Committee adopts amendment and sends SB 887 (organic policy specialist) to joint ways and means

The Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire voted March 11 to adopt a dash-1 amendment to Senate Bill 887 and then moved the bill to the floor with a due-pass recommendation, requesting referral to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.

Committee staff described SB 887 as directing the Oregon Department of Agriculture to hire an "organic policy special assistant" to track national trends and regulations affecting organic agriculture; support marketing and trade of organic products; address data gaps related to organic products; support statewide handling and processing infrastructure; and integrate organic practices into relevant department programs. The dash-1 amendment clarifies the special assistant's duties and a fiscal and revenue statement was made available to the committee.

Vice Chair Todd Nash moved to adopt the dash-1 amendment; the committee approved the amendment on a voice/roll call recorded as unanimous. Nash then moved SB 887 as amended to the floor with a due-pass recommendation and requested referral to joint ways and means. The committee recorded a unanimous vote to send the bill to joint ways and means.

The committee record shows unanimous roll-call support among members present; staff called the roll and recorded affirmative votes for members identified in the hearing transcript, and the measure was referred as requested. The bill will advance through the fiscal process in Ways and Means for consideration of the fiscal impacts and any appropriation.