Senate Judiciary advances SB 166 and SB 168 to the floor after committee amendments

The Senate Judiciary Committee held work sessions and voted to advance two measures to the Senate floor on Jan. 30.

On SB 166, which updates terminology for persons permitted to practice law and adjusts the Oregon State Bar's internal quorum rules, the committee adopted a dash-1 amendment that modifies a proposed quorum rule to 3/5 (from two-thirds) and removes provisions allowing the board to set quorum by bylaw. Senator Thatcher moved the amendment; the roll call recorded multiple "aye" votes and a few members listed as excused. After adopting the amendment, the committee voted to send SB 166 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation.

The committee then considered SB 168, a package of estate-law changes affecting intestate succession, the simple estate affidavit threshold, the harmless-error statute and probate discovery. A dash-1 amendment posted for SB 168 clarified terminology (replacing "distributees" with "devisees") and clarified the measure's temporal applicability to decedents' estates. Senator Thatcher moved the amendment and the committee adopted it. The committee then moved SB 168 as amended to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation.

Both measures were described by staff as carrying minimal fiscal impact and no revenue impact. Committee practice recorded the motions and the roll-call acknowledgements during the work session; the committee chairs directed that members carry the bills on the floor as is customary.

Ending: Both bills were forwarded to the Senate floor with due-pass recommendations and will be scheduled for consideration by the full Senate per chamber rules.