On Tuesday, Jan. 17, the 82nd Oregon state legislative session was held in the capital of Salem. During these sessions legislators do a variety of things, such as swearing in newly elected officials, introducing new bills, and more. In Oregon the length of the session varies by year. On odd numbered years these sessions may last as long as 160 days, whereas in even numbered years they only last up to 35 days.
As of Jan. 9, the House and Senate have 1,820 bills, though it’s estimated that there will be many more to come. It is a lengthy process to pass bills, starting with the bill’s introduction. A representative has to decide to sponsor the bill and then presents it to the Chief Clerk of the House who then sends it to the Legislative Counsel to make sure it’s formatted correctly. After that, it’s sent to be printed and is ready to go through its first reading. Once the bill has been read, the speaker sends it to a committee and a Legislative Revenue Officer who figures out any possible impact the bill may have on the economic state of Oregon.
The committee assigned to the bill will review it and host public hearings as well as work sessions. Once the committee report has been signed by the committee’s chair, it’s sent back to the Chief Clerk. The bill then has its second and third reading, and during the third reading the House has a debate over the measure. Once the bill has received a majority vote in the House, it’s sent to the Senate which then goes through a similar process to the House. If the Senate doesn’t alter the bill, it goes back to the House to be enrolled; if the Senate changes even one word, the bill goes back to the House to be confirmed again.
To enroll, or have a final copy of, a bill it must be signed by the Speaker of the House, the Senate President, and the Chief Clerk or Secretary of the Senate depending on where the bill started. Then the state governor has to approve the bill, and once they do, the bill will take effect the first of January of the following year.
Some of the bills starting in the House that are being put through the process this year include House Bill (HB) 2005, which “[d]efines ‘undetectable firearm,’” in addition to “[punishing] manufacturing, importing, offering for sale or transferring undetectable firearm by maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, or both.” They define an undetectable firearm as a firearm made “entirely of nonmetal substances,” as well as a firearm that can be hidden from security sensors, scanners, or metal detectors. This will make it harder for people who might want to hide their firearms to do so legally.
Another bill being introduced is HB 2176, which is a bill expanding the occupancy limits in all hospitals under the Oregon Health Authority, as well as determining how many hospital employees are needed to take care of all patients. In addition to these two bills, there are around 3,000 more House bills and about 5,000 more Senate bills being processed this legislative session, including several about climate change: HB 2659, and HB 3196; and healthcare: HB 2091, and HB 2286. While this year’s session is just starting, there’s plenty to expect for Oregon’s future. More information on the legislative session as well as a comprehensive list of the bills are included on the Oregon Legislature website.
