COIN - 2026 Legislation

The COIN Legislative Team
The 2026 "Short Session" begins Monday February 2 and ends Friday March 6.

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The COIN Legislative Team is once again watching and participating in Oregon State Legislature hearings, watching for bills that reflect the values of our members, and making recommendations for endorsement or opposition. If you missed our 2026 Sneak Preview COINversation, view the recording here.

Before the session begins, we are watching a number of new bills (called "legislative concepts" or LCs until they are introduced) for 2026. Once they are officially introduced, we'll evaluate and decide whether or not to ENDORSE or OPPOSE or continue WATCHING, as amendments and further work on the bills continue. COIN volunteers won't be able to track all of the bills, but will focus on those that potentially have the most impact on the things our members value.

Some bills/LCs are nearly identical to bills we endorsed or opposed last year, so they may already be listed below as ENDORSED or OPPOSED by COIN.

Watch closely for any ACTION ALERTS for bills. We'll post these when there are bills that need some help from COIN members - calling your state senator or rep, submitting testimony, or spreading the word on social media. Submitting testimony is really important and it doesn't have to be difficult or scary. It can be as simple as a couple of sentences about why you support or oppose a bill. For some excellent tips on how to provide written or oral testimony on a bill, check out SOCAN's Testimony Tips.

If you know of a bill you think COIN should be tracking, or if you'd like to volunteer to help us, please email us at COINLegTeam@gmail.com. Here's a description of the process that COIN uses to endorse or oppose legislation. Visit the COIN Legislatative Team webpage for more information about the work we do.

To learn more about tracking legislation on the OLIS (Oregon Legislative Information System) website, check out this great video by Cheryl Conway, OLIS for Beginners, and also this great primer by Alan Journet, What's an OLIS?

More OLIS tutorials can be found here. And be sure to check out this nice primer from the Oregon Capital Chronicle: Understanding the Oregon Legislature: How laws get passed — and how to participate.

You can also see legislation COIN endorsed and opposed in

2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

2026 Bills We're Following - Check back regularly for updates!

Click to jump to the following categories of bills:

Behavioral Health, Health Care, Human Services, Veterans

Food For All Oregonians Anti-Hunger Package - COIN ENDORSES THIS LEGISLATION

COIN is an FFAO coalition member and has supported anti-hunger legislation in past years. The 2026 priorities of FFAO include: SB 1581 - Free lunch for all school children; preserve and strengthen SNAP; relief for immigrants; funding for Oregon's food assistance network. Some of these priorities will likely be budget requests rather than bills. You can support this package by contacting your own state legislators (look them up here) and urging them to support it.

COIN Worksheet for FFAO Anti-Hunger Package
FFAO Fact Sheet
Testimony Templates (ENG, ESP)
Testimony Guidance for Non-Citizens (ENG, ESP)

ACTION ALERT! School Meals for ALL (SB 1581), which is part of the Anti-Hunger Package, had a public hearing on Feb 5. CLICK HERE for links to watch the recording and to submit written testimony no later than Saturday, Feb 7 by 8:00 AM. Use the resources above for help with your testimony. There is a work session and possible committee vote scheduled for Tuesday Feb 10 at 8:00 AM, so make sure to get that testimony submitted.

HB 4088 Protects the right to obtain reproductive and gender-affirming health care COIN ENDORSES THIS BILL

This bill is offered to assure that people can provide and obtain lawful reproductive and gender-affirming health care in Oregon. Under the bill no one can be extradited or turned over to a federal agency or another state on charges, and no public agencies in this state can cooperate in any way with any investigation or inquiry, relating to reproductive or gender-affirming health care provided, obtained, attempted, aided, or encouraged.

HB 4088 would also protect midwives involved in providing lawful reproductive or gender-affirming care.

The bill would make confidential individually identifiable information and health records related to such care and also court records related to sex and name changes.

This bill had a public hearing o February 2. CLICK HERE to watch the recording. Many thanks to lots of folks who submitted testimony in support of this bill!

Business and Consumer Protection, Labor and Employment

Civil Law, Courts, Criminal Justice

HB 4138 Law Enforcement Accountability and Visibility Act (LEAVA) - COIN ENDORSES THIS BILL

This bill, supported by ACLU of Oregon and introduced by several Democratic legislators, will with few exceptions require all law enforcement officers operating in the state to wear clear identification and avoid face coverings or masks. The bill provides a complaint procedure for violations as well as a civil cause of action for injunctive relief and damages including punitive damages and attorney's fees. Officers would have no qualified or other immunity from the action. In fact, violations can be a crime if they involve misrepresenting the law enforcement agency the officer is from, refusing to identify the agency, or engaging in some activity to conceal the agency. The bill specifically includes federal officers.

