[{"_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",6261980,"mediaKeyId","3117258-9c0778d1308f014fbc981d84e35600d8","parentId",3117258,"title","Committee weighs right-to-repair expansion for electric wheelchairs and complex rehab technology amid safety debate","audioSeconds",3626,"startMs",952000,"endMs",4578000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3117258-9c0778d1308f014fbc981d84e35600d8&start=952&end=4578","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3117258-9c0778d1308f014fbc981d84e35600d8/thumbnail_952000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6261980/Oregon/Committee-weighs-right-to-repair-expansion-for-electric-wheelchairs-and-complex-rehab-technology-amid-safety-debate","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261980-ccef156564906bde24561f3a03e88acd/orig.mp4?Expires=1775338744&Signature=M95-yup-dORFoXQufgQHr9ViqWN9GziFZ-VxHh0~7xhIpdGPwOTWUfvtTFxAtOSZ5glWlkUULLnlq6jbjSBA5YazxiLnUhAfRcOUM1zfv54tDm1f3v6RnQwlDcYxxqL5u0KoZAhz-jCaQO5qjFZpKpbG42BWzCmALXPbby3hXszXcPTonBHUW8NdXl0aVIHW0W6NfNKan2TJuKjNz0iSf9kAMsaFu9YIZrXUUkNuP-bhdqa6uzdlD1ZdUOtmCO3XIY8~MvGdwRcc~zW7Cv~28TYTIxrbfmzvxyIJdkC7vrTLbdZMhOYRCA4~ExKAJ8wuGLVLpbQZIir~qKvpGBCMPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-04-24T00:00:00Z","article","The House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection held a lengthy public hearing April 24 on Senate Bill 550, which would add electric wheelchairs and complex rehabilitation technology (CRT) to the equipment covered by Oregon’s Right to Repair law. Proponents said the bill would reduce long repair delays that impede health and independence; manufacturers and some providers urged a narrowly targeted exemption for clinically sensitive components.

State Senator Janine Solomon (introduced in testimony as the bill sponsor) told the committee that long wait times for repairs leave users unable to leave home or work and that SB 550 would make the same diagnostic tools, parts and documentation available on fair and reasonable terms to owners and independent repair providers. Representative Courtney Nieron also testified in support and said the measure would expand choices for repair while preserving privacy and safety protections in existing law.

Multiple people with lived experience described long outages for essential mobility equipment. Wren Grabham, a college student who uses a power wheelchair, said a motor sensor failure left their chair unreliable and that a six-month wait for a fix forced them to rely on an unsuitable backup chair. Matthew Sears of the Oregon Developmental Disabilities Coalition and Ben Gurewitz of Disability Rights Oregon urged the committee to pass SB 550 without the dash-2 amendment, arguing that users know when clinical consultation is necessary and that manufacturers could use broad consultation language to deny access.

Providers and manufacturers including National Seating and Mobility and the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology (NCART) supported the right-to-repair concept but urged adoption of a dash-2 amendment that would carve out a small percentage of CRT components that require clinical expertise — seating systems, programmable electronics and other parts tied to posture, pressure management and respiratory function. Tanya Hammett and Wayne Grau argued the exemption would protect health and safety for people who rely on highly customized medical devices; Wayne Grau said CRT devices are regulated as FDA class II medical devices and that some components require clinical adjustment.

Testimony also addressed insurance and reimbursement: advocates noted that parts purchased directly from a manufacturer may not be reimbursed by insurers and that prior authorization and provider availability cause delays. Senator Solomon and witnesses referenced accompanying legislation to require a 72-hour prior-authorization timeline (SB 549), and a Colorado example was cited: eliminating prior authorization there reportedly reduced repair times by 21 days in one follow-up action. Riley Hurt and other users gave examples of component costs — Hurt said a joystick cost $2,028 and batteries $710 — and warned that out-of-pocket payments could be unaffordable for many users.

