The Oregon Senate Committee on Labor and Business on March 18 adopted a dash‑3 amendment to Senate Bill 921 that would allow the Oregon Infrastructure Finance Authority to enter a loan contract with the Port of Coos Bay for repairs to marine ways at the Charleston Shipyard and appropriates $1.5 million for the Oregon Port Revolving Fund.

The amendment replaces the bill text and directs 1.5 million dollars from the Administrative Services Economic Development Fund to the Oregon Business Development Department for deposit in the Oregon Port Revolving Fund for the purpose of making the loan. Committee members then voted to send the bill, as amended, to the Senate floor with a due‑pass recommendation and to request referral to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.

Why it matters: proponents framed the measure as a targeted economic development tool for a rural maritime facility. The dash‑3 amendment explicitly ties the loan to the legal provisions of the Oregon Port Revolving Fund Act and limits the appropriation to the specified biennium beginning July 1, 2025.

Committee discussion and votes: Committee chair Senator Taylor said she supported the amendment as a revolving‑loan approach and praised the model for rural economic development, saying, "I always think it's a good idea to consider a revolving loan, which is what I understand this to be." Committee staff summarized the amendment’s fiscal and referral consequences and confirmed there was no revenue impact but a fiscal impact.

Vice Chair Bonham moved the amendment (recorded in the transcript as the motion to adopt the dash‑3 amendment). A roll call recorded Senators Pham, Vice Chair Bonham and Chair Taylor voting aye; Senator Hayden and Senator Woods were recorded as excused at that moment. The committee announced the amendment was adopted. After a subsequent motion to move the bill, as amended, to the Senate floor with a due pass recommendation and referral to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, Senators Pham, Vice Chair Bonham and Chair Taylor again recorded aye votes and the motion passed.

Procedure note: Senator Woods arrived late and the committee temporarily suspended its rules to allow him to vote on the underlying amended bill. The transcript contains inconsistent entries about his final vote; the formal roll calls recorded earlier in the hearing are the basis for the committee's action to adopt the amendment and to refer the amended measure to Ways and Means.

Next steps: The committee sent the measure, as amended, to the Senate President’s desk requesting referral to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.

Sources: Committee staff summary of the dash‑3 amendment, Chair Taylor and Vice Chair Bonham remarks and the committee roll calls recorded on March 18, 2025.