The bill further prohibits Oregon law enforcement from assisting in any way any federal or out of state law enforcement in any investigation, apprehension, or arrest of persons on the bases of conduct protected under the 1st or 4th amendments or because the person is in a protected class under federal or state law such as race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or marital status. Civil and criminal penalties can apply.

ACTION ALERT! This bill had a public hearing on Feb 4. CLICK HERE to watch the recording and submit testimony in support no later than Friday Feb 6 at 3:00 PM.

HB 4150 No State Contracts with ICE COIN ENDORSES THIS BILL

This bill would prohibit the state from entering into any contract or awarding a grant to any person or entity that provides transportation services in connection with deportation of anyone from the United States.

ACTION ALERT! This bill had a public hearing on Feb 5. CLICK HERE to watch the recording and please submit public testimony no later than Saturday Feb 7 at 1:00 PM. Also a work session with a possible committee vote is scheduled for Thursday February 12 at 1:00 PM.

SJR 203 Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit Secret Police COIN ENDORSES THIS BILL

The bill, if passed, would refer to voters a proposal to amend Art. 1 of the state constitution to prohibit “secret police”, i.e., law enforcement officers may not be masked and must be in an official uniform which conspicuously displays both the name of the governmental agency employing the officer and the officer’s badge number. The only exceptions would be for undercover officers or those responding as part of a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. This bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

COIN's Worksheet for SJR 203

HB 4079 Safeguarding Students and Families Bill COIN ENDORSES THIS BILL

Public schools will be required to develop a process for identifying and confirming the presence of federal immigration officers on school grounds including whether they have a warrant or court order; and with a few exceptions, must make reasonable efforts to provide notice as expediently as possible to students and parents or guardians of the presence of federal immigration authorities and also at colleges or universities, to the community of the school where the federal immigration officers are on the property. The schools must give notice of the general location of the immigration officers on school property and whether any classes or school operations are affected.

COIN's Worksheet for HB 4079

ACTION ALERT! This bill had a public hearing on Feb 4. CLICK HERE to watch the recording and submit public testimony in support of this bill no later than Friday Feb 6 at 8:00 AM. Also, a work session and possible committee vote has been scheduled for Monday Feb 9 at 8:00 AM.

SB 1580 The Oregon Journalism Protection Act COIN ENDORSES THIS BILL

The Oregon Journalism Protection Act is crafted to provide fair compensation to Oregon news content providers from the Big Tech companies such as Mehta and Google who poach local articles for their platforms. Offering 2 payment options, this Act aims to rebalance the market and reinvest in our local journalism that is in decline. Similar acts are producing revenue for local news providers in Canada, Australia, New Jersey, and California. COIN endorsed a nearly identical version of this bill in 2025, but Sen. Sollman killed it on the Senate floor. Let's work to get it passed this year.

COIN Worksheet for SB 1580

Early Childhood, Education

Energy and Environment, Natural Resources

SB 1541 Oregon Climate Resilience Superfund (AKA "Make Polluters Pay") COIN ENDORSES THIS LEGISLATION

In 2024, Vermont and New York became the first states to pass a climate superfund bill that would raise billions of dollars from fossil fuel companies to help pay for climate damages and resiliency programs. In 2025, the fight expanded across the country, with nearly a dozen states, including Oregon, proposing their own legislation. By making polluters pay their fair share for climate damages, climate Superfund laws can help raise new revenue to pay for critical infrastructure needs and prepare for extreme weather events.

ACTION ALERT! This bill had a public hearing on Feb 5. Please CLICK HERE for links to watch the recording and submit testimony in support of this important legislation no later than Saturday Feb 7 at 1:00 PM.

HB 4134 1.25% For Wildlife - COIN ENDORSES THIS BILL

This legislation proposes to dedicate sustainable funding for the implementation of our SWAP by raising the statewide transient lodging tax from 1.5% to 2.75% (an increase of 1.25 percentage points). This investment in our wildlife and habitat represents a wise investment in not only our present and future natural resources but also serves as a reinvestment in the reason so many visitors travel to Oregon.

