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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 2168
Introduced and printed pursuant to House Rule 12.00. Presession filed (at the request of House Interim Committee
on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water for Representatives Ken Helm, Mark Owens)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act tells an entity to create a program for helping households that rely on water
wells or septic systems. The Act gives money for other purposes related to water wells and septic
systems. (Flesch Readability Score: 65.0).
Instructs the Oregon State University Extension Service to establish a program for providing
assistance to households that rely on wells for drinking water or on septic systems for wastewater
treatment.
Appropriates moneys to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission out of the General Fund
for distribution to the extension service for implementing the program.
Appropriates moneys to the Water Resources Department out of the General Fund for deposit
into the Water Well Abandonment, Repair and Replacement Fund.
Appropriates moneys to the Department of Environmental Quality out of the General Fund for
the septic system low-interest loan programs.
Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to rural water supplies; and declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. (1) To protect public health, the environment and the quality and quantity
of ground water, and to increase the security of drinking water and wastewater, the Oregon
State University Extension Service shall establish a program to provide assistance to
households that rely on wells for drinking water or on septic systems for wastewater treat-
ment.
(2) Assistance under the program must include:
(a) Outreach.
(b) Research.
(c) Education.
(d) Advice on navigating available resources.
(e) Monitoring of wells and septic systems.
(3) Under the program, the extension service shall focus on providing assistance to
households in areas that are declared areas of ground water concern under ORS 468B.175.
SECTION 2. There is appropriated to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, for
the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, out of the General Fund, the amount of $2,500,000, for
distribution to the Oregon State University Extension Service for the purpose of carrying
out the provisions of section 1 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 3.There is appropriated to the Water Resources Department, for the biennium
beginning July 1, 2025, out of the General Fund, the amount of $5,000,000, for deposit into the
Water Well Abandonment, Repair and Replacement Fund established by ORS 537.766.
SECTION 4.There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Quality, for the
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 2811 HB2168
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biennium beginning July 1, 2025, out of the General Fund, the amount of $5,000,000, for pur-
poses related to the septic system low-interest loan programs described in ORS 454.777 and
454.779.
SECTION 5. This 2025 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2025 Act takes effect
on its passage.
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