The Oregon Senate recorded final passage of several bills on March 19 after brief presentations on the floor.

Senate Bill 847 (presented by Senator Taylor) would change the retirement health insurance account subsidy under the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), raising the subsidy cap tied to actual monthly costs and extending eligibility to more members. Taylor said the existing cap of $60 per month has not changed since 1988 and leaves many retirees with insufficient support. The clerk declared SB 847 passed; the clerk announced the measure had received a constitutional majority (the clerk recorded the tally as 17 ayes and noted several excused members).

Senate Bill 959 (presented by Senator Posansky) classifies signal jammers that interfere with alarm systems as burglary tools (a class A misdemeanor for possession) and exempts alarm manufacturers from a requirement to supply replacement parts to owners or third-party service providers. The clerk recorded SB 959 as passed with 27 ayes.

Senate Bill 993 (presented by Senator Manning) creates an exception allowing law enforcement to provide booking photos to licensed investigators; the sponsor described the change as a narrow fix. The clerk recorded SB 993 as passed with 26 ayes.

House Bill 2154 (presented to the Senate by Senator Pham on third reading) seeks to make the county safety corridor pilot program permanent, allowing counties to designate up to two safety corridors at a time; the sponsor said pilots in Marion and Lane counties had reduced crashes. The clerk recorded HB 2154 as passed with 27 ayes.

Procedural note: earlier in the day the Senate voted to suspend the constitutional requirement that bills be read section by section on final passage, citing Article IV, Section 19 of the Oregon Constitution; that suspension motion carried by roll call.