Rep. Boomer Wright

Provides that priority may be given to students in specified courses of study to participate in a pilot program to enhance the hiring of public university students by eligible nonprofit organizations. Provides for the reimbursement of eligible nonprofit organizations that participate in the pilot program up to 100 percent of the amount the organizations have paid in wages to participating students. Removes the requirement that eligible nonprofit organizations must have an annual budget of $5,000,000 or less. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

Maddy summaryHB 3241 allows counties in Oregon to permit certain events on land zoned exclusively for farming, directly affecting farm property owners and county governments. The bill sets specific rules: events must be outdoors or in existing farm buildings, host no more than 250 people, follow parking/traffic plans to protect farming operations, be managed by the landowner, occur no more than 30 times yearly, and comply with health/safety regulations. It does not allow new construction and explicitly permits counties to authorize such events under existing agri-tourism or commercial event provisions. This changes how counties regulate non-farming activities on designated farmland.

Establishes the Wallowa Rural and Recreational Economic Development Board to develop and implement strategies for investment in workforce development, workforce housing and economic development in the Wallowa Rural and Recreational Economic Development Region, including a grant and loan program. Allows the county to partition and rezone up to 50 acres of lands within the region from resource use to residential use. Sunsets January 2, 2037. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

Requires the Department of Education to conduct a study to identify effective methods for teaching students with dyslexia. Directs the department to submit findings to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to education not later than September 15, 2026.

Prohibits an abortion unless a health care provider first determines the probable gestational age of the unborn child, except in the case of a medical emergency. Defines "abortion" and "health care provider." Prohibits the abortion of an unborn child with a probable gestational age of 15 or more weeks, except in the case of a medical emergency, rape or incest. Requires that an abortion of an unborn child with probable gestational age of 15 or more weeks be performed or induced in specified facilities and with specific safeguards in place. Allows specified persons to bring an action against a health care provider for violations. Requires a health care provider who performs or induces, or attempts to perform or induce, an abortion to file a report with the Oregon Health Authority. Requires the authority to publish annually statistics relating to abortion. Allows specified persons to bring a cause of action for actual and punitive damages and injunctive relief against a health care provider for violations. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Directs the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to administer a grant program to fund basic needs programming. Appropriates moneys to the commission to establish the program and award grants for basic needs programming. Sunsets the grant program on January 2, 2027. Establishes the Task Force on Student Housing to review and make recommendations on policy changes regarding barriers that students in higher education face in accessing affordable housing. Sunsets the task force on January 2, 2027. Directs the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide affordable housing support to low-income students in higher education in this state. Appropriates moneys to the commission for purposes of awarding the grants. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

Provides that an operator may require a person who engages in a sport, fitness or recreational activity in various ways to release the operator from claims for ordinary negligence. Directs the Oregon Business Development Department, with the assistance of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, to study issues facing the recreation industry and report to a committee of the Legislative Assembly related to the environment no later than September 15, 2026. Appropriates moneys for study. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

Maddy summaryHB 2251 requires Oregon school districts to adopt policies banning student use of personal electronic devices on school grounds, during school activities, on school transportation, or at school bus stops. The policy must allow exceptions only for devices supporting academic activities or independent communications under a student's individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan. Districts must also outline consequences for violations and ensure policies are accessible to staff, students, and parents. This bill directly affects all public school students and districts in Oregon, shifting from previous allowances to a near-universal ban with narrow disability-related exceptions. The policy must include a process for student requests and appeals regarding device use.

Creates additional rules and requirements for pharmacy benefit managers and a policy or certificate of health insurance or other contract providing for the reimbursement of the cost of a prescription drug.

Modifies the percentage of amounts that school districts must pay from the State School Fund to public charter schools that are not virtual public charter schools. Removes certain eligibility restrictions for public charter schools to receive moneys from the Student Investment Account. Directs a school district or sponsor to transfer federal, state and local moneys to public charter schools on the same basis as moneys are transferred to nonchartered public schools in the school district. Considers transportation costs incurred by a public charter school to be the same as transportation costs incurred by a school district. Declares an emergency, effective July 1, 2025.