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There are less than 7 days until the end of session and a number of bills and state agency funding priorities are still waiting to move. The League expects some funding for existing agency climate programs in the reconciliation bill. 

Transportation Legislation HB 2025 is a major topic these last 14 days. ‘2 Oregon Democrats balk at transportation bill as session nears its end’, | OPB. 

The nearly $2 B package needs a majority vote for it to advance out of committee and to the floor of the legislative chamber. To pass out of each chamber the bill requires a 60% majority. We expect new bill amendments to be posted on Monday that include negotiated inputs from both parties. 

Special Session? The League is aware of a possible special September session that could address a number of significant Federal Admin policy funding issues.

Federal

‘Set up for failure’: Trump’s cuts bring climate and energy agencies to a standstill, workers say - POLITICO

How Trump’s assault on science is blinding America to climate change - E&E News by POLITICO

Federal agency cuts freeze climate research, stall disaster prep, and disrupt clean energy projects

June 16, 2025 - Bloomberg Law | Youth Plaintiffs Urge Court to Block Energy Executive Orders

June 16, 2025 - E&E News | 22 climate activists request emergency injunction to stop Trump EOs

The Trump administration's workforce reductions and budget restrictions are hobbling key federal agencies, stalling climate research, disaster preparedness... | The Daily Climate

Science policy this week: Jun 16, 2025 - AIP.ORG (American Institute of Physics AIP.ORG)


How the Five Pillars of U.S. Climate Policy are Threatened – Environmental and Energy Law Program | Harvard

Oregon

Oregon Legislature sends clean-energy investment bill to governor | Pensions & Investments

Carbon-neutral public retirement plan closer to becoming law in Oregon - oregonlive.com

Joint Ways and Means CE Funding Topics

By Claudia Keith

Energy Affordability and Utility Accountability 

The League joined a coalition sign-on letter in April requesting funding to support building resilience. The goal is to use affordable measures to protect people from extreme weather.

The League supports full funding for the following 8 JWM priority budget topics:

1). Transportation ODOT Package HB 2025 

 The League supports OCN and other statewide NGO budget priorities:

•  Increase funding above 2017 levels for public transit






• Increase funding above 2017 levels for a safe, complete multimodal system (i.e. GreatStreets, Safe Routes to School, Oregon Community Paths, and bike/ped both on-street and trails, etc.) 






• Dedicated or increased revenue for light, medium and heavy-duty vehicle incentives, including for charging and purchasing of ZEVs 


(Please see Natural Resources Legislative Report on Transportation) 


2.  One Stop Shop 2.0/Energy Efficiency Navigation

• (HB 3081A): In JWM: This bill would create a navigation program at ODOE to help Oregonians access federal, state, local, and utility energy efficiency incentives all in one place

3. Get the Junk Out of Rates (SB 88): still in Senate Rules: Not likely to move. This bill would stop utilities from charging certain expenses like lobbying, advertising, association fees to customers.  

4. HB 3546: Protecting Oregonians with Energy Responsibility (POWER Act)  Governor signed 6/16.  This bill ensures Oregon households are not unfairly burdened by large energy users with grid and transmission costs.

5.  Full Funding for Climate Resilience programs. (It is likely these programs will get a portion of the original ask.)

• Reinvesting the same amount as last biennium in three programs:




• Rental Home Heat Pump Program (ODOE), $30m






• Community Heat Pump Deployment Program (ODOE), $15m






• Community Resilience Hubs (OREM), $10m (House Bill 3170)






6.  Environmental Justice Bills. (disadvantaged communities)

• HB 3170: Community Resilience Hubs and networks: Fiscal $10M

• Work Session 3/4, passed to JWM, DHS, Sponsors, Rep. Marsh, Sen Pham and Rep Tan. League testimony



     .        

• HB2548: in JWM SC CC WS 6/20. An agriculture workforce labor standards PSU and OSU study, HR PH was 5/29. New -9 amendment changing the bill to a study with $667K fiscal.  League Testimony.

7. Natural and Working Lands: 

• HB 5039A financial administration of the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board; passed out of House 6/13 and Senate 6/19 , League testimony






. Budget report and measure summary lists all budget details. See -2 amendment for 6/6 changes.

These NWL bills appear not to be moving out of committee. 

• HB 3489 Timber Severance Tax. House Committee on Revenue. League Testimony for original bill and for -1 Amendment. 








• HB 3103A – work session was 3/31. Moved to JWM, Overweight Timber Harvest, League Testimony, new adopted  -5 amendment.







