2017 Archives

HB 2391-B 1.5% New Taxes on Healthcare Insurance Premiums

Posted on September 1, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Governor Signed – Creates a new tax on healthcare insurance premiums of 1.5% administered by the government with uncertain actions to be taken and provides for special treatment of certain hospitals.

HB 3170B Extends Bargaining to Faculty

Posted on July 26, 2017 by BJ

HB 3170B VOTE:NO – Governor Signed Status (cverview) of bill:https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Measures/Overview/HB3170 This bill extends collective bargaining rights to certain public university faculty members whose duties have an academic rather than administrative focus. Fiscal Responsibility Fiscally a bad move for taxpayers. It will allow a new level of bargaining unions that can drive negotiations to a higher level using leverage against the…

Photo: Law Enforcement, Military, & Firearms equipment

SB 719A Extreme risk protection prohibiting a person from possessing firearms

Posted on July 5, 2017 by BJ

SB 719A VOTE:NO – Governor signed Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Measures/Overview/SB719 Note: This bill’s contents were previosuly SB 868. That bill died but has been resurrected as a gut-and-stuff of SB719, creating SB 719A. This bill creates a process for obtaining an extreme risk protection order prohibiting a person from possessing firearms, a process for removing all deadly weapons from the…

HB 3391B Reproductive & Social Health Benefits

Posted on July 4, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Governor Brown Signed – Provide statewide access to abortion coverage for individuals enrolled in health benefit plans that do not cover abortion.

HB 2310A Government, Instead of Doctors to Begin Taking Over Healthcare

Posted on June 28, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Governor Brown Signed – Sets the stage for the state government to begin taking over the functions of the local public health authorities

HB 2310B Modifies Local Public Health Authority

Posted on June 27, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Governor Signed – Sets the stage for the state government to begin taking over the functions of the local public health authorities.

SB 683 Paid Postage for Returned Ballots

Posted on June 26, 2017 by BJ

VOTE:NO – Died in Committee – Pays postage for ballots returned by mail

SB 64B Changes “Mental Disease” to “Mental Disorder”

Posted on June 26, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Governor signed – Replaces the term “mental disease or defect” with the term “qualifying mental disorder,” for purposes of diminished capacity defense, guilty except for insanity (GEI) plea and post-adjudication jurisdiction of persons found GEI. B amendment includes provision describing legislative intent to replace term without making substantive change to law.

HB 2060A Limits Eligibility for Pass-Thru Tax Rate

Posted on June 23, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO, Died in Committee – Limits eligibility for the pass-thru entity tax rates to business operating in one of the following seven economic sectors: agriculture, mining, manufacturing, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, information, or accommodation & food services. Increases the employment requirement for eligibility from one employee to ten employees.

HB 2597B Increases Driving Offense Using Cell Phones

Posted on June 23, 2017 by BJ

HB 2597B VOTE:NO – Governor signed Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Measures/Overview/HB2597 Posted on TrackTheirVote.org This bill renames offense of operating motor vehicle while using mobile communication device as offense of operating motor vehicle while using mobile electronic device to penalize all uses of mobil devices. Creates a distracted driving avoidance course and program. Personal Choice and Responsibility The measure allows the…

SB 106A Creates Office of Public Records Advocate

Posted on June 22, 2017 by BJ

VOTE:NO
Passed – Gov Signed – Creates the Office of the Public Records Advocate and the position of Public Records Advocate that must be a member in good standing of the Oregon State Bar.

HB 2061 Changes Personal Income Tax Base

Posted on June 20, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO, Died in Committee – Changes personal income tax base from federal taxable income to federal adjusted gross income by eliminating allowance of itemized deductions, taking 33% of IRS standard deduction, and decreasing tax rates. Applies to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2018.

HB 2927/SB 825 National Popular Vote

Posted on June 19, 2017 by BJ

VOTE:NO – Died in Committee – Agreement among the states to elect the President by National Popular Vote

SB 123 Formation of Children’s Special Districts which will raise taxes

Posted on June 17, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Authorizes formation of children’s special districts and provides districts the authority to assess, levy and collect taxes to pay the cost of children’s services.

HB 3357B Raises County Clerks Fees

Posted on June 16, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO, Died in Committee – Increases fee amount collected by county clerks to $40 for certain real property documents, and exempts fees for certain affordable housing programs.

HB 3464 Limits Citizen Status Checks

Posted on June 14, 2017 by BJ

Prohibits public body from disclosing specified personal information concerning citizen status unless required by state or federal law.

SB 187 Vision Screening for Students

Posted on June 14, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Governor Signed – Establishes Vision Health Account and directs Department of Education to reimburse education provider for expenses incurred from providing vision screenings.

