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Committee advances repeal of Oregon Hatchery Research Center statutes, renames fund for monitoring and maintenance
Summary
House Bill 23‑45 would repeal statutes related to the Oregon Hatchery Research Center (closed after 2023 landslides), rename the fund to the Oregon Hatchery Monitoring and Maintenance Fund, extend the surcharge and fund sunset, and was moved to the full committee with a due‑pass recommendation.
The Ways and Means Natural Resources Subcommittee moved House Bill 23‑45 on May 28 to the full Ways and Means committee with a due‑pass recommendation. The bill would repeal statutes relating to the Oregon Hatchery Research Center and rename and revise the authorized uses of the associated fund.
Katie, a Legislative Fiscal Office staff member, told the subcommittee the Oregon Hatchery Research Center was “closed due to irreparable damage from landslides in 2023,” and that the bill would rename the Oregon Hatchery Research Center Fund to the Oregon Hatchery Monitoring and Maintenance Fund and modify the fund’s authorized expenditures.
Why it matters: the measure shifts statutory authority to allow grant distributions and maintenance expenditures that monitor hatchery impacts on native fish species and cover facility maintenance, and it extends the surcharge and the fund sunset so that revenue and reporting continue.
Key provisions
- Repeals statutes relating to the Oregon Hatchery Research Center and renames the fund to the Oregon Hatchery Monitoring and Maintenance Fund.
- The fund’s authorized uses are modified to include programs monitoring hatchery impacts on native fish species and hatchery facility maintenance; the bill requires any distributions be split evenly between the two program categories on a biennial basis, per the LFO summary.
- The existing surcharge is extended from Dec. 31, 2026, to Dec. 31, 2036, and the fund sunset date is extended from Jan. 2, 2027, to Jan. 2, 2037. Annual reporting requirements to the legislature are maintained.
Fiscal note and next steps
The LFO said the appropriation bill assumes passage of House Bill 23‑45 and includes an estimated $1,100,000 in other funds revenue for the 2025–27 biennium related to the bill. The subcommittee moved the bill to the full committee with a due‑pass recommendation and no recorded objection in the work session transcript.
Ending
House Bill 23‑45 will advance to the full Ways and Means committee for further consideration; the bill restructures the fund authority previously tied to the research center and extends revenue and reporting timelines.
