Oregon Senate passes a package of bills on immigration, energy, taxes and healthcare

The Oregon Senate met in Salem on Feb. 24 and approved a wide range of measures on their third reading, advancing bills on immigration policy, public‑safety protections for officials, energy cost transparency, and several health‑ and commerce‑related measures.

The floor action moved quickly after the chamber suspended section‑by‑section reading for the day's third‑reading calendar. Major measures cleared the Senate by constitutional majorities.

Votes at a glance - SB 1594 (immigration, emergency declaration): PASSED (constitutional majority) — directs state coordination on sanctuary‑model policies and related updates. - SB 1530 (aggravated harassment for credible threats to public officials): PASSED (constitutional majority) — creates a class C felony for credible threats to public officials or their family members. - SB 1597 (energy generation; disclosure of waste costs): PASSED (constitutional majority) — requires disclosure to Oregonians of projected nuclear waste storage costs and how those costs would affect utility customers prior to developing a nuclear facility. - SB 1510 (tax technical fixes, SALT/PTE provisions): PASSED — routine finance and revenue adjustments, including extension of a SALT workaround for pass‑through entities. - SB 1515 (wrongful convictions; discredited forensic practices): PASSED — fixes the compensation process for wrongful convictions and creates a narrow post‑conviction path for convictions built on specified discredited forensic techniques. - SB 1517‑A (recreation liability waivers): PASSED — reforms waiver enforcement for recreational activities after extended floor debate (see separate coverage). - SB 1575 (hospice licensure safeguards): PASSED — establishes minimum qualifications and temporary licensing pauses to protect hospice patients. - SB 1587 (data brokers): PASSED — requires written attestation from data brokers before a public body discloses personally identifiable information that it will not be sold or transferred for federal immigration enforcement. - SB 1511 (estate tax): PASSED — raises the exemption threshold and phases in tax liability changes, described as middle‑class relief by supporters. - SB 1528 (prescription drug patient assistance reporting): PASSED — expands reporting on manufacturer patient assistance programs to improve transparency about program use and impacts. - SB 1570 (health care without fear): PASSED — protects health‑care settings from immigration enforcement activity and treats citizenship/immigration status as sensitive health information in certain circumstances.

What happens next Passed measures will be transmitted to the House or, where required, to the governor for signature. Several items that drew substantial floor debate — notably SB 1517 and SB 1530 — are likely to attract additional attention as implementing rules or downstream litigation and administrative steps unfold.

The Senate recessed and scheduled committee meetings for the afternoon; the chamber adjourned after completing the day's calendar.