after the owner’s death.

This law will allow for the creation of home start lands on certain state and local properties within Oregon’s urban growth boundaries. It’s one approach for the Department of Administrative Services to address the state’s ongoing housing crisis and encourage new developments.

These home start lands will be exempt from some land use laws, as well as property taxes for up to five years after purchase and are meant to provide grounds for affordable housing — especially for first-time homebuyers.

This bill places a cap on the amount by which landlords can increase rent for tenants in mobile homes or floating homes. There are exceptions in place for if tenants collectively approve major upgrades.

This bill allows the the Housing and Community Services Department to use Local Innovation and Fast Track Housing Program Fund money for pre-built homes. The department will also be required to report on the outcomes of this spending.

The Department of Land Conservation and Development was required to provide a report on their assessment of offshore wind farm developments by the end of the year. This bill extends the deadline until Jan. 1, 2027.

This bill changes the conditions under which cities can amend their urban growth boundaries. It also opens the door for cities to pay back loans from the state used for more affordable and middle housing with revenue sources other than developer fees.

Under this bill, land owners won’t face a special tax assessment if it is found that marijuana was grown on their land without their knowledge by the person using said land.

This bill will expand the definition of “residential housing” to include some types of mixed-income housing. The Housing and Community Services Department will also be required to adopt rules for long-term financing of residential housing by the end of 2026.

This bill expands multiple state tax credits and extends them through 2032.

This bill mandates that the Legislative Fiscal Office analyze and report on the current state property tax system and options to modernize it by the end of 2026.

This bill allows small businesses to apply for an Oregon Small Business Enterprise certification, which will let them compete for contracts with the state. It will also direct the Department of Administrative Services to make a list of targets and goals for small business contracts across the state.

This bill enacts broad revisions to Oregon’s tax statutes and timber revenue distribution, including modifying how timber severance tax funds are allocated.

This bill changes how businesses are required to report data from state benefit programs such as tax exemptions. Proponents of the bill hope it will improve transparency with regards to Oregon’s economy.

This bill increases wages for work done on off-site work for use in public works such as roads, highways, buildings, etc.

This bill removes the eight-week penalty that disqualified workers from applying for unemployment benefits if they quit or were fired, later requalify for those benefits. In short, eligible people can now receive the full 26 weeks of benefits.

This bill extends the duration of property tax breaks for helping to clean and redevelop environmentally contaminated “brownfields” or structures on said brownfields through 2023.

This bill changes Oregon’s unemployment insurance tax system by increasing the portion of employer tax rates that goes to the state’s fund. It won’t impact the annual unemployment tax rate, it will just change where that money goes.

This bill creates a program for the former owners of foreclosed property to get any surplus money after the property is sold by the county to pay off delinquent property taxes.

This bill makes it easier to expunge juvenile criminal records by requiring county juvenile departments to automatically start the process when the youth turns 18 or completes probation.

Under this bill, any election to adopt, amend, revise or repeal a county charter will be determined by a simple majority vote, and supermajority requirements are prohibited.

This bill clears prior court fines for possessing small amounts of marijuana.

This bill sets the dates by which time a candidate for office needs to submit their photo and statement for inclusion in county voter guides. The measure passed unanimously in both chambers, not counting absences.

This bill sets the timeframe that county elections officials have to make a candidate’s name and the office they’re running for public.

Under this bill, healthcare providers won’t face product liability claims for products that they provide so long as they weren’t involved in designing, manufacturing or selling/leasing that product.

This bill also roughly doubles the Oregon State Marine Board registration fee for all charter guides and outfitters. The fee increase won’t hit until November, but the bill will adjust the definition of charter guide for clarity when it takes effect Friday.

Annual registration fee for a charter guide will be $500, and the fee for outfitters and other guides will be $350.

This bill expands the state’s Strategic Investment Program so that certain ports will be included in the decision-making process for larger development projects, and potentially qualifies them for property tax exemptions.

This bill requires the Public Employee Retirement System to provide retiring members with overtime data and more information about how overtime hours were used to calculate their final average salary.

This bill raises the fee to register a newly formulated pesticide to a max of $550 depending on the chemical’s toxicity and potential environmental impact.

This bill defines “monitoring agreement” and “workplace monitor” for purposes of the impaired health professional program, and allows licensed mental health professionals to refer themselves to the program.

This bill allows the State Board of Pharmacy to drug test a licensee they’re investigating, or require that person to take a mental, physical or competency evaluation.

This bill allows the Oregon Board of Psychology to fine a licensee for the cost of disciplinary action taken against them.

This bill exempts the State Parks and Recreation Department from certain parts of the Public Contracting Code.