Ways and Means subcommittee advances veterans, small-business tariff and transportation bills to full committee

The joint Ways and Means subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development met on Feb. 26, 2026, and approved amended recommendations for a package of bills to send to the full Ways and Means Committee.

The panel began with House Bill 4132, the "2026 Oregon Veterans Services Supplemental Investments Initiative." Katie Banikoff of the Legislative Fiscal Office summarized the measure as establishing new grant programs, statutory positions for the Department of Veterans Affairs and reporting requirements, and said the dash A3 amendment would remove specified funding levels while making the veteran suicide-prevention grant ongoing. "The legislative fiscal office recommends adoption of the dash A3 amendment," Banikoff said. Co-chair Gomberg moved both the dash A3 and the dash A4 amendments; the committee adopted the A3 amendment and later approved the A4 fiscal amendment (LFO described the A4 appropriation as $353,115 in lottery funds, including $200,000 for grants and $153,115 for a permanent 0.5 FTE to administer the program). After brief comment from Representative Kate, the committee moved HB 4132 as amended to the full committee with a due-pass recommendation; the measure passed in committee on a roll-call vote reported as 8 to nothing.

The subcommittee then took up House Bill 4061, which would provide micro-enterprise…