HB 2830 Increases Corporate Excise Tax

Posted on June 13, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO, Died in Committee – Increase corporate excise tax from 6.6% and 7.6% to 7% and 8% January 1, 2017.

SB 494-B Advanced Directive Rewrite

Posted on June 12, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Removes vital protections in the advance directive legislation when an advance directive is missing, established Advance Directive Adoption Committee to recommend changes every 2 years.

SB 1065 Allows delays of firearm purchases

Posted on May 31, 2017 by BJ

SB 1065 VOTE:NO – Died in Committee Posted on Track their vote This bill authorizes transfer of firearm by gun dealer or private party after 14 days (an additional delay of 11 days over current law) if Department of State Police is unable to determine whether recipient is qualified to receive firearm, as long as gun dealer or transferor does…

SB 494 Advance Directive Rules

Posted on May 30, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Repeals advance directive form and establishes Advance Directive Rules Adoption Committee to adopt a form

HJM 6 Urges Congress to Fund VA Healthcare Permanently

Posted on May 27, 2017 by BJ

HJM 6 VOTE:YES – Filed with SOS Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Measures/Overview/HJM6 Posted on TrackTheirVote.org This bill urges Congress to change funding of veterans' health care from discretionary entitlement to permanent and direct entitlement. Limited Government Oregon ranks 49th in VA health care. Permanent funding would help to stabilize and improve Oregon's program.

SB 990 Exempts Small Modular Reactors

Posted on May 21, 2017 by BJ

VOTE:YES – Died in Committee – Exempts small modular reactors from certain siting restrictions that apply to nuclear-fueled thermal power plants, and requires placement in city or county where electors have approved of small modular reactors being located.

SB 339A Caps Biomass as Renewable Energy

Posted on May 21, 2017 by BJ

VOTE:NO – Passed – Signed by Gov – Caps electricity generated by any single biomass facility that may be used to meet renewable standards in order to promote diversity of resource types that can be used to comply with Oregon’s small-scale renewable energy requirement.

HB 3245A Streamlines City Comprehensive Plan Changes

Posted on May 19, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: YES – Governor Signed
Allows city governing body to authorize planning commission or hearings officer to conduct hearings and make decisions on applications for amendments to city comprehensive plan. Authorizes appeal of decision to city governing body.

HB 2269A Modifies Business Fees Subject to Clean Air Act

Posted on May 18, 2017 by BJ

Governor signed – Adds fee schedule for business subject to federal operating permit program under Title V of federal Clean Air Act and a one-time supplemental fee. Authorizes the state to receive funds according to the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Agreement and establishes grants and loans for diesel engine replacement or retrofit (similar to SB 1008).

HB 2737A Standards for Small Homes

Posted on May 18, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Signed into Law by Gov Brown
Adopts amendments to state building code to establish specified construction standards for small homes of 400 square feet and eliminates some building code safety standards. Sunsets January 2, 2024.

HB 2527-A Allows Pharmacists to Prescribe and Dispense Contraceptives

Posted on May 17, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Governor signed – Allows pharmacists to prescribe and dispense self-administered hormonal contraceptives

SB 1040 Join Labor Union as a State Requirement for Employment

Posted on May 15, 2017 by BJ

SB 1040 VOTE: NO – Signed into Law by Gov Brown
Requires membership in a labor organization as a condition of employment that is allowed under Federal law, using the limited authority reserved to states.

SB 239A Residential Care Facility Decides Who is Legal Representative

Posted on May 1, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Burdens owners and operators of residential care facility and assisted living facilities when a resident is unable make decisions on their rights, to locate who is willing to serve as the resident’s legal representative for the sole purpose of determining consent to an individually based limitation.

HB 2114-A Requires Guidelines for Opioids

Posted on May 1, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Governor signed – Little or no affect on the over prescribing of opioids not like the original bill which imposed specific controls

HB 2432-A Creates New Licensurer Requirements in Area of Patient Care

Posted on May 1, 2017 by BJ

Creates a new licensure requirement for an additional area of patient care prior to rules being adopted, declares an emergency

SB 3A Moratorium on Mining Using Motorized Equipment

Posted on April 28, 2017 by BJ

SB 3 VOTE: NO – Gov Signed – Implies that the moratorium has been repealed whereas the DEQ has listed all the upper reach streams as “impaired” (303 d) and NO permits will be allowed. There is a 2000% fee increase.

HB 2020A Re-Defines Oregon’s Energy Policy

Posted on April 24, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Oregon Global Warming Commission is abolished, creating the Oregon Energy and Climate Board to set policy and renaming the ODOE to Oregon Department of Energy and Climate.

