2018 Oregon Legislature  Feb 12-16           "x" means OPP testimony has been prepared

Hearing
Date
 		Dan's Comment Others' Comments
SUPPORT
HB 4109 Directs Department of Environmental Quality and State Forestry Department to study opportunities for state actions to promote carbon sequestration and to include in study consideration of regional approaches for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through carbon sequestration.
Feb 13
 I think this is the bill that will pass.
HB 4004 Directs Environmental Quality Commission to adopt rules applying certain oil spill prevention and emergency response planning requirements to railroads that own or operate high hazard train routes in this state.
Feb 8
x
Feb 15
 Gotta regulate the oil trains.
SB 1508 Requires Environmental Quality Commission to establish fee applicable to certain air contamination sources to cover direct and indirect costs of Department of Environmental Quality and commission in developing and implementing a program and rules to reduce public health risks of emissions of toxic air contaminants from industrial and commercial air contamination sources.
Feb 12
x
 This is supported by Neighbors for Clean Air and lots of other environmental groups.
HB 4002 Requires Environmental Quality Commission to establish fee applicable to certain air contamination sources to cover direct and indirect costs of Department of Environmental Quality and commission in developing and imple203amenting program and rules to reduce public health risks of emissions of toxic air contaminants from industrial and commercial air contamination sources.
Feb 12
x
 This is supported by Neighbors for Clean Air and lots of other environmental groups.
HB 4033 Requires Secretary of State to conduct study and analyze implementation of laws relating to elections that were passed during 2017 regular session of Legislative Assembly.
Feb 15

SB 1559
  • Directs state agencies to establish procedure for employees to anonymously disclose certain information.
  • Requires Department of Justice to establish mandatory training program regarding whistleblowing activities in this state.
  • Requires department to establish manual describing department’s standards and procedures for implementing Whistleblower Law.
  • Directs Bureau of Labor and Industries to study and report findings and recommendations regarding whistleblowing activities in this state.
 Feb 15
 Oregon's whistleblower laws are very weak.  This would be a small improvement.
HB 4121 Requires Housing and Community Services Department to establish and administer program that provides incentive payments to construction contractors undertaking energy improvement projects on residential structures and provides grants for energy improvement projects for manufactured dwellings.        
Feb 14
x

HB 4126 Establishes product stewardship program for household hazardous waste.
Feb 14
x

OPPOSE
SB 1552 
  • Specifies that public utility that makes sales of electricity may not establish rate for any service that provides public utility with rate of return that exceeds 4.5 percent.
  • Changes procedures by which public utilities that make sales of electricity file rate schedules with Public Utility Commission.
  • Reduces public purpose charge collected from retail electricity consumers.
  • Makes changes to agreement entered into between commission and nongovernmental entity for purpose of expending moneys collected as part of public purpose charge.
  • Repeals provisions of law related to collection of surcharge for removal of Klamath River dams upon failure of relevant parties to begin dam removal.
  • Directs PacifiCorp to credit electric bill of each customer from which PacifiCorp collected surcharge in amount that equals total amount paid by customer as surcharge, plus four percent.
  • Prohibits Public Utility Commission from approving rate schedule established by public utility that makes sales of electricity if moneys collected pursuant to imposition of those rates would be used to remediate Superfund site.
  • Specifies that each Public Utility Commissioner and each employee of commission must enter into noncompetition agreement with state under which commissioner or employee may not be subsequently employed by public utility that makes sales of electricity for two years.
 Feb 14
x
 This bill does some good things and some bad things.  The bad thing is reducing the public purpose charge.  The sort of bad thing is refunding the Klamath River dam removal surcharge.

It cuts the public purpose surcharge in half.

Makes stupid, uninformed changes to PUC procedure.

Good things include an anti-revolving door provision (PUC employees cannot go work for utilities for 2 years), a 4.5% limit on authorized rate of return, and prohibiting utilities from charging ratepayers the cost of cleaning up Superfund sites.