ACTION ALERT! This bill had a public hearing on Feb 4. Please CLICK HERE for links to watch the recording and submit testimony in support of this bill no later than Friday Feb 6 at 3:00 PM.

SB 1582 Virtual Power Plants COIN ENDORSES THIS BILL

A Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is a network of customer-owned energy resources (such as battery storage systems, smart thermostats, electric vehicles, electric water heaters, and rooftop solar) that are coordinated to support the electric grid much like a traditional power plant, but at far lower cost, and with many other positive benefits. When installed at or close to homes and businesses, these resources can help balance electricity demand and supply, stabilize the electric grid, and lower system costs for all ratepayers. When demand for electricity is highest, participating customers will be compensated for sharing stored energy with the grid and/or briefly reducing demand in ways that have little or no impact on them.

When these devices are aggregated and coordinated, they can provide many of the same energy services (capacity, energy, ancillary services) as traditional power plants. Customers who agree to participate will get paid for providing these services, usually in the form of a substantial bill credit.

ACTION ALERT! This bill is scheduled for a public hearing on Monday Feb 9 at 3:00 PM. CLICK HERE for links to watch the hearing and submit testimony in support of HB 1582 no later than Wednesday Feb 11 at 3:00 PM. Note that a possible work session is scheduled for Wed, Feb 11 at 3:00 PM, and that might include a committee vote, so get your testimony submitted early to help committee members decide to vote YES.

HB 4153 Allows "Farm Stores" in Exclusive Farm Use Zones COIN OPPOSES THIS BILL

Under current Oregon land use laws, "farm stands" are allowed on land designated as "Exclusive Farm Use"(EFU). This bill would replace existing regulations for farm stands on EFU zones with new regulations for "farm stores." Farm stores would be permitted to be much larger, sell a wider variety of products, and potentially be used for event venues and other activities that would violate the originial intent of the EFU designation. Opponents are concerned that this bill opens the door to sacrificing Oregon's world-class farmland to multi-use retail, hospitality, and entertainment development.

ACTION ALERT! This bill had a public hearing on Feb 4 and is scheduled for more public hearing on Monday Feb 9 at 1:00 PM. CLICK HERE for links to watch either hearing and to submit testimony in OPPOSITION to this bill no later than Wednesday Feb 11 at 1:00 PM.

HB 4126 Get the Data for a Better Road Usage Charge COIN ENDORSES THIS BILL

This bill requires the Oregon Department of Transportation to submit a biennial report to the Legislative Assembly that recommends a rate for the per-mile road usage charge that would sustainably raise the revenue necessary to maintain the public highways of this state. The report must include:

Estimated cost for maintenance and preservation of the state’s transportation system, including local systems
Estimate of total vehicle miles driven on state public highways using the most current data.
Metrics by which maintenance and preservation needs are evaluated and reported, including: (a) desired pavement condition index for each road type; (b) Striping and painting standards; (c) bridge replacement timelines; (d) associated administrative costs.

Funding for construction and maintenance of the state highway system can no longer be sustained by the gasoline tax. In fact, the transportation budget has been radically underfunded for over a decade. This bill will close some of the gap.

COIN Worksheet for HB 4126 for more details

ACTION ALERT! This bill has a public hearing scheduled for Wednesday Feb 11 at 8:00 AM. CLICK HERE for links to watch the hearing and submit testimony no later than Friday Feb 13 at 8:00 AM.

HB 4080 Plug-in Solar aka Balcony Solar COIN ENDORSES THIS BILL

This bill allows retail electricity consumers to install and use portable solar photovoltaic devices up to 1,200 watts to offset electricity use. The bill ensures that plug-in balcony solar systems are introduced only through established, conservative safety pathways governed by nationally recognized standards and Oregon regulatory oversight. The bill does not pre-approve products or installation methods, instead it relies on UL certification, NEC adoption, and DCBS rulemaking to determine when and how plug-in photovoltaic systems may be safely deployed. The law applies to existing and future tenancies and planned communities’ and condominiums’ governing documents.

ACTION ALERT! This bill had a public hearing on Feb 5. CLICK HERE for links to watch the recording and submit testimony in support of HB 4080 by Saturday Feb 7 at 8:00 AM.

