From Sept. 8-10, the Oregon State Legislature convened in Salem for interim committee hearings. The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) Legislative Affairs Department actively engaged in these hearings, monitoring key discussions, and connecting with legislators and stakeholders around AOC’s 2027-28 Legislative Priorities.
Ahead of the Sept. 11 pre-session filing deadline, AOC worked with lawmakers to introduce key legislative concepts. These concepts align with AOC’s policy priorities and will be discussed during AOC steering committee meetings on Oct. 9 and 12. The Legislature is scheduled to reconvene for Legislative Committee Days on Dec. 1-3. Check the Legislative Calendar to view all legislative dates.
Below is a summary of committee highlights, links, and materials that impact county governance, services, and budgets.
Governance, Revenue, Economic Development
Senate Interim Committee on Finance and Revenue
- Report on Senior Property Tax Deferral Program Outreach to increase applicants and overall program users, presented by the Department of Revenue
- Presentation by the Portland Metro Chamber on the state of the Federal Deduction for State and Local Taxes (SALT) cap
House Interim Committee on Revenue
- Report on the utilization and stability of the senior deferral program
House Interim Committee on Economic Development, Small Business, and Trade
- Report from the Governor’s Prosperity Council on economic development policy recommendations for the 2027 Legislative Session.
- Updates on modernization and industrial symbiosis as part of a statewide economic development strategy
- 10-year review of recreational cannabis policy in the state
House Interim Committee on Rules
- Election integrity and security presentation from the Secretary of State’s office
House Interim Committee on Climate, Energy, and Environment
- The status and operation of the data center industry
Health and Human Services
House Interim Committee on Early Childhood
- Overview of the department and the early learning system development by the Department of Early Learning and Childcare
- Overview of child care deserts in Oregon by Oregon State University
Senate Interim Committee On Early Childhood and Behavioral Health
- Child Care Resource and Referral Overview from the Children’s Institute
- Early Learning and Child Care Programs from Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care
- Home Visiting services redesign initiative presentation by the Children’s Institute
- OHSU Oregon Behavioral Health Coordination Center
- OHA – Youth Psychiatric Care in Oregon
- Oregon Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission 2026-30 Comprehensive Plan
- HB 2015 (2025) Executive Summary Legislative Study (2026) from Oregon Health Authority
- HB 2015 (2025) Executive Summary Section 2 Final Progress Report (2026) from Oregon Health Authority
Senate Interim Committee on Health Care
- H.R. 1 and Medicaid update from the Oregon Health Authority
- Health care and Oregon’s economy presentation from the State of Oregon
- Health insurance market update from the Department of Consumer and Business Services
- Oregon insurance coverage mandate impact statement update from the Legislative Policy and Research Office
House Interim Committee On Behavioral Health
- HB 2015 (2025) final progress report from the Oregon Health Authority
- HB 2015 (2025) legislative study from the Oregon Health Authority
- HB 2015 (2025) presentation from the Oregon Health Authority
- HB 4070 (2026) presentation from the Oregon Health Authority
- HB 4092 (2024) presentation from the Association of Oregon Community Health Programs
- HB 4092 (2024) presentation from the Oregon Health Authority
- Psilocybin Services Research presentations from Healing Advocacy Fund and Synaptic Institute
House Interim Committee On Housing and Homelessness
- Update on homelessness and housing production from the governor’s office
- Federal legislation updates from Oregon Housing and Community Services
House Interim Committee On Health Care
- Rural Health Transformation Program presentation from the Oregon Health Authority
- DCBS 2027 health insurance rates presentation from the Department of Financial Regulations
- OHA CCO rates from the Oregon Health Authority
- OHA 1115 OHP waiver renewal update
- OHA HR1 update
- Oregon insurance coverage mandate impact statements preliminary report from the Legislative Policy and Research Office
Natural Resources
House Interim Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water
- The impact smoke has on agriculture by Oregon State University
- Update on the fish conditions in the Klamath River from OWRD
- Delays in mineral permitting and pathways to making the system better from the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries
House Interim Committee on Climate, Energy, and Environment
- Data centers presentations from ECOnorthwest, the Legislative Revenue Office, and the Water Resources Department
Senate Interim Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire
- 2026 wildfire season overview from the State Forester and State Fire Marshal
- Update on the infrastructure investments in hatcheries throughout the state from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Status update on the Winchester Dam in Douglas County by the Oregon Water Resources Department and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Rural land use updates from the Department of Land Conservation and Development
Senate Interim Committee on Energy and Environment
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water in Oregon presentation from Oregon State University
- Water usage by data centers presentation from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Public Safety and Veterans
House Interim Committee on Judiciary
- Report on progress on the public defense crisis from the Public Defense Commission
- Updates on the Jail MOUD grant program from the Criminal Justice Commission
Senate Interim Committee on Judiciary
- Oregon Law Commission 2027 Legislative Concepts
House Interim Committee on Emergency Management and Veterans
- Veterans in Crisis Task Force update
- Plan for Resilient Oregon briefing from the State Resilience Officer
- Strategies to prevent spread of wildfires
Senate Interim Committee on Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs
- Department of Emergency Management Update
- Wildfire update from Oregon State Fire Marshal
- Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs update
Transportation and Community Development
Senate Interim Committee on Transportation
- Update on Governor Kotek’s Rebuilding Our Transportation Vision Workgroup from Co-Chair Grace Crunican and workgroup member Umatilla County Commissioner Dan Dorran
House Interim Committee on Transportation
- Update on Governor Kotek’s Rebuilding Our Transportation Vision Workgroup presented by Grace Crunican and Umatilla County Commissioner Dan Dorran
- 2027 Legislative Concept preview: Abandoned RV removal and parks funding