Senate committee adopts amendment to ease LED retrofits for some large facilities
Loading...
Summary
The Senate Energy and Environment Committee voted to adopt a dash‑4 amendment to House Bill 40 60, extending an exemption that eases facility planning review for large long‑term care and other million‑square‑foot facilities replacing fluorescent fixtures; supporters say it prevents service disruptions while opponents wanted broader relief for smaller sites.
The Senate Energy and Environment Committee on Feb. 25 approved a dash‑4 amendment to House Bill 40 60 and sent the bill to the Senate floor with a due‑pass recommendation.
Representative Jeff Helfrich (House District 52), a sponsor at the hearing, said the bill “provides necessary targeted extension to ensure Oregon's transition away from fluorescent lamps is safe, effective, and sustainable” and urged adoption of the dash‑4 language. Staff told the committee the amendment extends certain exemptions until Jan. 2, 2030, aligns repeal language with related bills and reports a minimal fiscal impact.
Libby Battlin, policy lead for the Oregon Health Care Association, said long‑term care facilities are highly regulated and many are older; converting from fluorescent tube lighting to LEDs often requires rewiring and can trigger Oregon Health Authority facilities planning and safety (FPNS) review for projects exceeding $50,000. “We are really, really grateful to Representative Marsh and Representative Helfrich for working with us on this solution,” Battlin said, urging support for HB 40 60 and the dash‑4 amendment.
Chad Sorber, director of facility services at Oregon Health & Science University, told the committee the scale of replacements can be large: he estimated the Markham Hill campus alone would face more than $60,000,000 in fixture‑replacement costs. Brian Fady of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project summarized market research, noting that his 2022 data found “93% of fluorescent ballasts had drop‑in LEDs available,” but added that many conversions require more complex electrical work.
Proponents including Oregon Business & Industry, the Portland Metro Chamber and public universities told the committee that the dash‑4 amendment gives very large institutions additional time to plan phased conversions, avoid premature disposal of functioning equipment and prioritize higher‑value energy upgrades. Battlin told the committee the amendment “exempts fluorescent light retrofit projects from OHA's FPNS process” while preserving the law that disallows new sales of certain fluorescent lamps.
Some senators expressed concern the exemption applies only to facilities exceeding 1,000,000 square feet and urged the Legislature to consider the burdens on smaller but still large operators. After discussion, Senator Golden moved to adopt the dash‑4 amendment and then moved HB 40 60 as amended to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation; both motions carried on voice consent.
The bill now proceeds to the Senate floor. The committee record shows the dash‑4 amendment sunsets in 2030 and that OHA reviewed and approved the amendment language; the committee noted no significant revenue impact was reported for the amendment.
