The Senate on Thursday passed House Bill 33 65, a bill that directs the Board of Education and standards‑review processes to consider incorporating causes and effects of climate change, and strategies for mitigation, adaptation and community resilience, when revising certain academic content standards.

Senator Rachel Gelser Bluen, carrying the bill on the floor, said students and educators repeatedly asked for opportunity to study climate science and related concepts within regular academic standards reviews. "House bill 33 65 will make certain that whenever Oregon's academic standards are reviewed, consideration will be given to incorporating climate science and sustainability principles and concepts into student learning opportunities," she said.

Supporters described the change as procedural and non‑prescriptive: it adds issues for consideration when standards are reviewed rather than imposing a single statewide curriculum. Gelser Bluen pointed to language in the bill that preserves district control over course content, format, materials and teaching methods.

Opponents, including Senators Tim McLean and Scott Robinson, argued the bill would effectively insert a political agenda into wide swaths of instruction. "This is a clear political agenda that's going to be put in our public schools," McLean said during floor debate, warning that adding climate directives across subjects could be divisive and distract from reading and math fundamentals. Robinson argued the change would lead to indoctrination rather than neutral instruction.

Senators in favor emphasized that the bill calls for standards consideration, not a mandated curriculum, and that the statutory language explicitly allows districts and charter schools to retain control over materials and teaching methods. "Nothing in the subsection prevents a school district or public charter school from maintaining control over course content, format, materials, and teaching methods," Gelser Bluen said on the floor.

The Senate roll call showed the bill received a constitutional majority and was declared passed. Floor debate was lengthy and drew interventions from members across the aisle; sponsors and opponents urged districts and the state board to engage educators, parents and students in any standards work going forward.