Our testimony should support the good things and oppose the bad things.
SB 1547 CARRIED OVER FROM THE 02/07/2018 MEETING: Expands list of health care professionals who can provide medical release to youth athlete who is suspected of having concussion.
Feb 12
x
 Horrendous.  Allows unqualified persons working for a school athletics department to clear football players back into the game, after concussions.  It also immunizes the school and school district and all employees from any liability for putting an injured kid back into the game, even if it results in the death of the kid.  That is also existing law, BTW, which must be changed.
SB 1541 Authorizes Environmental Quality Commission to adopt program and rules to reduce public health risks of emissions of toxic air contaminants from industrial and commercial air contamination sources. Feb 12
x
 This is opposed by Neighbors for Clean Air and lots of other environmental groups.
NEUTRAL, WITH COMMENTS
SB 1519 Creates Oregon Energy Commission as policy and rulemaking body for State Department of Energy
  • Creates Oregon Energy Commission as policy and rulemaking body for State Department of Energy.
  • Transfers certain duties of State Department of Energy and Director of State Department Energy to commission.
  • Modifies state energy policy.
  • Modifies general duties of department.
  • Requires department to develop statewide strategic energy report. Requires commission to adopt report no later than January 1, 2021. Requires department to present draft report to Legislative Assembly no later than September 15, 2020. Requires commission to periodically review and update report.
  • Modifies biennial comprehensive energy report requirements.
  • Transfers certain State Department of Energy programs to other agencies. Repeals certain State Department of Energy programs.
  • Reduces, to 0.1 percent, percentage of energy resource supplier’s gross operating revenue that annual energy resource supplier assessment may not exceed. Changes calculated share of annual energy resource supplier assessment below which energy resource supplier is exempt from payment assessment from $250 to $2,500.
  • Modifies definition of “gross operating revenue” for purposes of energy resource supplier assessment.
  • Applies to annual fees due on or after July 1, 2019.
  • Requires State Department of Energy to study further restructuring of department. Requires department to present results of study to interim committee of Legislative Assembly no later than September 15, 2019.
 Feb 12
x
 Adds new layer of bureaucracy.  Fails to take the functions of the Energy Facility Siting Council, however, which would make sense.

Only 88 single-spaced pages long.
SB 1537 Establishes Oregon Energy Commission as policy and rulemaking body for State Department of Energy.
  • Establishes Oregon Energy Commission as policy and rulemaking body for State Department of Energy.
  • Transfers certain duties of State Department of Energy and Director of State Department
  • of Energy to commission.
  • Modifies state energy policy.
  • Modifies general duties of department.
  • Requires department to develop statewide strategic energy plan. Requires commission to adopt plan no later than January 1, 2021. Requires department to present draft plan to Legislative Assembly no later than September 15, 2020. Requires commission to periodically review and update plan.
  • Modifies biennial comprehensive energy report requirements.
 Feb 12
x
 Adds new layer of bureaucracy.  Fails to take the functions of the Energy Facility Siting Council, however, which would make sense.

Only 73 single-spaced pages long,
HB 4015 Establishes Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund.
Feb 13
x

HB 4121 Requires Housing and Community Services Department to establish and administer program that provides incentive payments to construction contractors undertaking energy improvement projects on residential structures and provides grants for energy improvement projects for manufactured dwellings.

Feb 12 removed

HB 4155 Prohibits broadband Internet access service provider from disclosing, selling or permitting access to personal information of customers of provider.

Feb 13
x

HB 4060 Modifies and adds laws related to transportation.

  • Please Note: The following topics will be considered for the hearing on House Bill 4060:
    -Connect Oregon (sections 18-19)
    -Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund/Transit (sections 20-24)
    -Bicycle Excise Tax

Public Hearing
  • HB 4060 Modifies and adds laws related to transportation.
Please Note: The following topics will be considered for the hearing on House Bill 4060:
-Vehicle Privilege Tax
-Electric Vehicle Rebate Programs (Sections 29-32)		 Feb 12
x

Feb 14