State fire marshal outlines four agency bills to expand wildfire response authority and funding tools

The Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire held a public hearing Feb. 4 on four agency bills introduced by the Oregon State Fire Marshal to update agency authorities, expand the state's mobilization funding tools and memorialize the ability to seek recovery from parties responsible for wildfires. Committee members did not vote on the measures during the hearing.

The bills would: (1) clean up statutory language after the agency's transition from the Oregon State Police to the Oregon State Fire Marshal and add rulemaking authorities for routine items such as fleet management (SB 860); (2) broaden the state's mobilization fund to accept additional revenue sources, including federal reimbursements and judgments against parties found negligent in starting fires, and require the agency to report fire season costs to the…