Budget & Taxes

] [ Reduces taxes imposed under various tax programs, operative conditioned upon imposition of a statewide retail sales tax dedicated to specified purposes. Directs the Department of Revenue to estimate the revenue lost to tax reductions and to direct an equal amount of revenue to various purposes. ] Updates the connection date to the federal Internal Revenue Code and other provisions of federal tax law. Increases the amount of the earned income tax credit allowed as a percentage of the federal earned income tax credit. Disconnects from, and requires addback of amounts for, federal provisions allowing deductions of personal auto loan interest and bonus depreciation and allowing exclusion of gain from small business stock. Applies to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026. Creates a personal income or corporate excise tax credit for a taxpayer creating new jobs in the tax year. Applies to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2032. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Increases the state transient lodging tax. Changes the name of the Oregon Conservation Strategy Subaccount to the Recovering Oregon's Wildlife Fund Subaccount. Specifies how moneys attributable to the increase are to be distributed. Applies the transient lodging tax increase to transient lodging charges occurring on or after January 1, 2027. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Requires public contractors to demonstrate and maintain tax compliance, through a certification process, as a condition of the execution of a public contract. Becomes operative January 1, 2027. Directs the Secretary of State to study methods for collecting information through business registry function to ensure tax compliance by persons doing business in this state. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

[ Declares that it is the goal of the Legislative Assembly to fund the Department of Veterans' Affairs in an amount that is not less than $10,000,000, from the General Fund, in 2015 dollars, adjusted for inflation. ] [ Requires the Director of Veterans' Affairs to add additional full-time positions within the department. Creates in the department the position of Veterans Employment Coordinator. ] Requires the director to be a veteran who has received a discharge or release under other than dishonorable conditions. Allows the director to appoint a deputy director, subject to approval by the Governor. Directs the department to develop and implement a grant program for suicide prevention and workforce training and preparation. Allows moneys in the Veterans' Services Fund to be used for the grant program. Increases an expenditure limitation for the purpose of the grant program. Directs the director to distribute moneys appropriated for county veterans' service officer programs on a quarterly basis. Directs the department to provide a report on the quarterly distribution process. Changes who are allowed to request county veteran discharge records. Increases, from $5,000 to $10,000, the cap on the individual grant amount that is allowed under the Veteran Educational Bridge Grant Program. Directs the Judicial Department, in consultation with the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, to study methods for providing access to veterans' treatment courts to residents of each county or judicial district. Takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Authorizes the Oregon Department of Administrative Services to enter into agreements to own and oversee the operations of the Moda Center in the City of Portland. Provides that agreements may not pledge or obligate state moneys except for moneys in the Oregon Arena Fund. Creates the Oregon Arena Fund in the State Treasury. Dedicates certain tax revenues related to work in and around the Moda Center to the fund. Sets forth prerequisite conditions for tax diversion and debt issuance. Sets forth mandatory provisions of agreements relating to the Moda Center. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

] Prohibits the student member of the Oregon Health and Science University Board of Directors from participating in any discussions or action by the board or attending any executive session of the board involving collective bargaining issues that affect students. Requires the board to meet at least four times per year. Allows directors of education service district boards to receive stipends. Specifies when adjustments for inflation can be made for stipends of school districts. Changes the definition for the term "active duty" in the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. Clarifies that the rulemaking authority for the Department of Education is by the State Board of Education. Allows a school district to not include a member of the educational equity advisory committee on the budget committee if no member of the educational equity advisory committee is willing or able to serve on the budget committee. Directs Portland State University instead of the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to report to the Legislative Assembly on a study examining the labor standards and working experiences of farmworkers in this state and evaluating the adequacy and availability of existing workplace protections for farmworkers. Allows education service districts to be temporarily exempt from certain requirements applicable to lamps in buildings used to provide educational services to students. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

Modifies the crime of theft of services to include partial payments. Provides that a prosecution for theft of services does not preclude other forms of relief. Directs the Interagency Compliance Network to develop investigative methods concerning persons who may be committing theft of services and not complying with taxation and employment laws. Punishes knowingly entering into a contract with an unlicensed labor contractor, if committed by a direct contractor or subcontractor, by a maximum of 364 days' imprisonment, $6,250 fine, or both. Punishes a second or subsequent conviction by a maximum of five years' imprisonment, $125,000 fine, or both. Increases the penalty for the intentional use of a contractor's license number without authorization. Punishes by a maximum of five years' imprisonment, $125,000 fine, or both. Increases the penalty for the use of a contractor's license number with the intent to deceive the public. Punishes by a maximum of five years' imprisonment, $125,000 fine, or both.

Creates a corporate excise tax credit for each of the first three years that a bank does business in this state. Applies only to Oregon-chartered banks that commence business in tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, and before January 1, 2033. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.