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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
A-Engrossed
House Bill 2291
Ordered by the House April 15
Including House Amendments dated April 15
Introduced and printed pursuant to House Rule 12.00. Presession filed (at the request of House Interim Committee
on Economic Development, Small Business, and Trade for Representative Daniel Nguyen)
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. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability standards.
Digest: The Act would set up a grant program for organizers of festivals and other public
events at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland. The Act would fund a study of options
for the operation and maintenance of the park that will improve the livability and economy
in the city and the state. The Act would require a report of the study to be turned in next
year. (Flesch Readability Score: 60.4).
[Digest: The Act would require a study of economic development in this state with a report to be
turned in next year.(Flesch Readability Score: 64.6).]
[Requires the Oregon Business Development Department to study economic development in Oregon.
Directs the department to submit a report of the study to the interim committees of the Legislative As-
sembly related to economic development no later than September 15, 2026.]
[Sunsets on January 2, 2027.]
Appropriates moneys to establish a revolving grant program for organizers of festivals
and other public events at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland. Funds a collaborative
study by the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies at Portland State University of
options for the long-term, cost-effective operation and maintenance of Tom McCall
Waterfront Park that will improve Portland’s and Oregon’s livability and economy. Requires
the institute to submit a report to, among others, the interim committees of the Legislative
Assembly related to economic development.
Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to economic development; and prescribing an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. There is appropriated to the Oregon Department of Administrative Services,
for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, out of the General Fund, the amount of $10,000,000
for distribution in accordance with sections 2 and 3 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 2. (1) The Oregon Department of Administrative Services shall distribute
$8,500,000 of the moneys appropriated to it under section 1 of this 2025 Act to the Portland
Business Alliance Charitable Institute to be used by the institute to establish a program to
award grants to the organizers of festivals or cultural or social events at Tom McCall
Waterfront Park in the City of Portland that are open to the public.
(2) Any grant agreement that the institute enters into with organizers under this section
must:
(a) Require the grantee to share the proceeds from events described in subsection (1) of
this section with the institute in an amount or by a method determined by the parties to the
grant agreement.
(b) Require the grantee to agree to offer opportunities to new and diversified vendors
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 3371 A-Eng. HB 2291
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overtime.
(3)(a) The share of proceeds received by the institute under subsection (2)(a) of this sec-
tion must be deposited in a separate, dedicated revolving grant fund or account from which
grant awards shall be paid.
(b) The institute may receive moneys from any other public or private source for deposit
in the revolving grant fund or account, provided the moneys will be used for the same pur-
poses as the moneys received under section 1 of this 2025 Act and the share of proceeds re-
ceived under paragraph (a) of this subsection.
(4) Moneys in the revolving grant fund or account may also be used for infrastructure
projects in Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
(5) The first cycle of grants awarded under this section must prioritize existing festivals
that are economic drivers in Portland, including the Waterfront Blues Festival, the Portland
Rose Festival, the Portland Winter Light Festival and the Human Access Project.
SECTION 3. (1) The Oregon Department of Administrative Services shall distribute
$1,500,000 of the moneys appropriated to it under section 1 of this 2025 Act to the Institute
of Portland Metropolitan Studies at Portland State University to be used by the institute to
collaborate with stakeholders on a study of options for the long-term, cost-effective opera-
tion, maintenance and activation of Tom McCall Waterfront Park, including but not limited
to cultural programming for events to be held at the park and other activities to meet the
long-term needs of downtown residents, workers and visitors, that will improve Portland’s
and Oregon’s livability and economy.
(2)(a) The study undertaken under subsection (1) of this section shall identify the need
for further technical, policy and financial studies and make recommendations based on those
needs.
(b) The subjects of further studies may include:
(A) Signature events;
(B) Space activation;
(C) The needs of downtown residents;
(D) Marketing;
(E) Programming and facility modernization;
(F) The infrastructure needs of the park, including the use of public-private partnerships;
(G) The long-term sustainability of the operation of the park; and
(H) A financial plan and actionable steps to address the identified needs.
(3) No later than September 1, 2026, the institute shall submit its final study and rec-
ommendations to:
(a) The interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to economic development
in the manner provided in ORS 192.245;
(b) The City of Portland; and
(c) The stakeholders that collaborated on the study.
SECTION 4. Section 3 of this 2025 Act is repealed on January 2, 2028.
SECTION 5.This 2025 Act takes effect on the 91st day after the date on which the 2025
regular session of the Eighty-third Legislative Assembly adjourns sine die.
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