Committee advances bill requiring backup access method when phone apps lock rental entries

SALEM, Ore. — The House Committee on Housing and Homelessness moved House Bill 3,378 to the floor March 5 with a due-pass recommendation after a brief work session.

House Bill 3,378 would require landlords who use a phone-operated access-control system to also provide an alternative tangible means of entry, such as a door code, fob, key card or physical key. Committee staff summarized the measure as directing landlords to “provide an alternative means of access, including an access code or fob key card or other tangible key, in addition to a cloud-based access control system operated by software.”

Vice Chair Bruce Iverson moved the bill to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. The committee then took a roll-call vote; all members present voted aye. Recorded ayes included Representative Dobson, Representative Edwards, Representative Craglla, Representative Gamba, Representative Helfrich, Representative Jabber, Representative Levy, Representative Mannix, Representative Sosa, Vice Chair Anderson, Vice Chair Bruce Iverson and Chair Pam Marsh. Chair Marsh announced the motion passed and assigned the bill to Representative Conberg.

The committee’s action was procedural: the committee advanced the measure to the next step in the legislative process with a recommendation to the full House. The staff summary noted the bill carries a minimal fiscal impact and no revenue impact.

Sources: Committee staff summary and roll-call recorded in the March 5 committee work session.