Sen. Chris Gorsek

Requires the passenger rail plan to include strategies for upgrading and improving railroad track, strategies related to infrastructure and boosting capacity and information about federal grants sought and received. Requires the Department of Transportation to provide status updates on the plan no later than December 31 of each even-numbered year. Consolidates reports on passenger rail into one section of law. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Limits the applicant screening charge a residential landlord may collect to $20. Extends certain screening requirements to include landlords who do not collect an applicant screening charge. Allows landlords to alternatively accept third-party screening reports provided by an applicant.

Authorizes the general manager of a mass transit district to appoint transit security officers to aid in the enforcement of mass transit ordinances. Defines "transit security officer." Provides that a transit security officer may wear a video camera on the person's body that records the officer's interactions with members of the public while the officer is on duty. Expands public records exemption for law enforcement officers of video recordings resulting from the operation of a video camera worn upon the officer's person to include transit security officers.

Maddy summaryHB 3184 protects Oregon homeowners by preventing creditors from selling a primary residence to satisfy debts that do not exceed the homestead exemption amount. It sets a base exemption of $150,000 (adjusted annually for inflation using the Consumer Price Index), increasing to $300,000 for households with multiple debtors. The bill also creates a separate $40,000 exemption limit specifically for child or spousal support debts, which does not adjust annually. This law directly affects homeowners facing debt collection actions, shielding their primary residence from forced sale when debts fall below these thresholds.

Prohibits the recovery from customers of certain costs and expenses that an electric company incurs if a court or jury finds that a wildfire resulted from the negligence or a higher degree of fault on the part of the electric company. [ Prohibits an electric company from paying or distributing dividends, income, interest or profits or paying, distributing or repurchasing stock or other ownership interest to any person or individual with an ownership or beneficial interest in the electric company if the electric company owes any debt on an outstanding judgment that is based on a finding by a court or jury that a wildfire resulted from the negligence or a higher degree of fault on the part of the electric company. ] [ Sets the rate of interest on the judgment at nine percent per annum to accrue from the date the wildfire was ignited if a plaintiff establishes that a wildfire resulted from the negligence or a higher degree of fault on the part of the electric company. ] [ Provides that an electric company is liable for all taxes that may be owed by a prevailing party on a judgment that the electric company has not satisfied by January 1, 2026, for a judgment that is based on a finding by a court or jury that a wildfire resulted from the negligence or a higher degree of fault on the part of the electric company. ] Requires an electric company to request that the Public Utility Commission open an investigation if the electric company owes more than a certain amount of debt on an outstanding judgment or judgments that are based on a wildfire that resulted from the negligence or a higher degree of fault on the part of the electric company and the electric company plans to make a payment, distribution or repurchase related to dividends, income, interest, profits, stock or other ownership interest. Directs the commission to suspend the payment, distribution or repurchase during the investigation and allows the commission to issue a final order that imposes restrictions, requirements or conditions. Allows a plaintiff to file motions in a civil action based on a wildfire caused by an electric company to require the electric company to file a security or bond if the electric company has been found to be liable to other plaintiffs for damages, losses or other harms resulting from the same wildfire, to have prejudgment interest accrue from the date the wildfire caused damages, losses or other harm and for a supplemental judgment for any additional tax liabilities that the plaintiff may owe on the underlying final judgment. Requires an electric company to apply for a wildfire safety certification. Directs the commission to issue a certification if the applicant is implementing a wildfire protection plan and meets certain requirements. Provides that a certification establishes that the applicant has implemented wildfire policies and practices consistent with wildfire safety standards. Provides that a certification does not establish immunity against claims for damages resulting from a wildfire. Directs the commission to commission a study to examine issues related to catastrophic wildfire risk and recovery and develop scenarios for a balanced solution. Directs the commission to provide an interim report on the study's findings and recommendations to the committees of the Legislative Assembly related to energy and environment during the 2026 regular session and provide recommendations for a stakeholder process to follow the final study report. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

] Creates an exception to abuse of a child in care provisions when the suspected abuse was committed by the parent of the child in care. [ Requires that the Department of Human Services provide parents and guardians with a notice of rights before interviews in child abuse investigations. ] Requires the Department of Human Services to notify a child's parents or guardians that the department representative is not an attorney and cannot give the parent or guardian legal advice. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

] Appropriates moneys from the General Fund to the Oregon Department of Administrative Services for distribution to a nonprofit [ groups ] group for purposes related to interpretation of indigenous languages. Declares an emergency, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 3363 modifies how overtime is counted in calculating retirement benefits for Oregon public service employees under the Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan. It excludes overtime hours exceeding a newly calculated annual cap from the "final average salary" used to determine pension benefits. The bill requires public employers to calculate this cap each year based on actual overtime from the previous year, applying it to retirement calculations starting in 2026. This directly affects current and future retirees in Oregon's public service sector whose pensions are based on this salary calculation method.

Requires a hospital or the hospital's health system to report annually to the Oregon Health Authority certain information regarding facility fees that are charged or billed for patient visits at the hospital's or health system's hospital-based facilities. Requires a hospital or the hospital's health system that charges a facility fee for a patient visit to provide a person notice of the facility fee. Requires a billing statement that includes a facility fee to include certain information. Permits a hospital or the hospital's health system to charge, bill or collect a facility fee only for services provided on campus or at a facility that includes an emergency department. Prohibits a hospital or the hospital's health system from charging, billing or collecting a facility fee for certain services. Punishes an action to collect or an attempt to collect a facility fee that is not permitted under the Act as an unlawful collection practice. Permits the Oregon Health Authority to impose a civil penalty for certain violations of the Act.

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.