[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6263782,"mediaKeyId","3099847-90b5360b62e1eb0279ff363caccb8855","parentId",3099847,"title","Votes at a glance: Senate passes measures on medical-debt reporting, foster-family reporting, Walla Walla water pilot","audioSeconds",199,"startMs",3409000,"endMs",3608000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3099847-90b5360b62e1eb0279ff363caccb8855&start=3409&end=3608","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3099847-90b5360b62e1eb0279ff363caccb8855/thumbnail_3409000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6263782/Oregon/Votes-at-a-glance-Senate-passes-measures-on-medical-debt-reporting-foster-family-reporting-Walla-Walla-water-pilot","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6263782-2a5971c8d55d8e5e4733153b5925d8fb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771120788&Signature=OK-n4VNABo~ztPYJkqrh2EgRRf~ksC3VusMgWfF7DGBznPY3WWTN9~CwcAwx5MSKSJYcAYSMU7SjK27zow8GKfvD9FBwOcOU2bpb62vt81oewFRVHoGh4YWWre2gYhZaakfLX8Q-BYwT7~OSKLGzt~YiSjMv6C6WXtVDsGnPNIKUOWW~wph8TzWOUfKdpyCrnWfgt8tb3z8uTGxI0ohEEMH1IaptTn3CM5jnMtdepWmumRiT5KPaHQ39vwd0Nqpz5wL2pg6BKCRqr-cikM-61FNK2lMBlDvDQnq4b4gqo4raVVEUSDDvdC2kccvhNWPwSe67bafW3FboPFyRHWzcqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-04-23T00:00:00Z","article","The Oregon Senate advanced several measures on Wednesday. The chamber completed third reading and final passage on a set of bills that members described as addressing consumer-credit fairness, improving child-welfare data and enabling a limited water-leasing pilot in the Walla Walla Basin.

Senate Bill 6 05 A — medical-debt reporting: Sponsor Senator Shemia Campos said the bill does not forgive medical debt but would prevent medical debt from being reported to credit agencies, remove existing medical debt from credit reports and stop reporting for specialized health-care credit cards. Proponents argued medical debt is frequently involuntary, often the result of emergencies, and can unfairly penalize people seeking housing, employment and affordable credit. Senator Patterson and others said the change would improve access to loans and housing for people recovering from illness. The Senate declared SB 605 A passed on final reading; the clerk recorded the final tally as 18 ayes on the floor.

Senate Bill 7 41 A — foster-family compensation and reporting: Senator Kathleen Gelser Blueen described the state child-welfare system's retention and support challenges for foster (\"resource\") families and noted that a full compensation model to reach 90% of the USDA cost-to-raise-a-child estimate would be expensive. The amended bill requires the Department to report biennially on rates, the number of certified homes and related data so the Legislature can better measure required funding. The Senate declared SB 741 A passed on final reading; the recorded floor tally was 28 ayes.

Senate Bill 7 61 A — Walla Walla Basin: Sponsor Senator Noah Nash said the bill continues collaborative work among the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla, the State of Washington, irrigators and Oregon Water Resources by creating a pilot program to allow more flexible in-stream leasing for perennial crops such as orchards and vineyards. The Senate declared SB 761 A passed on final reading; the recorded floor tally was 28 ayes.

Other measures and housekeeping: The Senate also carried over a set of remaining measures to the April 24 calendar and noted messages and committee reports. Several first- and second-reading items were announced earlier in the session. For complete floor debate and the full roll-call lists, consult the Senate journal and the official roll-call record.

Votes at a glance

- SB 605 A (medical-debt reporting): declared passed; floor tally recorded as 18 ayes; outcome: approved.

- SB 741 A (foster-family reporting and rate study): declared passed; floor tally recorded as 28 ayes; outcome: approved.

- SB 761 A (Walla Walla Basin pilot for in-stream leasing): declared passed; floor tally recorded as 28 ayes; outcome: approved.

