summary
Introduced
01/13/2025
01/13/2025
In Committee
05/14/2025
05/14/2025
Crossed Over
04/22/2025
04/22/2025
Passed
06/06/2025
06/06/2025
Dead
Signed/Enacted/Adopted
06/06/2025
06/06/2025
Introduced Session
2025 Legislative Measures
Bill Summary
AN ACT Relating to determinations of navigability on Oregon waterways; amending ORS 274.404, 274.406 and 274.408.
AI Summary
This bill modifies Oregon state law regarding how the State Land Board determines navigability of waterways, introducing several key changes. The bill allows the Department of State Lands to find that the state's interest in a waterway can extend to current submerged and submersible lands, even if this conflicts with traditional legal principles of land change through accretion (gradual land buildup) or avulsion (sudden land change). The department is now empowered to negotiate deed exchanges with affected property owners to achieve state ownership of waterways, and these negotiations can prioritize state ownership without requiring an equal property value exchange. The bill also allows the department to convey mineral and geothermal resource rights during such exchanges. If negotiations fail, the department will determine the state's waterway interest using traditional legal principles. Additionally, the bill requires that when the State Land Board makes a declaration about a waterway's status, the county clerk must record this declaration in the county's deed records, ensuring greater transparency and public accessibility of these determinations. The bill maintains that court jurisdictions can still make determinations about private property claims, preserving existing legal protections for property owners.
Committee Categories
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Sponsors (0)
No sponsors listed
Last Action
Effective date, January 1, 2026. (on 06/06/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
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