Rep. Susan McLain

Allows an exclusion from the Oregon taxable estate of a surviving spouse for the unused portion of exclusion that applied to the prior deceased spouse of the decedent. Applies to estates of decedents who die on or after January 1, 2026. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

] Establishes the [ Oregon ] Senator Aaron Woods Commission on Artificial Intelligence within the Department of Justice. Establishes the commission's purpose to serve as a central resource to monitor the use of artificial intelligence technologies and systems in this state and report on long-term policy implications. Directs the commission to provide an annual report to the Legislative Assembly. Allows the commission to make recommendations for legislation, regulations or policies to the Legislative Assembly. Directs the [ State Chief Information Officer ] Attorney General to hire a Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer to assist the commission in carrying out the commission's duties. Allows the Department of Justice to charge a state or local agency or public body for the commission's services.

] 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.

] [ Requires an appropriation to ] Declares that it is the goal of the Legislative Assembly to fund the Department of Veterans' Affairs [ from the General Fund to be ] in an amount that is not less than $10,000,000 , from the General Fund, in 2015 dollars, adjusted for inflation. Requires the Director of Veterans' Affairs to add additional full-time positions within the department. Creates in the department the position of Veterans Employment Coordinator. [ Allows the director to appoint a deputy director, subject to approval by the Governor. ] Requires the director [ and deputy director ] to be a veteran who has received a discharge or release under other than dishonorable conditions. Allows the director to appoint a deputy director, subject to approval by the Governor. Directs the department to develop and implement one or more pilot programs for suicide prevention and workforce training and preparation. Allows moneys in the Veterans' Services Fund to be used for the pilot programs. [ Requires the Department of Transportation to accept, for issuing a driver license, an identification card issued by the United States Department of Defense or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. ] Directs the director to distribute moneys appropriated for county veterans' service officer programs on a quarterly basis. Directs the department to provide a report on the quarterly distribution process. Changes who is allowed to request county veteran discharge records. Increases from $5,000 to $10,000, the cap on the individual grant amount that is allowed under the Veteran Educational Bridge Grant Program. Directs the Department of Veterans' Affairs to work with the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission and the Judicial Department to develop a plan for establishing and maintaining a veterans' court in each county or judicial district. Declares an emergency, effective July 1, 2025.

] 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.

Establishes an income tax credit for volunteer firefighters. Applies to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2032. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Requires the Department of Human Services to update its 2022 estimate of costs to implement youth experiencing homelessness programs. Requires the Department of Human Services and the Housing and Community Services Department to study options for allocating 30 percent of their respective budgets in the 2027-2029 biennium toward reducing the number of youth aging into adult homelessness. Directs the Department of Human Services to submit findings to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to housing and human services not later than September 15, 2026. Sunsets on January 2, 2027. Expands eligibility for emergency housing.

Expands the definition of "debilitating medical condition" for the medical use of marijuana. Requires an organization or residential facility that is designated as an additional caregiver for a medical marijuana cardholder to create and maintain a written policy and provide education to staff regarding the medical use of marijuana. Exempts hospitals and hospital-affiliated clinics from the requirements. Requires an organization or residential facility to create the written policy not later than June 30, 2026, and make education available to staff not later than December 31, 2026. Protects an organization or residential facility and its employees and contractors from certain criminal liability related to the medical use of marijuana. Prohibits the Oregon State Board of Nursing from taking disciplinary action against a nurse for discussing the medical use of marijuana with a patient. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Maddy summarySB 547 designates April of each year as Oregon Native Plant Appreciation Month, encouraging public recognition of native plant species. The bill also declares an emergency effective upon passage, though it does not specify emergency measures. This procedural bill became law on June 20, 2025, after being signed by the Governor and enacted as Chapter 368, 2025 Laws. It directly affects Oregon residents through the official designation of the month for educational and community awareness purposes.

Prohibits discrimination when selecting or retaining school library materials, textbooks or instructional materials or when developing and implementing a curriculum. Prescribes requirements for the removal of library materials, textbooks and instructional materials. Directs the Department of Education to provide technical assistance for school library programs. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.