The Senate also passed other measures earlier in the session; a separate article covers SB 10 32 A (aerosol duster restrictions) and SB 9 26 A (utility wildfire-liability limits), which received extended floor debate.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Chamber Convenes 04/23/2025 11:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","On April 23 the Senate cleared several bills on final reading, including SB 605 removing medical debt from credit reports, SB 741 requiring foster-family cost and capacity reporting, and SB 761 authorizing a Walla Walla Basin pilot; vote tallies are listed below.","taxTitle","Senate, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17189,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6263787,"Senate bars utilities from passing wildfire liability costs to ratepayers, restricts shareholder payouts until judgments paid",1694,3586000,5280000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3099847-90b5360b62e1eb0279ff363caccb8855&start=3586&end=5280","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3099847-90b5360b62e1eb0279ff363caccb8855/thumbnail_3586000.jpg","/articles/6263787/Oregon/Senate-bars-utilities-from-passing-wildfire-liability-costs-to-ratepayers-restricts-shareholder-payouts-until-judgments-paid","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6263787-e760c38cfd199ebdec74c73162a84895/orig.mp4?Expires=1771120788&Signature=bvXn5Is9qNC-nbZNXUJfvA~TfCv0k4QY9UX31Yq1uf1OWV4MbQQluz22eIoq0WxYY~FmZbIXzAmUiM5LzDXNR5kANn64Lv2bzbJ7sYbujWymemq2b4CWHX8lxJ5W9KE0bxh7zpCN0tnXibgGP~LrjGvdX-Yaw9YcfmNa-ICSbG9POD0fGSvqlzBDZ~OWbobk~oo~Wq6eG83-UIJRezmy5Gx9Bs0Yg-LQn9D7IaUu9FsL1u6aKLAr8Fix1fE-0uYL7VcwRfr2tJuffnP7hM3I2~NRB35kp0FnfmW0ls~S1sOVMr3QU3N6PCUyplo03AKxUOYrRAvPdJfUgzz5hwV7QQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Oregon Senate on Wednesday passed Senate Bill 9 26 A, legislation aimed at preventing electric companies from shifting the cost of negligence-related wildfire damages onto ratepayers and at denying certain shareholder payouts until companies satisfy court judgments.

Senator Tim Brzezinski, closing debate on the bill, said the measure \"prohibits an electric company from paying or distributing dividends, income, interest or profits, or paying, distributing or repurchasing stock\" if the utility owes debts on judgments finding that a wildfire resulted from the company's negligence. Brzezinski told colleagues these restrictions are intended to ensure victims receive court-ordered awards rather than the utility using ratepayer dollars to fund litigation or shareholder returns.

Sponsor Senator Brock Smith described the bill as a response to a pattern of catastrophic wildfire losses and litigation. He said the bill removes the ability of an investor-owned utility to recover from customers costs tied to negligence-based wildfire judgments. In his remarks he cited media reporting and juries that had found negligence or recklessness in 2020 fires and told senators that some victims had waited years for any recovery.

Senator Jeff Golden and others emphasized the human impact of long delays in settlements, calling the legislation a targeted response to recent court findings. Senator Alexa Gerard recounted personal experience as a plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit related to 2020 wildfires in her region and urged colleagues to consider the balance between corporate profitability and the hardship faced by small communities.

Senator Noah Nash described the bill as a technical fix to allow in-stream leasing flexibility in a different measure he was sponsoring earlier in the day; his remarks were not central to SB 926 but part of the day's watershed-related discussion.

On the floor, supporters framed the bill as preventing investor-owned utilities from recovering negligence-related costs through customer rates and ensuring victims are made whole. Opponents and some utilities warned the measure could affect reliability and financing; several senators said they had received communications from utility interests opposing the bill.

The bill passed final passage on a recorded roll call; the clerk declared SB 9 26 A to have received a constitutional majority. Senate debate and the sponsor's closing remarks noted the bill also prohibits the utility from repurchasing equity or making other shareholder distributions while judgments remain unpaid.

