[{"_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",6308997,"mediaKeyId","2415331-6f5735c709054d103b5e3d81c11640f5","parentId",2415331,"title","Long public hearing on SB 426 pits worker advocates and trade groups over joint liability for unpaid construction wages","audioSeconds",939,"startMs",3781000,"endMs",4720000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2415331-6f5735c709054d103b5e3d81c11640f5&start=3781&end=4720","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2415331-6f5735c709054d103b5e3d81c11640f5/thumbnail_3781000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6308997/Oregon/Long-public-hearing-on-SB-426-pits-worker-advocates-and-trade-groups-over-joint-liability-for-unpaid-construction-wages","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308997-2034ed244a00431de790e2446108fb99/orig.mp4?Expires=1770744436&Signature=fpJsbc~~LvUkkPy4PU07sUeTCyhHNQgYMQnBhagsr63S~F8m5BhxZLCBmZZ8E59QpuyNk~xqmBa4eIBnA5EsfO7RBiIQPjHgYV8NXOgNOAezZ60Bv439NhraaUv2zDwcJP49hTD9XpScCCz163TzS-4J4vQ5z7dtbjgsUNHi4jHZT6gSvUNfJKKLBAWOzWRKLWZP~v4BhiLmiVQbr33oz7zdD1fpHYJDBYm5~NbGHRcHEV4SQOCEQjMTyKDUiP57L-Kb2BjZu6zyazMd0ELA32fMfQnToVMVNhieUqzUWiDxZxTUdgrmE~2A99LTCkJqvk4ugN9PDp7jUJQ79MWupg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-02-26T15:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 426, a measure to hold property owners and direct contractors jointly and severally liable for unpaid wages owed by construction subcontractors, drew extensive testimony on Feb. 26 before the Senate Committee on Judiciary.

The bill’s staff overview said SB 426 would: render owners and direct (general) contractors jointly and severally liable for designated construction workers’ unpaid wages; authorize unrepresented employees, their representatives or the attorney general to file civil actions to recover unpaid wages and resulting damages; set a notice requirement and a six‑year statute of limitations; invalidate agreements that waive or indemnify an owner or direct contractor; and require certain disclosures and protections for workers’ personal information.

Supporters included legislators and worker advocates. Representative Andrea Valderrama, Representative Lisa Bridal, and Senator Mark Meek urged passage, saying wage theft is widespread and disproportionately harms immigrant, Latino and low‑wage construction workers. Testimony from worker advocates and legal aid organizations — including Javier Santizo and Boris Grusley of the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, Martha Sonato of the Oregon Law Center, Kate Sussman of Northwest Workers’ Justice Project, and Haley Watson of the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council — described cases in which workers were not paid, the difficulty of using existing remedies, and the harms to families.

Several witnesses related specific figures or cases: Representative Bridal said workers filed claims with the Bureau of Labor and Industries alleging about $50 million in stolen wages between February 2022 and the reporting period, and that a printout of names from 2015–2022 spans more than 900 pages. Witnesses described cases where workers went unpaid for months and faced retaliation or human‑trafficking‑style coercion; one speaker characterized some labor‑broker abuses as human trafficking and urged stronger accountability for developers and owners.

Opponents — including builder and developer associations, multifamily housing representatives, bankers, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the Oregon Liability Reform Coalition — said the bill would create long‑term liability for parties far removed from wage payments and could raise insurance and construction costs, depress investment and harm small contractors and homeowners. Groups proposing alternatives urged fully funding the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), expanding or using the Wage Security Fund, and adding oversight, licensing, bonding and CCB (Construction Contractors Board) regulation for construction labor brokers.

Committee members and several witnesses discussed possible amendments: narrowing definitions, clarifying that primary‑residence homestead exemptions are not swept in, setting a shorter statute of limitations (Senator McLean suggested the federal Davis‑Bacon two‑year statute as a comparison), and exempting represented (union) workers where collective bargaining agreements provide binding remedies. Several participants agreed to form or join a small work group to draft clarifying amendments.

The committee did not vote on SB 426 during the hearing and the chair announced plans to convene a stakeholder work group to refine the bill language.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee On Judiciary 02/26/2025 3:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 426, which would make owners and general contractors jointly and severally liable for unpaid wages owed by construction subcontractors, prompted lengthy Feb. 26 testimony in the Senate Judiciary Committee from worker advocates, legislators and industry groups.","taxTitle","Judiciary, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17923,"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},6309002,"Senate Judiciary hears testimony on bill to ban deceptive ‘greenwashing’ claims; opponents say language is too broad",69,2820000,2889000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2415331-6f5735c709054d103b5e3d81c11640f5&start=2820&end=2889","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2415331-6f5735c709054d103b5e3d81c11640f5/thumbnail_2820000.jpg","/articles/6309002/Oregon/Senate-Judiciary-hears-testimony-on-bill-to-ban-deceptive-greenwashing-claims-opponents-say-language-is-too-broad","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6309002-061ce7f5c8f80323b7ccd7f066a01ff2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770744436&Signature=h1Lejewm0b5MvCIBBA7utIixyl8QGvDwZri0p1O~M9gomLScXH-huHtZM4u71lRy5RJuVeGOAWQiGRkZ1fMsg8rsCCzWaCe13H0sXXe2yJRtZ2zILbdozqKCnj8--vAMxl2R7q1fhVgxJVbcmsynlvg00Xa9-yXvyF4H70VxHBpcVcjFd0SdDUTS53FVnaQTR2BJwXjqKqz6TSOX4fVZcrn-YW4NtXBpIqbGQUzTtFBcO9CmQB-sJTlrIEq90t-QgaUaj4wQEs4pMraanorhCqsAAa7z3I36wqcDTrWUEGRDQzaTDsogIC8Rl3K9G~dkXdfHjJ8daYnJfNnLBAbcPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Judiciary on Feb. 26 held a public hearing on Senate Bill 680, legislation that would make materially false or misleading \"environmental marketing claims,\" \"net‑0 claims\" and \"reputational advertising\" an unlawful trade practice and impose civil liability for damages of up to $200.

