Rep. Mike Nearman

Establishes Willamette Falls Locks Commission as advisory body for issues relating to repair, reopening, operation, maintenance and future transfer of ownership of navigational canal and locks. Appropriates funds from General Fund to Higher Education Coordinating Commission for purposes of Act. Sunsets commission, program and account on December 31, 2023. Declares emergency, effective on passage.

Directs Legislative Counsel to prepare open government impact statement for measures that affect disclosure, or exemption from disclosure, of public records. Establishes Oregon Sunshine Committee to establish schedule of review for exemptions from disclosure for public records. Directs Oregon Sunshine Committee to submit report to Legislative Counsel Committee subcommittee on public records and include in report recommended changes to public records process and recommendations to amend or repeal exemptions from disclosure. Directs Legislative Counsel Committee to establish public records subcommittee to review report from Oregon Sunshine Committee and submit report to Legislative Counsel Committee. Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Directs State Chief Information Officer to appoint Chief Data Officer to maintain web portal for publication of data of state agencies. Directs Chief Data Officer to establish open data standard and publish technical standards manual for state agencies publishing data on portal. Requires state agencies to comply with open data standard and technical standards manual and publish data on web portal on and after May 1, 2019. Directs Secretary of State and State Treasurer to adopt by rule requirements related to data that are same as or similar to requirements established by State Chief Information Officer or Chief Data Officer.

Establishes official name of open resources program as "Oregon's Open Educational Resources (OER) Program." Requires Higher Education Coordinating Commission to regularly convene faculty, staff and librarians from public universities and community colleges for purpose of coordinating program in specified manner . Appropriates moneys from General Fund to fund program. Requires Higher Education Coordinating Commission to report to Legislative Assembly during each regular session held during odd-numbered year on summary of current status of program, amount of moneys program has saved students, amount of moneys commission anticipates program will save students in future and evaluation of existing barriers preventing approval of more open educational resources. Declares emergency, effective July 1, 2017.

Directs State Chief Information Officer to include links to websites established by certain entities on Oregon transparency website.

Establishes Task Force on Assessments of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Directs task force to submit report to interim committee of Legislative Assembly related to education no later than January 1, 2018. Sunsets task force on June 30, 2019. Declares emergency, effective on passage.

Establishes Oregon Agricultural Heritage Fund and continuously appropriates moneys in fund to Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. Authorizes use of moneys for purposes associated with supporting use of land for agricultural production, maintenance or enhancement of fish or wildlife habitat, improvement of water quality or support of other natural resource values. Establishes programs to provide grants for qualifying conservation management plans, working land conservation covenants or working land conservation easements on agricultural lands. Establishes Oregon Agricultural Heritage Commission and specifies duties of commission. Makes provisions related to supporting use of land for agricultural production, fish and wildlife habitat, water quality and other natural resource values, fund establishment, grant programs and establishment and duties of commission operative January 1, 2018. Appropriates moneys from General Fund to Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board for 2017-2019 biennium for carrying out provisions. Requires Legislative Policy and Research Director to study effect of financial incentives, incremental tax reduction and tax elimination on transfers and succession planning for land used for agricultural production, maintenance or enhancement of fish or wildlife habitat, improvement of water quality or support of other natural resource values. Requires director to complete study and report findings to interim legislative committee on or before September 15, 2018. Declares emergency, effective on passage.

Directs Housing and Community Services Department to develop and implement Rent Guarantee Program to provide incentives and financial assistance to landlords that rent or lease to low income households by guaranteeing payments to landlords for unpaid rent and for eviction and property damage costs within certain limits. Authorizes department to request proposals from and contract with program providers to administer program. Requires collection of performance outcome measures and annual report to interim committees of Legislative Assembly on housing. Establishes Rent Guarantee Program Fund and continuously appropriates moneys to department for Rent Guarantee Program.

Authorizes city or county to adopt ordinance or resolution granting exemption for newly rehabilitated or constructed multiunit rental housing. Provides that otherwise eligible rental property may receive exemption for rehabilitation only once. Provides that exemption may be granted for term of up to 10 years depending on number of units rented to households with annual income at or below 120 percent of area median income under definition adopted by city or county at monthly rates affordable to such households. Requires city's or county's definition of "area median income" to be adjusted for size of household. Requires city or county to adopt definition of "affordable." Provides that ordinance or resolution granting exemption may not take effect unless rates of taxation of taxing districts whose governing bodies agree to grant exemption equal 51 percent or more of total combined rate of taxation on qualified property. Requires exemption to be granted to all eligible rental property on same terms in effect on date application is submitted. Allows city or county to amend exemption, subject to approval process of taxing districts, or terminate exemption, but provides that qualified property granted exemption continues to receive exemption under same terms in effect at time exemption was first granted. Provides for clawback of exemption savings if county assessor determines rental property does not meet requirements for exemption. Sunsets on January 2, 2027. Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Excludes volumetric mixers from definition of "fixed load vehicle." Makes additional nonsubstantive housekeeping changes to definition.