SALEM, Ore. — A new year is just a few weeks away, which means Oregonians will see the beginning of a few new laws. Those include penalties for drug use on public transit, multiple laws meant to make health care cheaper and more equitable, and a right to repair your own electronic devices.
Laws passed with an emergency clause go into effect immediately. But laws that don't declare an emergency either become effective halfway through the year — like a few that went into effect July 1 — or they take effect on Jan. 1.
Here are some of the new Oregon laws to look for in 2025:
SB 1553: Drug use on public transit
In response to growing concerns about safety and conspicuous drug use on public transit — often without immediate repercussions — the legislature passed a law earlier this year that adds to the potential penalties.
Public drug use is not itself a crime in Oregon, but the recent recriminalization of simple drug possession means that drug use can once again be effectively punished under the law. Drug use is typically a violation of transportation codes of conduct, meaning it was prohibited during Measure 110's period of decriminalization even if it did not represent grounds for arrest.
Effective Jan. 1, the use of illegal drugs on public transit will fall under an existing criminal statute for "interfering with public transportation." The charge is a drug-designated Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail, a $6,250 fine, or both. It opens up eligibility for access to state-funded treatment for someone convicted of the crime.
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SB 1596: Right to repair
The concept of a "right to repair" has been growing in popularity for years. It pushes back on the attempts by companies that produce electronic products to gatekeep repairs to those products behind company-owned locations — Apple historically being a prime example.
Under the law, original equipment manufacturers must provide owners and independent repair shops access to the necessary repair tools, manuals and diagrams so that they can also fix those devices; theoretically keeping the cost of repairs down for consumers.
HB 4012: Insurers and specialty pharmacies
Some drugs, like chemotherapy, are typically only administered in hospitals or clinics by health care providers. In the past, physicians have been able to purchase those drugs from wherever they usually source medications and bill them to insurance, but some insurers have started to require that those medications be purchased from a specialty pharmacy more cost-effective for them.
The practice sparked alarm among health care providers, who warned that it would make it more difficult for them to adjust dosages and could result in delays for administering vital medical care. This new law bars insurers from adopting those specialty pharmacy requirements for physician-administered drugs.
HB 4113: Prescription drugs and out-of-pocket maximums
When someone with insurance purchases covered prescription drugs, this new law requires that the payments they (or someone paying on their behalf) make toward prescriptions also go toward fulfilling their plan's deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. While a relatively small change, it may help people with expensive prescriptions eventually cap what they're made to pay out in a year.
SB 1508: Insulin costs and quality of life metrics
First and foremost, this bill caps the out-of-pocket cost of insulin for someone with insurance at $35 for a 30-day supply.
But the bulk of the bill concerns state health officials, barring them from using "quality of life in general measure," to evaluate what will be covered by the state's Medicaid program, the Oregon Health Plan.
This term, "quality of life in general measure" — known more widely by the metric Quality-Adjusted Life-Years, or QALYs — is defined in the bill as a means of determining the cost-effectiveness of a treatment by comparing a life lived in perfect health to a life lived in less than perfect health, favoring the former. Essentially, a treatment that can cure someone of a disease is given greater priority than one that can help manage a chronic disease.
The advocacy group Disability Rights Oregon has argued that QALY scores are tallied in innately discriminatory ways, and devalues treatments for older people, those with chronic illnesses or disabilities, and people of color.
HB 4083: Divesting from coal
HB 4083 directs the Oregon Investment Council and the state treasurer to work toward eliminating state investments in coal companies and funds that contain coal companies. The divestments must be made "without monetary loss to investment funds." There's an exception if companies can demonstrate they're actively transitioning toward clean energy.
If previous examples are any example, it could take years for divestment to happen, if it happens at all. After Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, Oregon officials pledged to divest from Russian entities. As of a KGW investigation in March 2024, the state had yet to shed its Russian investments.
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HB 4127: Warehouse productivity quotas
Labor advocates have argued that companies' use of productivity quotas can drive up injury rates among warehouse workers — work which lawmakers say has a higher injury rate that that of coal miners, lumberjacks, trash collectors and police officers.
HB 4127 does not restrict the use of productivity quotas, but it does require that companies be transparent about their quotas and the consequences of failing to meet them. If an employer fails to comply with the new requirement, an employee has grounds for a complaint to the Bureau of Labor and Industries.
The bill includes an exception for workplaces where there's a collective bargaining agreement in place which includes its own method for evaluating performance and requesting records.
HB 4147: School bus safety cameras
Despite the fact that drivers going the opposite way are supposed to stop when a school bus driver extends the stop arm and turns on red flashing lights, bus drivers consistently report drivers illegally passing. This new bill gives schools the go-ahead to install cameras on school buses meant to capture drivers who fail to comply, allowing them to be referred to law enforcement for citation (not unlike a red-light camera).
The bill does specify that these cameras must be for the purpose of capturing drivers who defy the stop arm — it can't be used to monitor the bus driver or students on the bus.
SB 1502: School board transparency
This bill is pretty simple: school boards in Oregon need to make available recordings of their meetings for transparency with the public. There's an exception for districts with fewer than 50 students, and districts in areas with spotty internet access can post an audio recording instead of video.
One more important exception is that school board executive sessions, which usually happen behind closed doors, are exempt from this recording requirement.
HB 4145: Animal crushing videos
This law was inspired by the bizarre case of a Prineville man who tortured and mutilated monkeys, then sold the "animal crush videos" online. He was charged and convicted in federal court, because the federal government (oddly enough) has specific statutes related to the distribution of animal crush videos. However, there were no such laws on the books in Oregon.
HB 4145 creates multiple new crimes for this kind of behavior, all related to the recording or encouraging of animal abuse.
The first bill, SB 1532, directs the Oregon Department of Education to develop a statewide education plan for asylum seekers, refugees and any other immigrant, regardless of status. It's meant to help address disparities in academic success.
SB 1533 increases the number of languages in each county other than English in which voter pamphlets can be made available from five to 10. The specific languages aren't specified but derive from the 10 most commonly spoken in the state.
Old laws, new features
For a few laws passed several years ago, predetermined changes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025. The first is perhaps the biggest: agricultural workers will be eligible for overtime after 48 hours in the new year.
Previously, the overtime threshold was 55 hours — and even that proved controversial. A number of farm owners have claimed that they do not make enough money to pay overtime, so they've instead taken to hiring form farmworkers and limiting their hours instead of paying overtime.
Another change effective Jan. 1 impacts a subset of family leave. Previously, someone looking to adopt or foster a child would be eligible for two weeks of leave from work in order to finalize the process under the Oregon Family Leave Act — meaning they'd be able to take that leave, but it wouldn't necessarily be paid. That kind of leave will instead be covered under Paid Leave Oregon going forward, making it (as the name suggests) paid.