HB 2004-A Places Specific Eviction Regulations on Landlords

Posted on April 20, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Establishes more restrictive eviction standards and requirements upon landlords.

SB 558 Marketing Health Care for all Children in Oregon

Posted on April 16, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Governor signed – Makes taxpayers responsible for covering ALL children so there is no requirement to be a legal citizen.

HB 3102 Task Force on Medical Assistance Funding

Posted on April 16, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Requires task force to develop proposal for funding state medical assistance program with assessment on all medical claims processed

HB 2726 Marketing Health Care for all Children in Oregon

Posted on April 16, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Leaves the amount of monies to be transferred from the general fund to pay for this program blank

HB 3431 Additional Regulations on Certain Hospitals

Posted on April 16, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Imposes requirements on hospitals with no determination of reimbursement for service

SB 399 Limits Out of Pocket Insured Drug Expense to $250 per Pharmacy Visit

Posted on April 15, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – limits out of pocket drug expenses to $250 per pharmacy visit

HB 2711A Moratorium on Hydraulic Fracturing

Posted on April 15, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Extends moratorium until December 31, 2027, on use of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas exploration and production, excluding coal bed methane extraction wells.

HB 3042 Requires Grants for Culturally Specific Health Care

Posted on April 14, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Requires grants to culturally specific health care facilities to provide culturally appropriate care

HB 3428 Expands Enrollment of Citizens in Coordinated Care Organizations Without Their Consent.

Posted on April 14, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Expands the enrollment of citizens in coordinated care organizations without their consent

HB 3431 Imposes Requirements on Hospitals Without Determination of Reimbursement

Posted on April 13, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Imposes requirements on hospitals with no determination of reimbursement for service

HB 3312 Freezes Minimum Environmental Regulations

Posted on April 13, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Requires the Department of Environmental Quality to establish environmental regulations at least as stringent as those provided under federal law on January 19th, 2017.

SB 909 Ratepayers Protection Act

Posted on April 12, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: YES – Died in Committee – Protects Oregonians from excessive energy costs. The “Ratepayers Protection Act,” will fix the state’s broken energy policy that has hurt vulnerable Oregonians.

SB 559 PERS Final Average Salary Calculation

Posted on April 12, 2017 by BJ

Changes the calculation used to determine PERS final average salary from 3 years to 5 years limiting retirement benefits from being overly generous.

HB 3340A Provides for the Dissemination of Apprenticeship Programs

Posted on April 11, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: YES – Signed into Law by Gov Brown
Provides for the dissemination by the state and by local skills of information about available apprenticeship programs in their area.

HB 2503 Creats New Class of Provider With Government Control

Posted on April 11, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Governor Signed – Creates a new classification of health care provider with government control

SB 1046 Establishes Health Care for All People in Oregon

Posted on April 11, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Establishes health care coverage for all people residing or working in Oregon to be administered by Oregon Health Authority

HB 3352 establishes Task Force on Funding School Behavioral Health Support

Posted on April 11, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Inserts unjust government control into multiple facets of the health care industry

SB 784 Requires In, & Out-of-Network Providers be Paid the Same for Womens Health

Posted on April 11, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Requires insurer to reimburse out-of-network women’s health care provider at same rate as in-network women’s health care provider

SB 608 Expanding Urban Growth Boundary

Posted on April 11, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: YES – Died In Committee – Allows local governments to expand the Urban Growth Boundary when the number of new households in a jurisdiction exceed the number of new housing units and vacancy rates drop below six percent.

SB 432A Boundary Growth Exception

Posted on April 10, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: YES – Died In Committee – Allows rural county with no population growth, and certain local governments in county, to adopt comprehensive land use plan without complying with statewide land use planning goals until population growth invalidates their qualification for the exception.

HB 3050 Permits Solar on High Value Farmland

Posted on April 10, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Permits siting of commercial solar photovoltaic power generation facility on land not designated as high value farmland unless county adopts exceptions where no high value farmland is available.

HB 3189 Establish Building Codes Division

Posted on April 8, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died in Committee – Transfers the Building Codes Division from the Department of Consumer and Business Services to the new established Department of Building Codes.

SB 897 Militia Terrorism; Criminalizes Protesting

Posted on April 8, 2017 by BJ

SB 897 VOTE:NO – Died in Committee Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Measures/Overview/SB897 Published on Track Their Vote This bill creates crime of militia terrorism for citizens protesting more than two days occupying a public premises with a firearm present and refuses to leave when requested by law enforcement regardless of cause for the protest. Personal Choice and Responsibility Takes away the…

SB 797 Prohibits firearm purchase due to delayed background check

Posted on April 8, 2017 by BJ

SB 797 VOTE:NO – Died in Committee Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Measures/Overview/SB797 This bill prohibits person from purchasing a firearm if the Oregon State Police background check unit is unable or unwilling to provide approval pursuant to background check. This bill is the senate equivalent of HB 2237. Personal Choice and Responsibility About 1% of background checks run by the OSP…

HB 3091 Requires Specific Medical Facilities to Provide Specific Services

Posted on April 7, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Governor Signed – Removes the personal choices of both the provider and the insurer dictating the terms by the state.

