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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 3305
Sponsored by Representative EVANS
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: This Act creates a state desalination agency and tells it to carry out a study. (Flesch
Readability Score: 61.8).
Establishes the Oregon Desalination Authority. Directs the authority to study the development
and maintenance of desalination facilities in this state.
Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to desalination; and prescribing an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
ESTABLISHING THE OREGON DESALINATION AUTHORITY
SECTION 1. (1) The Oregon Desalination Authority is established.
(2) The authority shall study and develop techniques for converting saline water into
fresh water that can be used for drinking water, irrigation or other human needs.
(3) The authority may establish desalination facilities in this state, subject to the avail-
ability of moneys appropriated to the authority for that purpose.
DIRECTOR
SECTION 2.(1) The Oregon Desalination Authority is under the supervision and control
of a director, who is responsible for the performance of the duties, functions and powers of
the authority.
(2) The Governor shall appoint the Director of the Oregon Desalination Authority, who
holds office at the pleasure of the Governor.
(3) The appointment of the director is subject to confirmation by the Senate in the
manner prescribed in ORS 171.562 and 171.565.
(4) The director shall be paid a salary as provided by law or, if not so provided, as pre-
scribed by the Governor.
(5) Subject to the approval of the Governor, the director may organize and reorganize the
administrative structure of the authority as the director considers appropriate to properly
conduct the work of the authority.
(6) The director may divide the functions of the authority into administrative divisions.
Subject to the approval of the Governor, the director may appoint an individual to administer
each division. The administrator of each division serves at the pleasure of the director and
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 2564 HB3305
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is not subject to the provisions of ORS chapter 240. Each individual appointed under this
subsection must be well qualified by technical training and experience in the functions to be
performed by the individual.
EMPLOYEES
SECTION 3. (1) The Director of the Oregon Desalination Authority shall, by written order
filed with the Secretary of State, appoint a deputy director. The deputy director serves at
the pleasure of the director, has authority to act for the director in the absence of the di-
rector and is subject to the control of the director at all times.
(2) Subject to any applicable provisions of ORS chapter 240, the director shall appoint all
subordinate officers and employees of the Oregon Desalination Authority, prescribe their
duties and fix their compensation.
GENERAL AUTHORITY TO ADOPT RULES
SECTION 4. In accordance with the provisions of ORS chapter 183, the Oregon
Desalination Authority may adopt rules for the administration of the laws that the Oregon
Desalination Authority is charged with administering.
ADVISORY AND TECHNICAL COMMITTEES
SECTION 5.(1) To aid and advise the Director of the Oregon Desalination Authority in
the performance of the functions of the Oregon Desalination Authority, the director may
establish any advisory or technical committee the director considers necessary. The com-
mittees may be continuing or temporary. The director shall determine the representation,
membership, terms and organization of the committees and shall appoint the members of the
committees.The director shall be an ex officio member of each committee.
(2) Members of the committees are not entitled to compensation but, in the discretion
of the director, may be reimbursed from funds available to the authority for actual and
necessary travel and other expenses incurred by the members in the performance of official
duties in the manner and amount provided in ORS 292.495.
STUDY
SECTION 6. (1) The Oregon Desalination Authority shall study the development and
maintenance of a statewide system of desalination facilities that includes:
(a) At least four major desalination facilities located along the Oregon coast; and
(b) Pipelines or other conveyances to distribute water from desalination facilities to areas
where additional water resources are urgently needed.
(2) The authority shall submit its findings in a report in the manner provided by ORS
192.245, and may include recommendations for legislation, to the committees or interim
committees of the Legislative Assembly related to water no later than June 30, 2027.
APPROPRIATION
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SECTION 7. In addition to and not in lieu of any other appropriation, there are appro-
priated to the Oregon Desalination Authority, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, out
of the General Fund, the following amounts for the following purposes:
(1) $ for the establishment of the Oregon Desalination Authority pursuant to
sections 1 to 5 of this 2025 Act.
(2) $ to carry out section 6 of this 2025 Act.
UNIT CAPTIONS
SECTION 8.The unit captions used in this 2025 Act are provided only for the convenience
of the reader and do not become part of the statutory law of this state or express any leg-
islative intent in the enactment of this 2025 Act.
EFFECTIVE DATE
SECTION 9.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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