House Judiciary advances a package of public‑safety, firearms and evidence bills after contested debate

The Oregon House Committee on Judiciary on Feb. 16, 2026, advanced a slate of criminal‑justice, public‑safety and evidence measures, including a contested public‑safety omnibus that incorporates changes tied to the Torres Lopez cases and an amendment to pause parts of Measure 114’s firearm permit rules until 2028.

The committee adopted amendments and moved a number of bills to the House floor or to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means after votes. Key actions included adopting a dash‑5 public‑safety omnibus and a dash‑8 amendment to House Bill 4,041 that DOC officials said would allow certain individuals affected by the Torres Lopez litigation to serve up to an additional 120 days of supervision in the community rather than return to custody.

Jeremiah Stromberg, assistant director for the Department of Corrections’ Community Corrections Division, told the committee that the dash‑8 “would allow an additional 120 days for those who were impacted in the Torres Lopez cases,” meaning some people now in the community could remain there and others in custody could shorten their facility time provided they meet eligibility criteria and maintain stable release plans. Stromberg said the program has historically allowed early community placement for eligible people and described victim‑notification and public‑safety screening procedures the department would use.

Committee members split over the public‑safety omnibus. Representative Mannix described the package as a necessary technical cleanup and recalculation of sentences tied to recent court decisions; other members raised concerns about retroactive effects and the legislature’s authority. “Sometimes a mess is a mess is a mess,” Representative Mannix said, arguing the bill aims to create a process to resolve long‑standing uncertainty in affected cases. Several members said they opposed parts of the omnibus that could re‑expose individuals to imprisonment for past conduct, citing separation‑of‑powers and ex post facto concerns.

On firearms policy, the committee considered House Bill 4,145 — a replacement vehicle for several Measure 114 implementation changes including a delay of the permit‑to‑purchase requirement until Jan. 1, 2028, revisions to the definition of required safety training and adjustments to magazine‑related defenses. Representative Chilton expressed support for permit‑to‑purchase as a “data‑driven method” to reduce gun violence and said she intended to vote for the amendment that moved the bill onward. Other members pressed the bill’s authors on fingerprinting, federal background checks and privacy protections; staff said the FBI fingerprint step is for background‑check accuracy and that LFO identified both near‑term minimal fiscal impacts and larger biennial costs in a later biennium.

The committee also adopted the dash‑7 replacement for House Bill 4,138, a measure establishing identifiability requirements for law‑enforcement officers operating in Oregon and restrictions on facial coverings with limited exceptions. Supporters framed that bill as a transparency and public‑trust measure; opponents warned about potential federal‑state conflicts under the supremacy clause but the amendment passed.

Other measures advanced included:

• HB 4,137 (traffic citations and vehicle transfers): committee adopted a dash‑2 amendment and moved the bill to the floor; staff said courts would dismiss citations when a transfer and specified affirmative statements are filed and the court determines exemption.

• HB 4,043 (Article XI‑Q bonds for courthouse projects and restoration notification): committee adopted an amendment that changes notification timing for noncompliance in community restoration cases and referred the measure to Ways and Means because of bond authority.

• HB 4,140 (scrap‑metal transactions): committee narrowed the bill to documentation and definition changes via a dash‑1 amendment and moved it to the floor.

• HB 4,157 (hearsay exception for trafficking victims): committee adopted an amendment to create a limited hearsay exception for victim statements made within 24 hours to certain responders if the statements show indicia of reliability and moved the bill to the floor.

• HB 4,096 (aggravated felon‑in‑possession): committee considered raising sentencing thresholds in the dash‑1 amendment; committee adopted the amendment but later procedural action failed on a separate motion and the work session concluded on that measure.

• HB 4,151 (initiating a false report): committee adopted amendments narrowing definitions of ‘enhanced response’ and moved the bill to the floor.

• HB 4,111 (immigration‑status evidence in civil cases): committee adopted a dash‑6 amendment restricting admissibility and establishing confidential filing procedures for related motions, then moved the bill to the floor.

Committee members repeatedly emphasized the technical complexity of many packages and the need for further drafting, particularly on retroactivity and victims’ rights. The committee used procedural suspensions in multiple cases to consider late amendments (for example, to take up the dash‑8 amendment to HB 4,041), and members on both sides noted discomfort with moving significant substantive changes late in the process.

What’s next: most advanced bills were sent to the House floor with due‑pass recommendations or, where relevant, to Ways and Means for consideration of bonding authority or fiscal implications. Several measures drew clear dissents in committee and are likely to face further debate on the floor.

The committee adjourned after completing its scheduled work sessions.