Oregon lawmakers passed more than 50 new laws during the legislative session earlier this year which are scheduled to go into effect on Friday. Many focus on codifying state and local powers to respond to President Donald Trump’s directives, as well as addressing cost-of-living issues.
Democratic leaders in both the Oregon House and Senate explained in a recent news release that the laws are intended to “shield Oregonians from the Trump administration’s brutality and to keep more money in working families’ wallets.” Among the new statutes is one that will disconnect Oregon from some federal tax cuts passed under the GOP’s 2025 federal tax and spending law, which survived a failed Republican-led referendum attempt.
“Oregon lawmakers are fighting back against Trump’s reckless and harmful actions. But that alone isn’t enough. Oregonians are struggling,” said Rep. Willy Chotzen, D-Portland, in a statement. “They need all the relief they can get. As we gear up for the legislative session next year, Oregonians should expect this work to continue. We’re not done.”
Many of the laws going into effect were passed under heightened pressure from progressive groups and left-leaning advocates in Salem, who urged Democrats to assert more state control against the federal government’s aggressive immigration policies, and to buffer state revenue losses from GOP tax cuts and historic cuts to social services.
Republicans lawmakers slammed many of the proposals from their Democratic colleagues as provoking unnecessary conflict with the federal government, and distracting from what they said is the state’s struggle to spur more economic development, improve public safety and boost educational outcomes.
More bills responding to Trump policies and directives, however, are likely to be forthcoming during the 2027 legislation as Oregon Democrats speak out against attempts to rollback civil rights protections, undermine election integrity, and rescind or withhold clean energy grants, disaster funding and other federal aid to the state. In the meantime, here’s a look at some of the key laws that will go into effect in Oregon on Friday.
Federal response
Data safety: Senate Bill 1587 will prevent state agencies from handing information on Oregonians to data brokers who fail to attest that they will not hand that data to federal immigration enforcement agencies. It’s a watered-down version of a proposal that initially took a broader stab at private data brokers’ handling of Oregonians information, and the bill’s leading sponsor, Sen. Wlnsvey Campos, D-Aloha, has vowed to introduce more legislation on the matter in a future session.
Hospital boundaries: Senate Bill 1570 requires Oregon hospitals to clearly define which areas of their facilities are open to the public and law enforcement, and which areas require official authorization from the hospital. The bill also makes it illegal for an employer to retaliate against healthcare employees who distribute informational materials for immigrant rights or legal services if those come from a state agency. The measure came in response to concerns about federal agents apprehending immigrants seeking care in Oregon hospitals.
Employer retaliation: House Bill 4111 will outlaw employers from retaliating against workers who update their work authorizations, will place limits on the use of immigration status in civil court cases and add immigration status as a protected category under the state’s anti-profiling laws. Its passage followed a warning to Oregon employers last year from the state’s Bureau of Labor and Industries that threats to call federal immigration authorities on employees after they raise concerns about working conditions are considered illegal retaliation.
Landlord regulation: House Bill 4123 prevents landlords from disclosing tenants’ immigration status and other personal information. If a landlord “knowingly violates” the new law, tenants whose confidential information has been disclosed could seek compensation equal to twice their monthly rent. Protected information under the law includes Social Security numbers and medical or disability records.
Labor protections: Senate Bill 1518 will require that domestic and homecare workers earn at least minimum wage, which came in response to the Trump administration’s effort last year to undo a federal rule that would ensure these employees receive such pay. Another law, House Bill 4013, ensures Oregon’s child welfare protections are not weakened by any changes to federal child labor laws at a time when the Trump administration has been criticized for lax enforcement of those protections.
Affordability
Renter payments: Senate Bill 1523 will ensure Oregonians who rent are not forced to make digital payments to their landlords. Instead of requiring tenants to pay via online portals, which can collect personal information and come with fees, the law requires landlords to accept payments via check or “other commercially reasonable methods.”
Fire safety for homes: Senate Bill 1551 prevents homeowners’ associations and property documents, such as deed restrictions, from impeding owners’ who wish to make fire safety improvements to their homes, such as adding fire-proof siding and roofing, or defensible landscaping.
Housing: Senate Bill 1576 expands the powers of Oregon’s Consumer and Business Services director to adopt rules meant to ensure fair access to housing that are more stringent than federal accessibility regulations. Another housing measure, House Bill 4082, allows Oregon cities to widen their urban growth boundaries for housing developments such as those serving older adults and for manufactured home parks.
Loaning rules: Senate Bill 1567 creates low-interest loans for mixed-income housing production in Oregon, and House Bill 4116 closes what lawmakers called “loopholes” in Oregon law that allowed some consumer lenders to charge interest rates of 100% or higher.
Ticket sales: House Bill 4024 bans people affiliated with ticket resellers, or resellers themselves, from offering tickets for an event that they do not possess. Under the law, the seller must have a written contract to obtain the ticket from an initial sale before reselling it. The law comes as many Oregonians and Americans have complained about inflated ticket prices, or vendors selling tickets they don’t have on misleading websites.
“Oregon Democrats are fighting to make sure that powerful interests — including the Trump administration — don’t abuse Oregonians or take away their rights,” said House Majority Leader Rep. Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, in a statement. “That includes cracking down on predatory lending and ticket scams, protecting workers and immigrants and giving homeowners flexibility.”
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