Committee members asked for data from states that have implemented similar laws and probed safety and liability concerns raised by the dash-2 exemption. Representative Rob Noss introduced the dash-2 amendment to narrow access where clinical expertise is needed; some committee members signaled interest in modifications, while disability advocates and repair-rights proponents urged the committee to avoid language they said manufacturers could exploit to restrict repairs.

No final vote was taken at the hearing. Committee staff were asked to gather comparative data from other states (Colorado, California, Washington) and follow up on how prior authorization changes interacted with repair timelines. The hearing produced a robust record of consumer stories, technical concerns and competing proposals for tailored exemptions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Committee On Commerce and Consumer Protection 04/24/2025 1:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","The House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection held a public hearing April 24 on SB 550, which would extend Oregon’s right-to-repair law to electric wheelchairs and complex rehabilitation technology (CRT).","taxTitle","Consumer Protection, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",78404,"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},6261985,"Committee hears bill to require BOLI outreach on businesses' obligation to accept cash",918,38000,956000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3117258-9c0778d1308f014fbc981d84e35600d8&start=38&end=956","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3117258-9c0778d1308f014fbc981d84e35600d8/thumbnail_38000.jpg","/articles/6261985/Oregon/Committee-hears-bill-to-require-BOLI-outreach-on-businesses-obligation-to-accept-cash","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261985-40ecc66743d90da6ea27a9a981dc0c16/orig.mp4?Expires=1775338744&Signature=ntFfibb8KDCtdJHTAL4jTlpgUx3TTAS6RlHDOXJV25LbuZA7IUfUgonu1ff0rgJvmfrk-swb4I3nKHEUOm41a496lpbvVHizHT59uuPCeP3mZDsLLEdn6~QnXUu-pwib5WKUXKZHrOvFVmwV6yVlDBpMaEfN-na9IXrRm9pu6ovu8yIZVRMwZGzxn9Yb01fk5nVsWy5XyG5BZhJJ-fF~~gzUrXgg~fWHIVOjusEJJ6hzqcMIVjuTuyI4~CF7hn4rqSF8KrlKUTzn1MfZFOJ2rWEH4BwcRQOBea9XzAAEKHMl6ztG895QvtuaUjVfPVTCBxgROi8Q76t9X1wvulNtIg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection opened a public hearing April 24 on Senate Bill 1176, which would direct the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) to conduct an ongoing effort to publicize and explain the legal obligation of places of public accommodation to accept U.S. currency as payment for goods and services.

Proponents told the committee the bill is meant to prompt broader outreach, not to attach new penalties, and to ensure consumers who do not use bank accounts or cards can still pay in cash. Senator James Ivory Manning Jr., sponsor of the measure, described encountering venues that declined cash despite an existing law requiring acceptance and said SB 1176 would fund education and signage so businesses understand current requirements.

Supporters said low-cost outreach — website updates, social media and BOLI complaint intake — could resolve most issues. Chris Coughlin of Oregon Consumer Justice told the committee that despite an earlier law, many businesses still refuse cash and consumers do not always know the law exists. He recommended low-cost educational steps and noted a provision in the bill that would permit BOLI to accept complaints.

Members pressed the bill’s sponsor and staff about enforcement and funding. Senator Manning said the measure’s chief purpose is education; he acknowledged BOLI has proposed a 0.5 full-time equivalent position to sustain outreach and some enforcement functions but that personnel and enforcement specifics were not part of the bill as introduced. Representative Kate asked whether the original law included an enforcement mechanism; Manning replied outreach was the immediate goal and separate rulemaking or budget requests could follow to add staff or enforcement.

Several public commentators asked how the law applies to municipal utilities and other government-run services. Robert Greenway described a dispute with a city utility that restricted coin and cash payments, reported being charged fees and asked for state intervention. Committee members noted the bill, as written, applies to \"places of public accommodation;\" a member suggested Legislative Policy and Research (LPRO) check ORS 659A.400 to clarify whether certain municipally operated utilities qualify. The committee agreed to follow up with staff research.

