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.
Sponsored bills
Lowers the thresholds above which, in applicable circumstances, controllers are subject to regulation in processing consumers' personal data. Prohibits controllers from processing sensitive data for the purposes of targeted advertising or profiling a consumer in furtherance of decisions that produce legal effects or effects of similar significance. Prohibits a controller from selling sensitive data for any reason.
] Changes the name of the State Board of Towing to the Oregon State Board of Towing. Establishes the Oregon State Board of Towing as an independent board.
] Prohibits a person that [ advertises ] offers or sells consumer goods or [ consumer ] services [ for sale ] in this state from [ displaying in an advertisement or quoting during a transaction ] advertising, displaying or offering a price for the consumer goods or [ consumer ] services that does not include [ or disclose every fee ] all fees and charges that [ the consumer ] a resident must pay to complete the [ sale of ] transaction in the consumer goods or [ consumer ] services other than taxes or fees that a governmental body imposes on the transaction or reasonable charges actually incurred for shipping the goods or providing the services . Punishes a violation of the Act as an unlawful trade practice under the Unlawful Trade Practices Act.
] 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.
Provides that priority may be given to students in specified courses of study to participate in a pilot program to enhance the hiring of public university students by eligible nonprofit organizations. Provides for the reimbursement of eligible nonprofit organizations that participate in the pilot program up to 100 percent of the amount the organizations have paid in wages to participating students. Removes the requirement that eligible nonprofit organizations must have an annual budget of $5,000,000 or less. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
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.
] Establishes the Nonprofit [ Organization ] Advisory Council [ within the Oregon Department of Administrative Services ]. Specifies the membership of the council and requires the council to [ review the state's ] consult with the Oregon Department of Administrative Services and with employees of state agencies that make grants to or enter into public contracts with nonprofit organizations concerning granting and procurement processes as applied to nonprofit organizations . Provides that the council shall also identify and recommend updates to statutes and administrative rule to improve grant making and contracting processes with nonprofit organizations, evaluate and recommend whether to create a centralized database to manage grant making and report to the Legislative Assembly. [ Establishes the Nonprofit Organization Partnership Fund to fund the council. ] Specifies requirements for grant agreements and public contracts into which state agencies enter with nonprofit organizations. [ Requires the Oregon Department of Administrative Services to create a centralized database for use in managing the state's grants to nonprofit organizations. ] [ Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die. ].
Maddy summaryHB 2251 requires Oregon school districts to adopt policies banning student use of personal electronic devices on school grounds, during school activities, on school transportation, or at school bus stops. The policy must allow exceptions only for devices supporting academic activities or independent communications under a student's individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan. Districts must also outline consequences for violations and ensure policies are accessible to staff, students, and parents. This bill directly affects all public school students and districts in Oregon, shifting from previous allowances to a near-universal ban with narrow disability-related exceptions. The policy must include a process for student requests and appeals regarding device use.