HB 3284 Healthcare Facility Certificate of Need

Posted on April 7, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: YES – Died In Committee – Repeals requirement for health care facility to obtain certificate of need

SB 955 Requires Oregon Health Authority to Become Transportation Dispatch Agency

Posted on April 7, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Requires Oregon Health Authority to become a transportation dispatch agency

HB 2897 Places Restrictions On In-Network and Out-Of-Network Providers

Posted on April 7, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Impacts multiple areas of healthcare removing rights if private business from making operational decisions

HB 2663 Task Force to Study Calif. Act of 1975

Posted on April 7, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Establishes Task Force to study provisions of California’s Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 to determine appropriateness and feasibility of adopting any provisions in Oregon.

HB 2845 Curriculum to Include Ethnic & Social Minority History

Posted on April 6, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Passed Committee – Introduces still another state agency to impose standards on K-12 with respect to teaching ethnic and social minority history.

HB 3079 Removes Limits on Hospital Assessments

Posted on April 6, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Removes limits on hospital assessment rates, allows for increase in assessment to offset legislative reduction in funding

SB 651 Reduces Emergency Medical Services

Posted on April 5, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Reduces emergency medical services by 20% to pay for administrative expenses in order to require less money transfer from the general fund

HB 2004A Tenant Evictions

Posted on April 4, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – No Senate Vote – Establishes new laws on landlords of how they can evict tenants.

SJR 38 Two-thirds Vote Required to Add Emergency Clause

Posted on April 2, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: YES
Died in Committee – Require bills to receive 2/3 majority vote in both Houses to have the Emergency Clause added to them

HB 2116 Modifies Reimbursements of Hospital Costs

Posted on April 2, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Helps Big Pharma peddle drugs to persons facing high drug bills.

HB 2012A Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Board

Posted on April 1, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: YES – Gov signed – Creates the Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Board, in collaboration with Oregon Business Development Department.

HB 2645 Relating to Drugs; Prescribing an Effective Date

Posted on April 1, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Requires manufacturers of certain types of drugs to collect unused drugs following a plan that they develop by 12-31-18, but the program becomes effective 1-1-18

HB 2466 New Tax on Timber Harvest

Posted on April 1, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Reduces proposed taxes by fifty-percent to go to the Forestland and County Reserve Fund. Imposes inordinate tax on timber harvest to fund fire suppression, redemption of burned areas, watershed conservation and distribution to counties.

HB 2301 Relating to Health.

Posted on April 1, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Governor Signed – Creates different standards for health-related professions and trade professions.

HB 2877 Imposes Tax on Older Vehicles

Posted on March 31, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Imposes tax on vehicles 20 years old or older of $1000 paid every five years unless the vehicle is registered as an antique.

HB 2740 Relating to Sex Trafficking

Posted on March 31, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: YES – Governor Signed – Increases age of trafficked person from 15 to 18 for crime of trafficking in persons for use in commercial sex

SB 877 Tax Increases to be Voted on at General Elections

Posted on March 31, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: YES – Died In Committee – Tax increase proposals must be submitted only at general elections, unless otherwise provided in charter of city, county or metropolitan service district.

HB 2016 Modifies Hospital Reimbursement

Posted on March 31, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Relating to reimbursement of hospital costs

SB 893 Legal Suicide and Euthanasia

Posted on March 31, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Allows for legal suicide and euthanasia

HB 3341 Task Force on Medical Training Facilities

Posted on March 31, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Establishes Task Force on Rural Medical Training Facilities

HB 2025 Removes Statue of Jason Lee from DC Statuary

Posted on March 30, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Replaces the long standing placement of Founding Fathers Jason Lee and John McLoughlin with Oregon politician Mark Hatfield and Womens rights advocate Abigail Scott Duniway.

HB 2319 Creates a New “Free” Healthcare Agency

Posted on March 29, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Governor Signed – Creates a new healthcare agency to be funded by taxpayers

HB 3226 Forest Management Plans

Posted on March 28, 2017 by BJ

VOTE: NO – Died In Committee – Puts State Board of Forestry in total control of forests via establishing a criteria for preserving natural resource values on forestland, periodically updating geological numerical criteria, and approving forest management plans for every forest over 5,000 acres that includes harvesting priorities, DEQ requirements, waterway management and preserving of old-growth.