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 "tariff adjustment" grants through the Oregon Business Development Department (OBDD) for Oregon businesses with sales under $500,000 that can show cost increases from tariffs. Miss Dyster described the bill and the LFO fiscal recommendation. The committee adopted a dash A4 amendment removing a procurement reform roadmap and a business-retention task force (LFO said removing those provisions reduced fiscal impact) and later adopted a dash A6 amendment that set a lottery funds expenditure limitation of $1,185,846 (including $950,000 for grants and $235,846 for personal services and two limited-duration positions). LFO recommended moving HB 4061 as amended to the full committee; the measure passed committee 8 to nothing.

House Bill 4062, directing the OBDD to evaluate agency programs and recommend consolidation or restructuring, carried a dash 1 amendment providing $350,000 in lottery funds for professional services to implement evaluation work. LFO recommended the amendment and the committee adopted it and moved the bill to the full committee with a due-pass recommendation.

On transportation policy, Ben Rue of the Legislative Fiscal Office summarized House Bill 4007, which covers powered micromobility devices (definitions, age and helmet requirements, and local regulatory authority), creates related class D traffic violations, and directs ODOT to run a five-year pilot allowing certain commercial motor vehicles hauling milk products to operate up to 129,000 pounds on approved routes with infrastructure monitoring and a report to the Legislature. Rue said the pilot's fiscal impact is modest (about $32,000 for the 2025–27 biennium). Representative Watanabe and Senator Gorsek pressed about potential bridge and infrastructure impacts; Gorsek said she would vote no because of bridge concerns. The committee nevertheless voted to move HB 4007 to full Ways and Means with a due-pass recommendation (reported 7 to 1).

Senate Bill 1544 (ODOT statutory changes) was discussed next. As amended, the bill was narrowed from broader governance changes to provisions on motor vehicle dismantler certification renewals and the definition of "qualified entity" for certain public-transit funding. Amanda Peads, division administrator for public transportation, told the panel the bill could open eligibility to additional intergovernmental agencies and warned the language could create confusion about fund flow. "The way the language is written, it is fairly broad ... you could wind up with multiple qualified entities in the same area," Peads said, noting possible implementation challenges. The committee adopted the dash A7 amendment (vote reported as 6 to 2) and then moved the amended bill to the full committee (final committee vote reported as 5 to 3).

Chair Golden used a closing floor comment to raise a procedural concern about two policy bills that were removed from the day's agenda at the last minute (House Bills 4086 and 4084). He said important policy bills routed to Ways and Means often do not get a full policy discussion in the other chamber and urged a review of process. On HB 4084 specifically, which he described as a large economic development bill with enterprise-zone and tax-incentive elements, Golden said he had prepared an amendment to disqualify data centers and crypto-mining operations from enterprise-zone designation and that removing the bill from this subcommittee curtailed an opportunity for open debate. "I think the process is having problems to the point where it really needs a general overall attention," he said.

Votes at a glance: HB 4132 (as amended) — adopted amendments and moved to full committee (vote reported 8–0); HB 4061 (as amended) — amendments adopted and moved to full committee (8–0); HB 4062 (as amended) — dash 1 adopted and moved to full committee (8–0); HB 4007 — moved to full committee (due pass) (7–1); SB 1544 (as amended) — dash A7 adopted (6–2) and bill moved to full committee (5–3).

The committee closed with members thanking staff for detailed work and adjourned.