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Committee adopts amendment allowing tribal staffing at boat check stations; House Bill 2170 moves to floor
Summary
The House Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water Committee adopted the -3 amendment to House Bill 2170 to authorize state agencies to enter agreements with federally recognized tribes to staff watercraft inspection stations; the committee then voted to send the bill to the floor with a "do pass" recommendation.
The House Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water Committee adopted an amendment and advanced House Bill 2170 on March 19.
House Bill 2170 authorizes the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Oregon State Marine Board and the Oregon Department of Agriculture to enter into agreements with local governments or service districts to operate watercraft check stations, inspect recreational and commercial boats for aquatic invasive species and decontaminate or order decontamination of affected watercraft. The committee's -3 amendment adds authority for the departments to enter into agreements with federally recognized tribes whose borders lie within Oregon to staff boat check stations and updates statutory language in existing boat check-station law.
Representative Sarah Finger McDonald moved to adopt the -3 amendment; the amendment was adopted and the committee subsequently moved the bill, as amended, to the House floor with a do-pass recommendation. Committee remarks stated the bill has minimal fiscal and no revenue impact and no subreferral.
Practical effect: if enacted as written, the bill would allow the three named state agencies to formalize partnerships with tribal governments for staffing and operating watercraft check stations and to align statutory language with the amended measure.
No individual roll-call vote tally was recorded in the committee transcript; the committee chair announced "House Bill 2,170 passes." The committee closed the work session on HB 2170 and proceeded to the next agenda item.
Background and context: watercraft check stations are tools used to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species by inspecting and decontaminating boats. The bill's proponents and the committee described the change as limited in scope and carrying minimal fiscal impact.
Officials and witnesses on the record included committee co-chairs and Representative Sarah Finger McDonald, who moved both the amendment and the do-pass motion.
