EMAIL COMMITTEE TO MOVE ON THIS BILL
The Act states that measures must be asked for by members or committees of the House and the Senate and cannot be asked for by state agencies or officials.
Directs all state agencies, statewide elected officials and other entities to seek legislative changes only through legislative measures requested and introduced by members and committees of the Legislative Assembly. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.
The bill repeals ORS 171.133, which gives the governor approval over what state agencies can ask in proposed bills. This bill upholds the separation of powers in the constitution and reaffirms that only the Legislature has the authority to propose laws. The bill would prohibit state agencies, statewide elected officials, and other entities from directly introducing legislation, requiring all proposed laws to go through a legislator or legislative committee.
EMAIL COMMITTEE
Sen.KayseJama@OregonLegislature.gov
Sen.DanielBonham@OregonLegislature.gov
Sen.JeffGolden@OregonLegislature.gov
Sen.JamesManningJr@OregonLegislature.gov
Sen.KimThatcher@OregonLegislature.gov
Senate Bill 1006:
Reinforces the separation of powers and ensures that Oregon’s three branches of government operate within their designated roles. Key provisions include:
Restores Legislative Oversight: For 72 years, Oregon has allowed other branches of government to be able to directly draft and introduce legislation without any legislative member involvement. SB 1006 states that all proposals, regardless of origin, are drafted, introduced and controlled by the Legislative Assembly, preserving the authority of elected legislators.
State Agencies Collaborate with Legislators: Agencies and the governor’s office must work through elected members or committees of the Legislative Assembly to propose laws, ensuring their ideas are vetted by voter-chosen representatives.
Clear Identification of Agency Proposals: Any legislation proposed at an agency’s request will continue to explicitly state the agency’s involvement, promoting transparency in the legislative process.
Executive Branch Partners with Legislature: The Governor and other executive officials can suggest laws by partnering with legislators, aligning their priorities with the democratic process.
Judicial Branch Follows Same Process: The Judicial Department must channel its legislative proposals through Assembly members or committees, ensuring judicial needs are addressed via elected lawmakers.
Encourages Cooperative Dialogue: Agencies, the executive, and judicial branches are incentivized to build relationships with legislators to advance their proposals, fostering collaboration.
Background:
Since 1953, Legislative Counsel has directly drafted bills for the Executive and Judicial branches and their agencies without Legislative branch oversight.
According to a National Conference of State Legislatures (2016 survey), 40 of the 47 states that responded prohibit other government branches or unelected agency officials from requesting bill drafts without legislator sponsorship, with Oregon being the sole exception.
In this legislative session, I found hundreds of bills requested directly from Legislative Counsel without involvement from any Legislative Assembly member.
Senate Bill 1006 ensures a transparent, cooperative legislative process, keeping power in the hands of the lawmakers elected by the people of Oregon.