Rep. Mark Gamba

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.

Maddy summaryHB 2967 prohibits Oregon landlords from charging applicants a fee to cover screening costs (like credit checks or reference verification) when applying for rental housing. It requires landlords to refund any such fee within 30 days if they don’t screen an applicant or if the applicant withdraws their application. Landlords must also provide written notice of screening criteria, costs, and applicant rights before collecting any fee. The bill applies directly to residential landlords and rental applicants in Oregon and is currently pending in committee.

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.

] Expands purposes for the corporate excise tax credit allowed for affordable housing lending. [ Establishes the Affordable Housing Lender Fund. ] Allows a tax credit for contributions to [ the ] a qualified mortgage loan fund with the purpose of assisting certain home buyers. Allows credit for loans for preservation or rehabilitation of distressed properties without requiring typical rent reductions. Applies to loans made and tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

] 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 3008 allocates state funds to support Oregon's child care providers through three specific programs. It provides money for recruitment and retention payments to providers via Portland State University, health care benefits through United We Heal Training Trust, and workforce training programs. The funding, totaling unspecified amounts, is for the 2025-2027 biennium from the General Fund. This bill directly affects child care providers by addressing their compensation, benefits, and professional development needs.

Imposes a severance tax on owners of timber harvested from public or private forestland. Imposes the tax at rates determined under brackets according to the acreage of forestland held in common ownership, multiplied by the pond value of timber at the time of harvest. Repeals forest products harvest taxes. Abolishes a lot surcharge. Makes changes related to the cost of fire protection provided within forest protection districts. Abolishes the Emergency Fire Cost Committee and the Oregon Forest Land Protection Fund. Refers the Act to the people for their approval or rejection at the next regular general election.

] [ Directs the Department of Transportation to study promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuel in Oregon and present the results of the study to the Joint Committee on Transportation. ] Creates the Task Force on Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Sunsets the task force on December 31, 2026. [ Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die. ] Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

Maddy summarySB 887 requires the Director of Agriculture to hire an organic policy special assistant. This position will directly support the Agriculture Department by advancing the organic sector, aiding in federal and state advocacy, and addressing challenges with imported organic products. The bill amends existing language to specify these three key duties for the new role. It does not change existing laws but creates a new staff position to focus on organic industry needs. (This is a procedural bill, so the summary is concise as permitted.)