Rep. Sarah McDonald

Maddy summaryHB 4112 increases funding for Oregon's outdoor school program by $6 million, raising the biennial allocation from $48 million to $54 million for the 2025-2027 budget period. This funding supports outdoor education programs that provide hands-on environmental learning experiences for students, directly benefiting schools and educational organizations participating in the program. The bill also declares an emergency to allow immediate implementation upon passage, though the emergency declaration does not alter the funding amount or program structure.

Prescribes methodology for the preparation of revenue estimates used in the budgeting process and as applicable to the surplus revenue refund process. Applies to estimates prepared on or after January 1, 2027. Requires the Department of Revenue to estimate the difference in surplus revenue calculations using stated methodologies, and transfer an amount equal to the difference for use for various purposes. Establishes the One-Time Emergencies and Finance Fund. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Directs the Bureau of Labor and Industries to create certain guidance and informational materials to assist employers and employees. Prohibits employers from denying an employee's request to have [ an authorized representative ] a support person accompany the employee in discussions concerning reasonable accommodation subject to specific conditions . Extends prohibition against discrimination in government services, programs and activities to local governments. Prohibits employers from using minimum physical requirements [ to screen out persons with disabilities ] in a job posting without connecting the physical requirements to the essential functions of the job .

Requires each electric company to develop a distributed power plant program for the procurement of grid services to be provided by distributed energy resources. Specifies the grid services that may be eligible for compensation and the classes of distributed energy resources technologies that must be eligible to provide the grid services. Allows a customer to enroll directly or through a third party in an electric company's distributed power plant program. Requires an electric company to use a standard offer, open access tariff. Allows an electric company to recover in rates prudently incurred costs associated with the program. Directs the Public Utility Commission to develop and adopt annual procurement targets and performance incentives. Allows an electric company to earn performance incentives for meeting program targets. Requires each electric company to file an annual report with the commission on the status of the electric company's distributed power plant program, including the capacity enrolled in the program. Provides for initial requirements and an implementing timeline. Requires an initial distributed power plant program to provide compensation for system-wide peak load reduction that is provided by an energy storage device that is a battery. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Requires school districts to offer lunch and breakfast to students at no charge, regardless of income. Provides exceptions. Requires school districts that make breakfast accessible at a school site to make breakfast accessible at the school site after the beginning of the day. [ Prescribes nutrition standards for reimbursable meals that are paid for by state sources. ] Takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Directs state agencies to require prospective contractors, subcontractors and grant recipients to attest that they do not and will not transport individuals detained by federal agencies for the purpose of deportation, except in accordance with judicial orders. Provides that if the attestations are false or become false, contractors are disqualified from contracting with the state agency for a specified period, and grant recipients must repay the grant moneys to the state. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

Requires each electric company to develop an inclusive utility investment program to provide financing for customers' energy efficiency upgrades or renewable energy projects. Requires an inclusive utility investment program to provide savings reflected in the reduction in a customer's electricity or energy utility costs. Allows the Public Utility Commission to establish minimum financial savings standards and adopt and provide electric companies with performance incentives.

[ Directs ] Authorizes the Water Resources Commission to encourage and approve voluntary agreements between ground water users in the Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern to achieve reasonably stable ground water levels. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Prohibits an online news aggregating platform from accessing for an Oregon audience the online content of a digital journalism provider without an agreement. Specifies requirements that an agreement must meet. Creates a private cause of action that a digital journalism provider may bring against a platform if the platform accesses for an Oregon audience the online content of the digital journalism provider without an agreement or fails to comply with an agreement. Allows for the recovery of the greater of statutory or actual damages, and for punitive damages. Bars a cause of action if the platform is participating in arbitration or in compliance with a final arbitration order, judgment or settlement agreement. Bars a cause of action for access that occurs between January 1, 2027, and December 31, 2028, if the platform elects to pay a certain sum amount. Allows a platform or group of digital journalism providers to initiate an arbitration process to determine a percentage of the platform's advertising revenue to be remitted to the digital journalism providers. Requires platforms to report annually certain information about compensation paid to digital journalism providers. Establishes the Oregon Civic Information Consortium. Directs the consortium to award grants for applicants that seek to improve civic information.

Allows counties with a population density of less than 30 people per square mile to rezone up to 50 acres to be divided and developed for residential dwellings of at least five units per acre. Sunsets January 2, 2034. Expands allowed development of accessory dwelling units to farmland with certain existing nonfarm dwellings. Allows the development of larger rural accessory dwelling units.