8.  Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Emergency Management Package Update, it is unlikely these bills will be moving this session.

• HB 2152: Testimony; work session held 4/8, passed, moved to Joint Ways and Means (JWM) -2 amendments, Staff Measure Summary (SMS). $1M+ fiscal








• HB 2949: Testimony; work session held 4/8 , passed to JWM w -5 amendment new SMS. Fiscal is not available, will be completed if the bill gets a hearing in JWM NR SC. 








• HB 3450A  Testimony, work session held, 4/8  passed adopted amendment -1.  fiscal >1M$. referred to JWM 4/11.

2 bills are still viable. The fate of these bills is, first of all, dependent on what happens with the transportation package. It seems that there are two or three options on that front: (a) The Dems fail to get a transportation package that brings in revenues from new sources. In this case, they’ll need to fund ODOT from the general fund and there will be NO monies available for the many policy bills that were referred to Joint Ways & Means. The CEI Hub bills along with many others will not be funded. (b) The Dems succeed in passing a transportation package that brings in new revenues to fund ODOT. In this case, a select number of policy bills will be quickly considered and funded. Some weeks ago, leadership asked Committee Chairs to provide a prioritized list of bills. Those at the top of the priority lists are the most likely to be funded. Two CEI Hub bills are in this category, see below. (c ) third scenario, the Republicans walk out of one of the chambers now that there are less than 10 days to the constitutional end of session, June 29.

Two CEI Hub bills are among the top priority bills:

• HB 2949 – Risk bond requirement. Rep. Tran ranked this as her committee’s top priority bill. She is in conversation with DEQ about ways to lower the cost of the bill (the bill passed through committee without a $ figure, but apparently DEQ has now provided Rep. Tran’s office with a $ figure). One cost-cutting change is to remove the requirement that DEQ report to the legislature. Not sure how this cuts costs, since any committee can call on an agency to report during a public hearing, but it apparently does. They are discussing other options for reducing the cost to the general fund. I was assured that none of these change the substance of the risk bond requirements. Notably, the WSPA/industry lobbyist has been in the building in recent weeks talking with legislative leadership in support of HB 2949. Apparently, they are most intent on preventing multiple jurisdictions setting multiple risk bond requirements.

• HB 2152 – geographical distribution of fuels for disaster response. This bill seems likely to be folded into a bill that Rep. Paul Evans ranked as his number one priority, thus elevating it to the top tier for consideration.  This brings one substantive change: ODOE would be required to do this planning, but funding for the larger Evans bill kicks in in two years. Not ideal, but better than no bill; and having the policy mandate in place makes funding more likely. 

The changes described above and some still in the works won’t be filed as amendments until it’s clear whether and how leadership ultimately decides to assign bills to Ways & Means Capital Construction Subcommittee. So, they don’t appear in OLIS. Given the many uncertainties, I asked what we can do at this point to support these bills. 

In the meantime, staying tuned in to the fate of the transportation package is our best way of knowing whether these CEI Hub bills will be considered for funding this session. For latest developments, see today’s article in the Oregon Capital Chronicle, here.

Bills that are unlikely to pass:

• HB 3492: Hazmat release study bill – as far as I know it wasn’t put forward as a top priority bill by any committee or committee chair.

• HB 3450: CEI Hub Transition Planning – the version that passed out of committee was so weak that we asked Rep. Tran to not push for enactment.

• Definitely dead:

• HB 2151: expand the possible uses of the Seismic Risk Mitigation Fund – this bill did not pass out of committee

Oregon Treasury: Oregon Divest/ Environmental, Social, and Governance Updates

By Claudia Keith 

HB 2081A: Passed House and Senate, speaker and president have signed on its way to the governor. Directs the Oregon Investment Council and the State Treasurer to take certain actions to manage the risks of climate change to the Public Employees Retirement Fund. 

Oregon Public Financing / BANK



HB 2966A: Establishes the State Public Financing / public bank Task Force, Likely to die in committee. Work Session was 3/6/2025 passed to Joint Ways and Means (JWM), fiscal: .94M  League Testimony

Other Climate Legislation

Environmental Rights Constitutional Amendment 

Likely dead, at this point in the session, it is doubtful SJR 28 has enough support to move out of Sen Rules. SJR 28  proposed -1 amendment, Environmental Rights Constitutional amendment (ERA) Senate Joint Resolution -  with referral to the 2026 ballot, public hearing was 3/26. The League provided support with comments testimony. 

The OCERA coalition appears to be planning a ballot initiative campaign. ‘Supporters of Oregon Green Amendment rally at the Oregon State Capitol ‘ | Salem Statesman Journal.