SB 1588 – Upgrade and Save Inclusive Utility Investment Program COIN ENDORSES THIS BILL

This bill requires each electric company to create an "inclusive utility investment program" to help customers pay for energy efficiency upgrades or renewable energy projects, such as solar panels or electric heat pumps, with the goal of reducing their utility costs. These programs must ensure customers see immediate and ongoing savings, with the cost of the project being less than the estimated savings, and customers will not be required to make an upfront payment, though they can choose to pay down costs. The payments may be made with the monthly savings on customers’ utility bills.

Importantly, this bill will fund energy efficiency and strategic electrification without additional burden to the General Fund or ratepayers.

COIN Worksheet for SB 1588 with more details

ACTION ALERT! This bill has a public hearing scheduled for Monday Feb 9 at 3:00 PM. CLICK HERE for links to watch the hearing and submit testimony no later than Wednesday Feb 11 at 3:00 PM. The bill is also scheduled for a possible work session and committee vote on Wednesday Feb 11 at 3:00 PM, so get your testimony in early!

General Government and Elections

Campaign Finance Reform - COIN IS WATCHING THIS DEVELOPMENT

Although Campaign Finance Reform legislation (HB 4024) was passed (with much fanfare) during the 2024 short session, little real progress has been made on implementing the bill, and almost none of the recommendations from Honest Elections Oregon (HEO) regarding technical corrections and proper administrative rules have been incorporated. The Secretary of State's office is now under the gun since HB 4024 campaign contribution limits are supposed to take effect January 1, 2027, and its additional disclosure requirements to take effect January 1, 2028.

The SoS’s office has indicated that it needs an additional $25 million to implement HB4024. During meetings held on January 13, 2026, between the Legislature and representatives of the SoS’s office, several legislators suggested that, given the current budgetary constraints, perhaps the implementation of HB 4024 should be delayed. COIN strongly opposes any such delay. Despite numerous requests, the SOS has provided no information on what the $25 million is needed for. For more details, click on the COIN Letter below.

COIN Letter to Legislators opposing delay of HB 4024 implementation

ACTION ALERT! Contact your state senator and state rep (look them up here) and urge them to oppose any delay of HB 4024 implementation. Feel free to use any or all of the COIN letter above.

SB 1592 Unified Primary COIN IS WATCHING THIS BILL

Effectively this bill does away with separate primaries held by each political party (and in which only members of that party can vote) and moves to a single, unified primary in which any registered voter can participate, regardless of party affiliation. The two candidates receiving the most votes would then move on to the general election.

Unlike previous “top 2 primary” measures and unlike the systems in California and Washington, SB 1592 would still allow anyone to get on the general election ballot by collecting sufficient voter signatures, like Betsy Johnson did in 2022. Also, any political party can opt out of the unified primary and nominate candidates directly to the general election ballot.

Read more details in the COIN Worksheet for SB 1592

HJR 201 Amends the Oregon Constitution relating to primary elections COIN IS WATCHING THIS BILL

This bill is very similar to SB 1592 above, but it would refer a Constitutional amendment to the voters for the next regular general election (Nov 2026). The amendment, if then approved by the voters, would amend the Oregon constitution to require that primary election ballots contain the names of all candidates of any political party affiliation for specified offices. It further would provides that a registered elector in this state may not be denied the right to vote in any primary election in this state solely because that elector is registered as unaffiliated with any political party.

Read more details in the COIN Worksheet for HJR 201.

ACTION ALERT! This bill had a public hearing on Feb 5. COIN is not endorsing or opposing this bill, but we encourage voters to learn more about the pros and cons of a Unified (Open) Primary Election, as there will likely be many efforts to reform elections in the coming years. CLICK HERE to watch the recording and submit testimony no later than Saturday Feb 5 at 8:00 AM.

Revenue

HB 4125 Revenue Forecast and Modernization Act (aka "Kicker" Refinement) COIN ENDORSES THIS BILL

This bill will improve the the methods used by the Oregon Department of Revenue to estimate surplus revenue, estimations from which the "Kicker" refund to taxpayers is calculated. This bill does not elimitate the "Kicker" which voters asked for in 1980. Rather, it provides for a more accurate calculation. The resulting savings can be used for one-time needs such as reducing PERS liability, avoiding costly bonding for capital projects, and responding to emergencies.

This bill had a public hearing on February 2. CLICK HERE to view the recording. We saw many familiar names in the testimony for this bill. Thanks to all who took the time to submit your opinions.

