Sen. Janeen Sollman

Maddy summarySB 59 removes restrictions that previously prevented homeowners and tenants in planned communities (like neighborhoods with homeowners associations) from growing food, keeping chickens, or keeping bees on their lots. The bill specifically voids any community rules that prohibit or restrict these activities, except for reasonable safety or compliance requirements (e.g., following local laws). This directly affects residents in planned communities who want to grow their own vegetables or raise small livestock for personal use. The key change is making such food production activities legally permissible under state law, overriding conflicting community covenants.

Maddy summarySB 743 requires Oregon's Department of Human Services and law enforcement agencies to electronically record interviews with alleged child abuse perpetrators during investigations under state law. This applies to interviews conducted in investigations under ORS 418.258, 418.259, or 419B.020, with limited exceptions like court statements, spontaneous disclosures, or safety risks. Agencies may also choose to record interviews with non-perpetrators, and recordings become official records under state law. The bill aims to improve transparency in investigations while allowing flexibility for technical issues, safety concerns, or other "good cause" scenarios.

Requests the United States Department of Energy and the United States Congress to support the Bonneville Power Administration in providing cleaner, more affordable and more reliable energy to all consumers in the Pacific Northwest.

Limits to 25 the number of legislative measures that a member of the Legislative Assembly may ask the Legislative Counsel to prepare for a regular session of the Legislative Assembly that begins in an odd-numbered year. Limits to 15 the number of legislative measures that a committee of the Legislative Assembly may ask the Legislative Counsel to prepare for a regular session of the Legislative Assembly that begins in an odd-numbered year. Provides exceptions. Limits to 400 the number of legislative measures that the Governor and state agencies under the authority of the Governor may ask the Legislative Counsel to prepare for a regular session of the Legislative Assembly that begins in an odd-numbered year. Provides exceptions. Limits to 25 the number of legislative measures that other statewide elected officials may ask the Legislative Counsel to prepare for a regular session of the Legislative Assembly that begins in an odd-numbered year. Limits to 100 the number of legislative measures that the Judicial Department may ask the Legislative Counsel to prepare for a regular session of the Legislative Assembly that begins in an odd-numbered year.

Establishes the Task Force on Eelgrass Resources. Provides duties of the task force and directs the task force to submit a report to the Legislative Assembly no later than September 15, 2027. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

Urges the President of the United States, the Executive Director of the Maritime Administration of the United States Department of Transportation and the Congress of the United States to purchase the SS United States from Okaloosa County, Florida, using funds transferred from the United States Department of Defense, designate it as a [ National Historic Landmark ] national landmark , restore it to its full working condition and name it the official flagship of our nation.

] Exempts from state income tax up to $17,500 in federal retirement pay or pension received for service in the Armed Forces of the United States for a taxpayer who is receiving federal retirement pay or pension for service in the Armed Forces of the United States and who has [ not ] attained 63 years of age before the close of the taxable year [ for which a return is filed ]. Applies to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Establishes the Oregon Electric Transmission Authority as an independent public corporation. Provides that the authority shall support the expansion of electric transmission capacity in this state by financing, developing, constructing, upgrading, owning and operating electric transmission infrastructure. Directs the authority to identify and establish electric transmission corridors with statewide significance. Authorizes the authority to finance transmission projects by issuing revenue bonds and collecting payments from the users of the authority's transmission facilities. Establishes the Tribal Advisory Council on Electric Transmission. Directs the authority to submit an annual report to the interim committees or committees of the Legislative Assembly related to energy on the authority's activities and operations for the preceding year. Limits the authority's annual operating budget to no more than $2 million. Provides for the collection of a nonbypassable charge from large industrial electricity customers to fund the authority's operating budget. Sunsets January 2, 2032. Requires the State Department of Energy to conduct a review of the authority and submit a report to the committees or interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to energy for the Legislative Assembly's consideration to extend the sunset date. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Provides that a person may not bring a civil action against an individual who, without malice, makes a communication regarding an incident of sexual assault, sexual harassment or sex discrimination if, at the time of making the communication, the individual has a reasonable belief that sexual assault, sexual harassment or sex discrimination occurred. Allows the prevailing defendant to recover attorney fees and provides for imposition of remedial sanctions against the plaintiff.

Maintains current time standards in Oregon unless certain conditions are met. For the part of the state located in the Pacific Time Zone, abolishes the annual one-hour change in time from standard time to daylight saving time and maintains the Pacific Time Zone portion of Oregon on standard time for all 12 months of the calendar year, if California and Washington make the same change within the next 10 years. Restores current time standards if California and Washington do not make the standard time change within 10 years. Alternatively, for the part of the state located in the Pacific Time Zone, abolishes the annual one-hour change in time and maintains the Pacific Time Zone portion of Oregon on daylight saving time for all 12 months of the calendar year, if Congress enacts a law authorizing states to elect year-round daylight saving time and if California and Washington establish daylight saving time as the standard of time year-round. Restores current time standards if Congress fails to authorize daylight saving time or if California and Washington do not make daylight saving time their year-round standard of time within 10 years. Provides that standards of time in the Mountain Time Zone portion of Oregon remain unchanged.