2026 Session Wrap: Oregon

S.B. 1551: Invalidates deed restrictions and planned community governing documents prohibiting the replacement of nonfire-hardened building materials or installation of fire-hardened building materials on residential properties.

Chief Sponsors: Senator Gelser Blouin, Golden

Regular Sponsors: Senator Broadman, Pham, Prozanski, Representative Fragala, McDonald

Summary: Promotes fire-hardened building materials in residential properties, particularly in areas at risk of wildfires.

It renders void and unenforceable any recorded document or planned community governing document that prohibits the installation, use, or maintenance of such materials, or that prevents the removal of non-fire-hardened materials from residential properties.

Additionally, the bill prohibits planned community documents from imposing unreasonable restrictions or cost burdens on the use of fire-hardened materials, and it ensures that applications by homeowners to install or replace such materials are automatically approved if not acted upon within 90 days, unless a written, non-arbitrary denial or modification is provided.

The bill applies retroactively and prospectively to all relevant documents executed before, on, or after the effective date. This ensures that the new fire-hardening protections and requirements are broadly applicable, regardless of when a community’s governing documents were created or last amended.

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H.B. 4077: Authorizes a public utility, upon approval by the Public Utility Commission, to issue bonds and securitize debt for costs and expenses incurred or to be incurred by the public utility associated with a self-insurance or captive insurance program.

Chief Sponsors: Representative Lively

Regular Sponsors: Representative Levy B, Senator Sollman

Summary: House Bill 4077 expands the definition of ‘rate recovery expenditures’ for public utilities. The bill specifically adds self-insurance or captive insurance programs, if approved by the Public Utility Commission (PUC), as eligible expenditures that can be securitized through rate recovery bonds.

This change allows public utilities to recover costs associated with insurance programs from customers via rate recovery charges, alongside other previously eligible expenditures such as emergency events, energy conservation programs, significant capital investments, asset retirements, environmental remediation, and regional energy supply constraints.

The bill provides utilities with additional tools to manage risk and recover costs in a manner subject to regulatory oversight.

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This memo was prepared by CSG West staff using AI-assisted research tools, with findings reviewed and verified prior to publication. The Council of State Governments (CSG) is a nonpartisan organization that provides members with unbiased research based on peer-reviewed evidence, reliable data, facts, and objective analysis. CSG takes no position on any pending legislation, enacted laws; proposed or enacted regulations, executive orders or agreements, or other executive actions; past or present court rulings or orders; or any other governmental action or potential action mentioned in this brief or in any linked material. Additionally, CSG does not endorse the viewpoints of any outside author, source, or third-party publication mentioned; sources cited are for informational purposes only.