Senator Jeff Golden of District 3 urged support for the bill in a brief presentation, saying deceptive environmental marketing — commonly called greenwashing — undermines public understanding of climate risk and delays credible action. \"Greenwashing promotes false solutions to the climate crisis that distract from and delay concrete and credible action,\" Golden said, quoting a United Nations statement he cited to frame the issue.

Supporters who testified included Corey Radey White of the Center for Climate Integrity, who argued the bill would help consumers make informed purchasing decisions and hold bad actors accountable. Radey White cited out‑of‑state enforcement examples, including consumer protection actions tied to recyclability claims.

Opponents said the bill’s definitions are vague and risk overreach. Fawn Berry of the Oregon Liability Reform Coalition said it was unclear who could enforce the law and whether the attorney general or private parties could bring suits; she noted the bill refers to remedies but omits the private‑rights provisions present in other statutes. Sharla Moffett of Oregon Business and Industry said the bill goes beyond existing prohibitions under Oregon’s Unlawful Trade Practices Act and would cover symbols, logos and brand names in ways that are difficult to adjudicate. Both said terms such as \"publish\" and \"positive public perception\" are undefined and could sweep in campaign speech, lobby communications or aspirational corporate statements.

Committee members asked clarifying questions. Senator McLean asked whether the bill would apply to candidates or lobbyists; Golden said the intent was to target commercial enterprises, not candidates, and advocates would be open to more precise language to address concerns. Golden told Vice Chair Thatcher that contested claims about accuracy would ultimately be decided in the judiciary.

The committee took testimony from in‑room and remote witnesses and did not take a vote on the measure during the hearing.","Senate Bill 680 would make materially false environmental marketing, net‑zero and reputational advertising an unlawful trade practice and allow damages up to $200. Supporters urged the committee to act against greenwashing; business groups and liability advocates said the bill’s definitions and enforcement are overly broad and unclear.",{"_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},6309007,"Senate Judiciary advances House Bill 2,464 correcting statutory text; sent to floor with due-pass",83,2723000,2806000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2415331-6f5735c709054d103b5e3d81c11640f5&start=2723&end=2806","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2415331-6f5735c709054d103b5e3d81c11640f5/thumbnail_2723000.jpg","/articles/6309007/Oregon/Senate-Judiciary-advances-House-Bill-2464-correcting-statutory-text-sent-to-floor-with-due-pass","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6309007-744e315271638a9e9c2d820d18eaffac/orig.mp4?Expires=1770744436&Signature=W~R2g2woEzuqD5mWv7gZ7QPtjyib4ToWH-uRnaUI~V-iXcdIeBWIjPPEb2xyf-F6QcwEn~FeJIYLsHhtDQaOaWl-Idy~MdSDWjg4QO9Nf2uHXPQ-r63~xsG-eFtOtLTCMV4I-AGjNvREQLWU9Q-F0zcIOaGJ9HEXqcM1btGS55JnJOWe0Wg757U-mepz0GwzJVpYdClfbIrr2o4LGXUW75BI8Zsezd~0zmqfRDH3nRCawUlj1jxbgdWeKMdg3NylxP8UDLSDeRjtK~VcNA8k2aWRBIaVoJ3QwlUEpTvLhKfO5vqEVEuqiVo5q6-UGaWEKD30CLOMtv5MWXbel2cYbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Judiciary on Feb. 26 voted to move House Bill 2,464 to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation.

House Bill 2,464 revises statutes to maintain accuracy, correct punctuation and grammatical errors, conform language to legislative form and style, remove obsolete references, standardize terminology, and correct citations to federal law, according to the bill overview provided during the committee's work session.

Senator Thatcher moved the motion to send the bill to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; a roll call showed committee members voting aye or recorded as excused. The chair announced the motion carried and the bill is on its way to the floor.

The committee held a brief work session on the measure and immediately followed with public hearings on other bills scheduled for the day.","The Senate Committee on Judiciary voted to move House Bill 2,464 to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation. The bill makes non‑substantive corrections to state statutes, including punctuation, wording, obsolete references and federal citation fixes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Long public hearing on SB 426 pits worker advocates and trade groups over joint liability for unpaid construction wages

Senate Judiciary hears testimony on bill to ban deceptive ‘greenwashing’ claims; opponents say language is too broad

Senate Judiciary advances House Bill 2,464 correcting statutory text; sent to floor with due-pass