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Bill > HB3262

OR HB3262

Relating to wildfire recovery; providing for revenue raising that requires approval by a three-fifths majority.

summary

Introduced
01/21/2025
In Committee
01/24/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2025 Legislative Measures

Bill Summary

The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability standards. Digest: Creates a fund that three state agencies may use to help protect from, recover from and restore property damaged by wildfires. Specifies what the agencies may use the moneys in the fund to do. Tells the State Fire Marshal to send some of the money to a fund that makes grants to rural fire protection districts. Tells insurers to pay a fee to a state agency for each property insurance policy the insurer issues in this state. Lets insurers get the money they pay back from policy hold- ers. Tells the state agency to put the money from the fee into the fund that the other three state agencies use. Sets a filing fee for property taxes and sets aside part of the fee for the wildfire pro- tection fund. Sunsets the Act on July 1, 2033. (Flesch Readability Score: 67.0). Establishes the Oregon Wildfire Preparedness and Community Protection Fund and directs the State Fire Marshal, the State Forestry Department and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board to make expenditures from the fund for various activities related to restoration, protection and re- covery from wildfires. Requires the State Fire Marshal to reserve and transfer to a revolving fund a certain percentage of moneys from the Oregon Wildfire Preparedness and Community Protection Fund for grants to rural fire protection districts. Requires an insurer each year to remit to Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services a surcharge for each policy of insurance that is property insurance. Permits an insurer each year to recoup from insureds the amount the insurer remitted to the director. Requires the director to deposit the proceeds of the surcharge into the Oregon Wildfire Preparedness and Com- munity Protection Fund. Imposes a filing fee for property taxes and requires remission of the proceeds of the fee, less a specified percentage for administrative costs, to the Oregon Wildfire Preparedness and Community Protection Fund. Sunsets July 1, 2033.

AI Summary

This bill establishes the Oregon Wildfire Preparedness and Community Protection Fund to help communities prepare for, protect against, and recover from wildfires. The fund will be primarily financed through three key mechanisms: a 15% redirection of existing insurance taxes, a new $5 annual surcharge on property insurance policies, and a $10 annual filing fee for property tax accounts valued over $350,000. The fund will be divided among three state agencies - the State Fire Marshal (60%), the State Forestry Department (20%), and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (20%) - each with specific responsibilities for wildfire prevention, forest health, landscape restoration, and community protection. The State Fire Marshal will also create a separate revolving fund to support rural fire protection districts in high-risk areas. Insurers can recoup the surcharge through policy rates, and the bill includes provisions for reporting, accountability, and performance measurement. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2033, meaning these provisions will automatically expire at that time. The legislation requires annual joint reporting by the involved agencies to track the fund's use and effectiveness, ensuring transparency and ongoing evaluation of wildfire mitigation efforts.

Committee Categories

Agriculture and Natural Resources

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Referred to Climate, Energy, and Environment with subsequent referral to Ways and Means. (on 01/24/2025)

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