Rep. Ken Helm

Appropriates moneys to the Oregon Business Development Department to update the inventory of community infrastructure project needs related to the production of new housing and prepare reports on the inventory update and the processes and programs for maintaining inventories of, and providing funding for, drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure projects. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

Establishes a cause of action for a buyer in a real estate transaction if the seller fails to provide the results of required well tests. Modifies well testing requirements to require that a seller provide a copy of well test results to the Department of Environmental Quality. Modifies the form of the seller's property disclosure statement.

Appropriates moneys from the General Fund to the Water Resources Department for place-based water planning. Limits expenditures by the department for grants to implement water resources plans. Declares an emergency, effective July 1, 2025.

] Establishes a beginning farmer and rancher incentive program in the State Department of Agriculture. Requires the department to establish types of incentives to provide to beginning farmers and ranchers. Establishes the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Incentive Fund. Continuously appropriates moneys in the fund to the department for purposes of the incentive program. Appropriates moneys for deposit into the fund. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

Maddy summaryHB 2985 modifies Oregon's administrative procedures for the Public Utility Commission (PUC). It exempts the PUC from standard hearing officer requirements under ORS 183.464 and excludes its final orders from public record accessibility rules under ORS 183.471. These changes streamline the PUC's internal administrative processes without altering utility rates or services. The bill is procedural, focusing solely on how the PUC conducts its administrative proceedings.

Directs the Department of Land Conservation and Development to take certain actions related to rocky habitat management. Authorizes the Oregon Ocean Science Trust to provide competitive grants for nonregulatory rocky habitat management programs. Appropriates moneys [ to the trust ] for the purpose of providing the grants. Declares an emergency, effective July 1, 2025.

Prohibits a research facility from using public funds to directly fund medically unnecessary laboratory research on dogs or cats that is classified under certain pain and distress categories. Prohibits a person from conducting research or testing on nonhuman primates at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. Establishes the Task Force on Planning the Elimination of Research on Nonhuman Primates. Directs the task force to draft a plan for eliminating the breeding of, and research on, nonhuman primates at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. Exempts the task force from public meetings law requirements. Sunsets the task force in 2041.

] Directs the Oregon Business Development Department to develop a roadmap for the purpose of promoting voluntary industrial symbiosis activities in Oregon. Requires the department to submit a report to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to economic development not later than September 15, 2026. Appropriates moneys to the Oregon Business Development Department to fund technical assistance for up to six industrial symbiosis pilot communities in Oregon. Authorizes certain county service districts to fund water resource management services with charges for district services, facilities or commodities. [ Sunsets on January 2, 2028. ] Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

] [ Directs the State Department of Fish and Wildlife to study aquatic invasive species. Directs the department to submit a report to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to natural resources not later than September 15, 2026. ] Appropriates moneys to the Department of Environmental Quality to fund vessel inspections to minimize the risk of introducing aquatic invasive species into this state. Appropriates moneys to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to fund monitoring for aquatic invasive species in high-risk waterbodies. Appropriates moneys to the State Department of Fish and Wildlife to update waterbody vulnerability assessments for aquatic invasive species. Appropriates moneys to the State Department of Agriculture to fund interagency rapid response exercises and interagency collaboration related to the detection of aquatic invasive species. Declares an emergency, effective July 1, 2025.

] [ Appropriates moneys from the General Fund to the Department of Environmental Quality for the Oregon Water Data Portal project. ] Creates the Integrated Water Data Team. Directs the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries to be the lead agency to coordinate the Integrated Water Data Team. Directs the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries to work with the Integrated Water Data Team to create and maintain a statewide integrated water data portal. [ Declares an emergency, effective July 1, 2025. ] Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.