Other Climate Bills - Active

• SB 827A: Solar and Storage Rebate, Governor signed 5/28 

• HB 3546 Enrolled,  POWER Act, House Speaker and Senate president signed 6/9. new GIS The bill requires the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to create a new rate class for the largest energy users in the state. (data centers and other high-volume users). These regulations would only apply to customers in the for-profit utility's service areas of PGE, Pacific Power, and Idaho Power. NO Fiscal, The League is listed on a coalition sign on advocacy letter.   


• HB 3963 Offshore Wind: in Senate, 2nd reading 6/20. Extends the deadline from Sept 1, 2025, to Jan 1, 2027, for the DLCD to draft and submit a report to the Legislative Assembly on the department's activities to develop an Offshore Wind Roadmap and its assessment of enforceable state policies related to offshore wind energy development off the Oregon coast. 




• HB 3653 Enrolled Gov signed 5/27 Allows authorized state agencies to enter into energy performance contracts without requiring a competitive procurement if the authorized state agency follows rules that the Attorney General adopts, negotiates a performance guarantee, and enters into the contract with a qualified energy service company that the ODOE prequalifies and approves.





• HB 2065 A and HB 2066 A: Microgrid Package, In House – third reading 
6/23, HB 2065 preliminary budget 6/17 and Preliminary HB 2066 Budget 6/17

• HB 2566A: Stand-alone Energy resilience Projects, Work Session was 3/20, moved to JWM, Rep Gamba was the only nay. Fiscal $169K At the request of Governor Tina Kotek (H CEE), DOE presentation







The House concurred to Senate amendments and repassed HB 3336 A by a vote of 41-12. House repasses grid-enhancing technologies bill

Inactive Bills: likely will end session in committee: 

• Study of Nuclear Energy (HB 2038) in JWM: This measure proposes that the Oregon Department of Energy study nuclear energy and waste disposal.
 




• SB 688A: -5 , Public Utility Commission performance-based regulation of electric utilities, PH 3/12,& 3/19, work session 3/24, updated $974K fiscal, moved to JWM, Sub Cmt Natural Resources. League testimony, Sen. Golden, Sen. Pham




• HB 3189 in JWM. Oregon lawmakers introduce legislation to rein in utility bills | KPTV, Citizens Utility Board CUB presentation here.
 






• SB 1143A : -3, moved to JWM, with bipartisan vote, PH was 3/19, work session was 4/7 SEE, PUC established a pilot program that allows each natural gas Co to develop a utility-scale thermal energy network (TEN) pilot project to provide heating and cooling services to customers. Senators Lieber, Sollman, Representative Levy B, Senator Smith DB, Representative Andersen, Marsh. Example: Introduction to the MIT Thermal Energy Networks (MITTEN) Plan for Rapid and Cost-Effective Campus Decarbonization. 



• HB 3609 work session 4/8, moved to JWM. The measure requires electric companies to develop and file with the Oregon Public Utility Commission a distributed power plant program for the procurement of grid services from customers of the electric company who enroll in the program. 



Climate Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust

Here is one example of how to track ODEQ Climate Protection Program cases. Basically, there are a number of active federal lawsuits, Climate Litigation June 13  Updates 

Another source: Columbia University Law - Sabin Climate DB lists 85 lawsuits , (active and dismissed) mentioning Oregon.

2025 Congressional Resolution* — Our Children's Trust

LWVOR has requested LWV to provide congressional advocacy and approval to LWVOR to lobby Oregon’s Congressional team concerning Congressional *Children's Fundamental Rights to Life and Stable Climate System resolution, supporting the principles underpinning Lighthiser v. Trump, the new case brought by 22 young Americans challenging the Trump administration’s pro-fossil fuel and anti-climate science Executive Orders. The resolution is sponsored by Representatives Schakowsky, Jayapal, and Raskin. They are also working with Senator Merkley’s office.

Press releases from Our Children’s Trust 

June 14, 2025: Youth Plaintiffs Seek Emergency Court Order to Halt Trump’s Fossil Fuel Executive Orders 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:  What is your passion related to Climate Emergency ?  You can help. Volunteers are needed.  The short legislative session begins in January of 2026. Many State Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round and need monitoring.  If any area of climate or natural resources is of interest to you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, or Claudia Keith Climate Emergency at peggylynchor@gmail.com Or climatepolicy@lwvor.org.  Training will be offered.

Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Governance, Revenue, Natural Resources, and Social Policy report section