The floor debate included testimony and personal accounts from senators representing fire-affected districts and references to court findings and media reporting. The bill now moves forward under legislative procedures.","The Senate passed SB 926A to prevent electric companies found negligent in causing wildfires from recovering those costs from customers and to block distributions such as dividends or stock repurchases until court judgments are satisfied.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6263793,"Senate approves bill to restrict sale, require labeling of aerosol dusters containing DFE",647,1596000,2243000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3099847-90b5360b62e1eb0279ff363caccb8855&start=1596&end=2243","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3099847-90b5360b62e1eb0279ff363caccb8855/thumbnail_1596000.jpg","/articles/6263793/Oregon/Senate-approves-bill-to-restrict-sale-require-labeling-of-aerosol-dusters-containing-DFE","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6263793-4258f03b11db71dd49a802c7570a58d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771120788&Signature=or64zT8J9sv0HDevxLVbGEsZeCM3HVxj9sIVSUBIKbOFmoV1EkneayvYh2MdmsLAeFeJcAgzf7bBG1wCScsD7SUt84WvMoRWllVEIw68jUycZtXDo~SOzQPS0HkZKTz76R5gQBs2Lm6QkaL-d2Fa3~uxRDxk03zRtFFhwGlUOUsEfoO-gpL5uLeWsTuMrzurDhL8szNCrr06r2euPfG2gvvL~vGnqg7iUj6z5b52yIPaMwbmnIOnrUB0GuysQyHMMH3oq5JtvTauW0fZEsA09nWZg94Q-05WnLnk7QT4wBUkWI3f9E06ZT5JhYxVWlZNl5rYXrxwHDCPIUr7EhXYsg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Oregon Senate on third reading passed Senate Bill 10 32 A on Wednesday, a measure that would require explicit warning labels on aerosol dusters that contain 1,1-difluoroethane, limit sales to adults and cap the number of cans a single buyer may purchase.

Proponents said the measure targets a growing pattern of intentional inhalation, often called \"huffing,\" that has led to emergency-room visits and deaths. Senator Elizabeth Weber, sponsor of the bill on the floor, cited written testimony and constituent accounts and said, \"Between Feb. 2006 and Feb. 2022, over 1,000 deaths and more than 28,000 emergency room visits came from the abuse of DFE.\" She urged colleagues to adopt labeling, age restrictions and purchase limits to reduce harm.

The bill would strengthen product labeling, require retailers to keep products out of public reach, limit purchases to adults and limit the number of cans that may be bought (the floor discussion referenced a three-can limit). Sponsors said the measure includes exemptions intended to reduce burdens on legitimate commercial users: business-to-business transactions would be exempt from the purchase cap, and online deliveries can continue if the seller verifies the purchaser's age.

Senator Laurie Reynolds described a constituent case that helped shape the bill and used a brand sample as a visual aid on the Senate floor. Reynolds said an assailant high on DFE struck and killed a local woman, Jolene Brashberry, in October 2020, and recounted a chain of retail availability that enabled the person to obtain the product despite some stores keeping it behind locked compartments.

Senator Brock Smith also spoke in support, saying two of the deaths in the nationwide count were his constituents and describing the physiological risks the chemical poses when inhaled.

Senator Christopher Robinson explained his no vote on the measure, saying he sympathized with victims but worried the restrictions could hinder legitimate, high-volume purchasers such as contractors and that the approach singles out one chemical without addressing substitutes.

The bill passed final passage and was declared adopted on a roll call. The clerk recorded the final tally on the floor as 22 ayes; several senators recorded no votes; one senator was excused. The measure had been amended in committee and on the floor to clarify exemptions for business transactions and online sales with ID verification.

The passage follows months of testimony and outreach discussed in committee and on the floor; sponsors emphasized education and retail safeguards alongside the regulatory limits as the bill's principal tools. The measure moves next as required by the Senate process.

Votes at a glance for this measure and others taken Wednesday are summarized in a separate roundup article.","The Oregon Senate passed SB 1032A to require labeling, age limits and purchase caps for aerosol dusters containing 1,1-difluoroethane after members and family members described deaths and injuries linked to inhalation abuse.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Senate passes measures on medical-debt reporting, foster-family reporting, Walla Walla water pilot

Senate bars utilities from passing wildfire liability costs to ratepayers, restricts shareholder payouts until judgments paid

Senate approves bill to restrict sale, require labeling of aerosol dusters containing DFE