Tuesday, April 13 was the deadline for a bill to move out of a policy committee in its chamber of origin in order to continue moving through the legislative process this Session. Since December of 2020, the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) Transportation and Community Development Steering Committee has recommended AOC support for 21 pieces of legislation related to this portfolio. All but one of those bills is still alive and moving either to the House or Senate floor, or to the Joint Committee on Ways Means for funding conversations.  

AOC staff worked with legislators to introduce five bills “at the request of the Association of Oregon Counties,” AOC’s transportation and community development top priorities — all of those bills continue to move through the process. A brief update on the transportation and community development priority bills is provided below.

HB 3049 – County Right of Way Permit Fee Authority

  • A public hearing was held in the Joint Committee on Transportation in early March. AOC staff is working with Senator Findley on a forthcoming amendment.
  • An action alert for member support in AOC advocacy efforts was sent to the full AOC membership mid-April, if the bill moves out of committee, AOC will ask members to contact their local legislators in anticipation of a House floor vote.

SB 391 – Accessory Dwelling Units in Rural Residential Zones

  • SB 391 passed out of the Senate Committee on Housing Development with one nay vote. 
  • The bill passed off of the Senate floor with only one nay vote.

HB 2267 – Codifies 2.5 Percent Distribution of County Lottery Economic Development Funds

  • HB 2267 passed out of the House Committee on Economic Recovery and Prosperity unanimously and was referred to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.

SB 154 -Solar PILoT program extension and negotiated adjustments

  • SB 154 passed out of the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment unanimously and was referred to the Joint Committee on Tax Expenditures.

HB 2173 – Codifies that Counties Fund 50 Percent of the Regional Solutions Program

  • HB 2173 passed out of the House Committee on Economic Recovery with one nay vote and was referred to the House Committee on Revenue.

Additionally, the AOC Transportation and Community Development Steering Committee recommended AOC opposition to nine pieces of legislation due to concerns around administrative costs, unfunded mandates, and preemption of local control. All but two of those bills have either been amended to remove county concerns, or are not moving forward this Session. Below is a brief update on those bills. 

HB 2682 – Safety Standards for Public Works Equipment Rentals 

  • The bill was introduced in response to a tragic public works accident. As originally written, the bill would have caused significant administrative costs to county public works departments without addressing the legitimate safety concerns at issue. 
  • AOC staff worked with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) to alleviate the concerns articulated by the Oregon Association of County Engineers and Surveyors (OACES) that led AOC to oppose House Bill 2682 as written. 
  • As amended, AOC no longer opposes the bill.

SB 395 – State Highway Fund Bike/Ped Expenditure Mandate

  • The bill mandates an additional four percent of county State Highway Fund dollars be spent on bike and pedestrian projects.
  • A public hearing was held in the Joint Committee on Transportation in early March.
  • AOC and OACES submitted written testimony and also presented verbal testimony in opposition. 
  • The Joint Committee on Transportation is not subject to the first chamber deadline, so the bill remains “alive” but AOC staff has not been alerted to the possibility of a work session. 

Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts | Legislative Affairs Manager