House Climate, Energy and Environment committee advances wildfire funding, waste and energy bills

SALEM, Ore. — The House Climate, Energy and Environment Committee met Tuesday, April 8, and advanced a broad slate of measures on wildfire funding, solid-waste planning, energy siting and consumer programs.

The committee adopted the dash 1 amendment to House Bill 3940, which clarifies deposit accounts and other technical provisions related to wildfire costs, and moved the bill to the House Committee on Revenue without recommendation. Members stressed that revenue questions remain for the Revenue Committee and that separate Senate measures address lottery and kicker options. Representative Lively opened the session noting the committee would not resolve all related revenue policy, and members debated using the state’s beverage container (“bottle”) bill as a revenue source; several lawmakers registered formal objections to any changes to that program.

Why it matters: Lawmakers said they want wildfire response funded this session while preserving existing programs. The committee’s actions send policy language on funding and structure onward for the revenue committee to consider specific tax or fee sources.

The meeting also advanced a package of related and unrelated measures. Lawmakers voted to send bills or adopt amendments on municipal solid-waste planning for the Willamette Valley (House Bill 3794), a small modular reactor demonstration referral and ballot referral process for Umatilla County (House Bill 2410, dash 2), a battery producer responsibility program (House Bill 2062), revisions to the state’s electric-vehicle rebate program (House Bill 3597, dash 1, referred to transportation then ways and means), and several studies and regulatory tasks for the Oregon Department of Energy and Public Utility Commission (including HB 3868, HB 3081, HB 2038, HB 3539, HB 3653, HB 3609 and HB 2065). The committee also approved narrower, nonreferral bills including limits on crematory incinerator temperature (HB 3729) and a measure governing where beaver may be taken (HB 3932).

Key details and testimony: Representative Sarah Finger McDonald (state representative, Corvallis) urged support for House Bill 3794, which would create a 12-member task force to plan for municipal solid-waste disposal in the Greater Willamette Valley as Coffin Butte Landfill approaches capacity. "Coffin Butte Landfill in Benton County accepts over 1,100,000 tons of municipal solid waste annually and is used by approximately 20% of Oregonians," she told the committee, adding the site produced "40,000,000 gallons of leachate" in 2024 and that methane exceedances had been recorded by the EPA.

Kevin Cameron, Marion County Commissioner, and Bailey Payne, Benton County solid-waste program coordinator, described ongoing regional planning and recovery rates in Lane, Marion and Metro areas; they urged either a referral to rules or, as the committee ultimately decided, referral to ways and means to allow continued work on financing and siting.

On nuclear and siting matters, Representative Levy emphasized tribal consultation language in the dash 2 amendment to HB 2410 and said the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation drafted much of that language. "They are part of this," Levy said, asking colleagues to allow a local vote in Umatilla County on whether to refer a small modular reactor demonstration project to voters.

Industry and advocacy comments surfaced on vehicle incentives and recycling. Brett Morgan of Climate Solutions and Maddie Doe of Fourth supported HB 3597’s dash 1 approach to reallocate clean-vehicle rebate dollars toward income-qualified programs. Greg Remensberger of the Oregon Auto Dealers Association opposed granting DEQ unfettered authority to reduce the standard rebate and cautioned against measures that could undercut the original intent of the state rebate program to increase EV purchases.

Votes at a glance - HB 3940 (dash 1 amendment adopted; bill moved to Revenue without recommendation). Motion to adopt amendment and refer: carried. Notes: policy provisions advanced to Revenue for revenue-source decisions; beverage container surcharge ("bottle bill") language excluded from the dash 1 under current committee action and remains subject to separate proposals in Revenue and the Senate.

- HB 3944 (repeal/defensible space provisions; moved to House Rules): adopted and referred to Rules.

- HB 3868 (study on avoided-cost process for renewable projects): moved to Joint Committee on Ways and Means with a due-pass recommendation.

- HB 2981 (aquatic invasive species; dash 3 amendment adopted): moved to Joint Committee on Ways and Means with a due-pass recommendation.

- HB 3081 (ODOE clearinghouse for energy efficiency programs; dash 1 adopted): moved to Ways and Means with a due-pass recommendation.

- HB 2038 (nuclear energy study; dash 3 amendment adopted): moved to Ways and Means with a due-pass recommendation.

- HB 2410 (Umatilla County small modular reactor demonstration; dash 2 adopted): moved to Ways and Means with a due-pass recommendation. The dash 2 added tribal consultation language and a referral-to-voters provision.

- HB 3539 (greenhouse gas reporting study for purchased electricity): moved to Ways and Means with a due-pass recommendation.

- HB 3729 (limits on crematory incinerator temperature): adopted with due-pass recommendation (no subsequent referral).

- HB 3794 (Willamette Valley municipal solid waste task force): opened for public testimony; committee moved the bill to Ways and Means with a due-pass recommendation.

- HB 2062 (battery producer responsibility, dash 1 adopted): moved to Ways and Means with a due-pass recommendation.

- HB 3546 (PUC classification for large energy-use facilities): adopted with due-pass recommendation.

- HB 2961 (EV-ready parking for new multifamily buildings in Metro — dash 7): adopted with due-pass recommendation; applies to the Portland metro region under the amendment.

- HB 3597 (DEQ EV rebate changes, dash 1 adopted): moved to Joint Committee on Transportation and then to Ways and Means without recommendation for further work on program design and funding.

- HB 3018 (food-waste recovery and composting requirements, dash 2 adopted): moved to Ways and Means with a due-pass recommendation; sponsors emphasized source separation plus continued ability for permitted processors to accept contaminated streams when technology allows.

- HB 3609 (distributed power plant procurement program): moved to Ways and Means with a due-pass recommendation.

- HB 3681 (modifying Energy Facility Siting Council processes and transmission siting; dash 5 adopted): moved to the floor with due-pass recommendation.

- HB 3932 (beaver protections / ODFW mapping): moved to the floor as amended with a due-pass recommendation.

What the committee did not decide The committee repeatedly noted it was advancing policy language while leaving revenue and funding decisions to the Revenue Committee or Ways and Means. Several members expressed concern about changing the beverage container law as a funding source for wildfire response; others said wildfire funding could not be delayed another year.

Outlook Most bills advanced will next be considered by Ways and Means or the relevant committee named in each referral. Several measures (notably the wildfire funding policy and EV rebate changes) were explicitly sent without recommendation so that Revenue or Transportation could address funding mechanics.

Ending Chair Lively closed the session after the final roll calls and adjourned the committee. Members said they expected to revisit some items in additional hearings and work sessions as the session moves into committee-of-origin and budget deliberations.