No final action or vote was taken during the hearing; the committee closed the public hearing after receiving testimony and questions. The discussion left open questions about whether future budget language or rulemaking would fund a BOLI position and what enforcement, if any, would follow outreach.","The House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection opened a public hearing April 24 on Senate Bill 1176, which would direct the Bureau of Labor and Industries to publicize and explain the legal obligation of places of public accommodation to accept U.S. currency.",{"_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},6261975,"Committee hears proposal to revise CPA licensure pathway to ease workforce shortage",4482,4488000,5364,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3117258-9c0778d1308f014fbc981d84e35600d8&start=4488&end=5","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3117258-9c0778d1308f014fbc981d84e35600d8/thumbnail_4488000.jpg","/articles/6261975/Oregon/Committee-hears-proposal-to-revise-CPA-licensure-pathway-to-ease-workforce-shortage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261975-fb24bb78a4c793a41dc7659d03792b34/orig.mp4?Expires=1775338744&Signature=KV2JfReNVlWudrss0mOPXKRbppldcU8Ggqm-DY4ngWqa0T9vpFkuh81uoNuR1SK-yfHCirj8jxxFk3g0YN0AD4Ks37Uruypk6hwBYTJxS4WwcI6sJ0BGStMNkiJ04iZeo9ZCI9g1nJGJgTgQnytoubELEBZTjyuuWTd2JRSHXRPYpFIvYKQtDDor6rimu4gHItZqGlAPnnoLYg5s~GIj4pWz3Qgk8X7sK9i5yoac7rUoqggCE7fSpUD82ihFLuXsqth6G5qdkpWpzdQ0NgZdQO2j05fcATujAGk8vJIrRCwUKAfqeD4ZAf2TqYaKDwEbeON5jERGh6L1h6gk-gdvpQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection opened a public hearing April 24 on Senate Bill 797A, a measure that would alter Oregon’s accountancy licensure pathway and update board appointment rules to address workforce shortages.

Martin Petioni, executive director of the Oregon Board of Accountancy, told the committee the profession faces a national pipeline problem that the current 150-credit rule contributed to by raising the cost and delay of entering the profession. Petioni and board chair Haley Lyons described the bill’s chief elements: remove the additional fifth-year, restore an alternative pathway that emphasizes a year of supervised experience, and simplify board appointment language so active licensees can serve regardless of a small remaining license subclass called public accountants.

Witnesses from the Oregon Society of CPAs and long-practicing CPAs supported SB 797A. Jason Orme and John Hawkins said empirical research (a peer-reviewed study cited during testimony) shows the 150-credit requirement did not deliver measurable gains in competency while discouraging candidates and disproportionately reducing diversity in the pipeline. Petioni cited a study showing an approximately 14% drop in pipeline entry attributable to the higher-hour rule and a greater drop — about 26% — among ethnically diverse candidates.

Supporters argued the bill would broaden access to the profession, reduce the cost barrier of an extra year of college and increase candidate diversity, while retaining professional examination and supervised experience requirements to protect the public. The board also noted a small technical amendment posted as a dash-3 that would allow an administrative flexibility requested by the governor’s office and a partner agency for certain film payroll services.

No opponents testified in the hearing record; committee members asked procedural questions and sought clarification on outreach and implementation. The committee closed the hearing after receiving testimony; no committee vote was recorded during the session.","The House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection held a public hearing April 24 on SB 797A, which would alter license requirements for certified public accountants and update board appointment provisions to address a reported workforce shortage.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee weighs right-to-repair expansion for electric wheelchairs and complex rehab technology amid safety debate

Committee hears bill to require BOLI outreach on businesses' obligation to accept cash

Committee hears proposal to revise CPA licensure pathway to ease workforce shortage