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Dear OSCC Members & Colleagues –
By our count, almost 1,500 of the 3,400 pieces of legislation introduced this session died on the Friday deadline. The playing field was cut by over 40 percent.
What this means is that the remaining 1,900 bills will be competing to stay alive through the next hard deadline on April 9th.
Committee agendas will be packed – way beyond reasonable limits – with scheduled public hearings and potential work sessions for the next two-and-a-half weeks. We expect hundreds more bills will die on April 9th, but in the meantime, they will clog committee agendas and give us plenty of reason to stay alert.
Here is a review of many of the bills to date to give you an updated look at what is emerging and where bills are at in the process:
Status Report of 2025 Key OSCC Bills – GOOD BILLS:
We wanted to take the opportunity this week to recap the bills of major significance to our local business communities that OSCC is currently engaging in:
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Liability Waivers. (House Bill 3140). HB 3140 restores the validity of liability waivers for Oregon companies that engage in outdoor sporting, recreation, health and fitness. OSCC testified in SUPPORT. Unfortunately, this bill is now dead.
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CAT Tax Exemptions for Medicaid Service Providers. (Senate Bill 125) OSCC testified in SUPPORT of this bill, which addresses the fact that Medicaid medical service providers are reimbursed at ‘below cost’ rates, have no ability to recoup CAT tax payments due to contracted Medicaid rates, yet are still subject to the CAT tax. This bill remains alive.
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Increasing the Estate Tax Exemption (HB 2301; SB 124) There are several bill in the 2025 session designed to give family businesses some tax relief upon the death of an owner. OSCC SUPPORTS these bills as Oregon currently has the most punitive ‘death tax’ law in the entire United States, taxing estates at a rate of 10% starting after the first $1 million in value. These bills remain alive.
Recap of Key OSCC Bills – BAD BILLS:
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Workplace Marijuana Accommodation. (Senate Bill 176 ) OSCC is very concerned about SB 176, which would force Oregon employers to accommodate medical marijuana use among its workers in Sections 34-35 of the bill. OSCC testified in OPPOSITION to this bill. Unfortunately, this bill remains alive.
The bill is posted for a Committee vote in Senate Judiciary on March 31.
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Decriminalized Theft. (HB 2640) OSCC was prepared to testify in OPPOSITION to HB 2640, but the bill was pulled from the committee agenda at the last minute. We don’t expect to see this bill again in 2025. This bill is dead.
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Unemployment Benefits for Striking Workers. (Senate Bill 916) This bill has dominated the early labor policy landscape in 2025 with several public hearings. OSCC is OPPOSED to this bill. The bill has since been slightly amended to provide that striking workers must wait one week to start collecting benefits. SB 916 passed the Senate 16-12 and will move the House.
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‘Bad Faith’ Insurance Lawsuits. (SB 174) SB 174 received its first public hearing last week in the Senate Judiciary Committee. OSCC is OPPOSING SB 174 – as it will undoubtedly drive up insurance premiums for commercial property and casualty policies. Unfortunately, this bill remains alive.
We are expecting a committee vote in Senate Judiciary Committee this week.
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Age Discrimination Lawsuits. (HB 3187) OSCC is OPPOSING this legislation that would expand the scope of Oregon’s age discrimination laws to create new claims for older workers by allowing salary, experience, and retirement status to serve as “proxies” for age discrimination. This bill remains alive, but amendments are being considered that would make it much more workable.
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Job Posting Requirements. (HB 2746) OSCC is OPPOSING this legislation to dictate what information an employer must include in a job posting. Proponents want to use the bill to compel employers to disclose precise salary and benefit information in job postings. This bill remains alive.
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Farm Workforce Standards Board. (HB 2548) OSCC is very concerned about an emerging trend that would establish new industry regulatory boards that would determine employment and wage law for specific industries. This is a grave threat to Oregon employers as the “Standards Board” concept can be applied to any industry. OSCC is OPPOSING this legislation. This bill remains alive.
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TLT Diversion. (HB 3556) OSCC is activated on this bill that would divert the use of Transient Lodging Tax revenues from local tourism promotion to also pay for ‘tourism impact services.’ We have heard from many Chambers of Commerce that this would really hurt local chambers, many of whom administer local tourism programs.
We are expecting a committee vote on March 25th in the House Committee on Emergency Management & General Government.
Additional Bills of Concern:
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“Clean Environment” Constitutional Referral. (SJR 28) Proposes an amendment to the Oregon Constitution to establish a fundamental right to a clean, safe and healthy environment. The bill allows an individual to sue against state action or inaction that allows harm or the threat of harm to public safety and health interests. The bill is aimed at industrial activity.
Public hearing: Wednesday, March 26th in Senate Rules Committee.
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Expansion of Paid Leave Oregon (HB 3491): This “gut and stuff” of a ‘placeholder’ bill with the -1 amendment requires the Employment Department to determine how to allow incremental leave to be part of Paid Leave Oregon. Incremental leave would be paid by the hour. This is the first concrete example of being hurt by one of the myriad ‘placeholder’ bills filed this session.
The inclusion of incremental leave (currently unpaid but protected by OFLA) was not negotiated with employers and creates serious administration challenges with the paid family leave program as paid leave would be allowed to be taken by the hour in lieu of being taken by the day.
This bill will have a public hearing and committee vote scheduled for today in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards.
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90-Day Notice to Sue (HB 2957): This bill eliminates the 90-day notice to sue requirement, extending the timeline that an employment claim can be filed after BOLI concludes there is no evidence to support a claim. Current law gives people a time limit of 90-days to sue an employer after BOLI concludes its investigation and finds in favor of the employer.
This bill is scheduled for a vote today in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards.
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