Bill > SB434

This bill establishes the Ocean Beach Fund, a new dedicated fund in the State Treasury to support state recreation areas along the Oregon coast. The fund will receive one percent of state transient lodging tax collections from recreation areas on the ocean shore, along with potential donations, legislative appropriations, and investment earnings. The State Parks and Recreation Department will have continuous appropriation to use these funds for managing coastal recreation areas, which includes activities such as visitor safety, emergency responses, shoreline management, marine debris removal, promoting recreational use and tourism, addressing beachfront development, and responding to storm and erosion events. The bill allows the department to create internal accounts and subaccounts within the fund and use some money to cover administrative costs. The new funding mechanism will take effect on the 91st day following the adjournment of the 2025 legislative session, with the new tax allocation applying to lodging charges on or after January 1, 2026. The goal is to provide dedicated, sustainable funding for maintaining and improving Oregon's ocean shore state recreation areas.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Measures/Overview/SB434