HB 2386 Creates Science Review Board

VOTE:NO
Died In Committee
Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/HB2386
Committee assigned to bill:https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Committees/HAGNR/Overview

This bill forms the Oregon Independent Science Review Board with an Independent Scientific Review Secretariat within the Institute for Natural Resources at Oregon State University.

Fiscal Responsibility
Establishes Independent Scientific Review Fund. Continuously appropriates moneys in fund to Higher Education Coordinating Commission for distribution to Oregon State University for purposes of board and secretariat. The Independent Scientific Review Secretariat is established as an administrative section within the Institute for Natural Resources established at Oregon State University under ORS 352.808. William Edge from Oregon State University, who was on the original 2015, taskforce stated in testimony that “The task force concluded that most single agency scientific reviews can be met with existing State, Federal and academic resources, but we did find that review practices and capacity for conducting quality reviews varied substantially among agencies”.

Limited Government
Grows government with a paid board and panels to produce results to support the Governor’s agenda. The claim is that Oregon lacks access to independent science review of natural resource issues. The “Independent Scientific Review” will likely fail to be truly independent. Board members serves at the pleasure of the Governor and therefore it’s impossible to ignore the possible influence the governor’s office may have on the outcome of “independent” reviews. An appointed board by the Governor has only proved to be biased in the past serving at the pleasure of the Governor. The board will receive, evaluate and direct the Independent Scientific Review Secretariat to convene independent scientific review panels to address requests by state agencies, local governments and private persons for independent scientific review of complex, multidisciplinary natural resource issues that require the involvement of multiple agencies; assist in framing the questions to be addressed by independent scientific review panels. Ultimately, this board risks becoming another place for special interest advocates to pursue changes to public policy by seeking the endorsement of a board appointed by a political office.