Disconnecting Oregon's Tax Rate from the Federal Tax Rate - COIN IS WATCHING THIS DEVELOPMENT

During the January Legislative Days, state lawmakers discussed strategies to make up for some of the shortfalls in funding due to cuts by the federal government. One potentially important avenue being explored is to “disconnect” Oregon’s tax rate from the federal rate that gives multi-national corporations substantial loopholes. Doing so would make these wealthy corporations (think Google, Nike, Facebook, and Amazon) pay their fair share here in Oregon.

Letter from COIN Legislative Team to our legislators encouraging this "disconnect."
Letter from Tax Fairness Oregon encouraging the "disconnect."
Read more in the Oregon Capital Chronicle.

ACTION ALERT! Write to your own legislators (look them up here) encouraging them to pursue this opportunity to secure hundreds of millions of dollars in much-needed funding by closing these loopholes for wealthy multinational corporations created by H.R. 1 (Trump’s Big Ugly Bill).

HB 4148 and SB 1562 LOCAL Transient Lodging Tax Reallocation - NOT A TAX INCREASE! COIN ENDORSES THESE BILLS

The TLT raises funds from visitors overnight stays in a hotel, motel, etc.

Both bills are substantively the same as our endorsed HB 3962-A14 from the 2025 session. The local lodging tax is currently restricted in use to tourism promoting activities and programs. Little is allowed for public services strained by the influx of tourists. These services include fire, police, water, roads, and other infrastructure.

Currently, 70 % of most local TLT revenue funds tourism promotion and 30% goes to local infrastructure maintenance and repair. These new bills change the distribution. 40% would fund tourism promotion or tourism-related facilities or finance or refinance the debt of tourism-related facilities. 60% would fund city or county services, whether emergency or nonemergency services, provided directly by the city or county or by a special district in lieu of the city or county. They do not increase the current local tax.

Supported in 2025 by city officials, county commissioners, and other local government entities. Supporters felt there were enough tourists, and we no longer need to spend 70% of the money convincing more to visit.

Opposition feared that redirecting any TLT funds could harm local economies that rely on tourism. They pointed out that there is still a great need to promote more tourism in some regions and during the off-season to provide stability for the workforce.

ACTION ALERT! HB 4148 is scheduled for a public hearing on Monday Feb 9 at 3:00 PM. CLICK HERE for links to watch the hearing and submit testimony in support of HB 4148 no later than Wednesday Feb 11 at 3:00 PM.

HB 4016 Tax Compliance for Public Contracts COIN ENDORSES THIS BILL

HB 4016 is a simpler version of HB 2084 which COIN endorsed in 2025, requiring that people who get public contracts obey the tax laws of the state, cities and counties. The 2026 bill will require a certificate of tax compliance before state can award the contract, for projects over $250,000. It only makes sense that people and businesses that benefit from Oregon taxpayers pay their fair share. There have been some notable failures in this regard (The Oregonian 7-22-24 and Willamette Week 1-22-25).

This bill had a public hearing on opening day (Feb 2) of the 2026 session. CLICK HERE to watch the recorded hearing.

ACTION ALERT! HB 4106 is scheduled for a work session and possible committee vote on Monday Feb 9 at 3:00 PM. You can contact committee members, especially if one of them represents your district, and encourage them to vote YES to move this bill forward.

Housing, Development, and Homelessness

Transportation and Infrastructure, Emergency Preparedness

Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub - COIN ENDORSES THIS LEGISLATION

Two bills related to Portland's CEI Hub will be introduced this year, very similar to legislation COIN endorsed in 2025. For some background info on the CEI Hub, check out the following resources:

Perilous Fuel Tanks - Oregon's Ticking Time Bomb panel discussion Dec 2025
Stop the Spill 3-minute video

HB 4032 Diversification of Fuels bill - This legislation's intent is to reduce the amount of fuel stored at the CEI Hub on the Willamette River and distribute it to more diverse and more stable sites throughout Oregon. The bill will be introduced by the House Emergency Management and Veterans Committee. Rep. Thuy Tran chairs this committee, and is the main sponsor of the bill.

COIN Worksheet for HB 4032

HB 4100 Risk Bond/Financial Assurance bill - This bill will require the require a risk bond to make sure the facility has funds for clean up in the event of a disaster. The bill will be introduced by Rep. Isadore and will likely get a hearing in Rep. Tran’s Emergency Management Committee.