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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 3918
Sponsored by Representative DIEHL
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 state agencies to tell the public how long it takes to process an application
for a permit. The Act tells state agencies to try to give back application fees if the agency takes
too long. The Act tells state agencies to make a list of the permits given by the agency. (Flesch
ReadabilityScore:71.0).
Directs a state agency to establish deadlines within which the agency intends to process appli-
cations for permits and make the deadlines available to the public. Directs an agency, to the
greatest extent possible, to refund application fees when the agency does not process an application
before the established deadline.
Directs a state agency to publish a catalog of permits issued by the agency within 60 days after
the effective date of the Act.
Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to permits; and prescribing an effective date.
Whereas transparency and accountability are core elements of good government; and
Whereas eliminating barriers to economic development, professional opportunities and public
health and safety is a priority; and
Whereas the number of permits, licenses and certifications required to operate businesses in
Oregon and nationwide has significantly increased in the last several decades; and
Whereas increasing efficiency, transparency and predictability in the processing and approval
of state-issued permits, licenses and certifications will remove unnecessary barriers for Oregonians
seeking to do business in this state; now, therefore,
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. Sections 2 and 3 of this 2025 Act are added to and made a part of ORS
chapter183.
SECTION 2.(1) As used in this section, “permit” has the meaning given that term in ORS
183.700.
(2) An agency shall establish efficient deadlines within which the agency intends to pro-
cess applications for each permit issued by the agency. The agency shall make the deadlines
available to the public.
(3) To the greatest extent possible, an agency that fails to process an application for a
permit before the deadline established under this section shall refund the application fee for
the permit and finish processing the application.
(4) This section does not confer any right to challenge a rule, order, outcome of a permit
application or other action or inaction of an agency.
SECTION 3.(1) As used in this section:
(a) “Complete application” means an application for which the applicant has properly 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 4746 HB3918
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timely submitted all information required by an agency to act upon the application.
(b) “Permit” has the meaning given that term in ORS 183.700.
(2) No later than 60 days following the effective date of this 2025 Act, an agency shall
publish a catalog of permits issued by the agency. For each permit issued by the agency, the
catalog must include:
(a) A description of the permit.
(b) The duration of the permit.
(c) The statutory authority, regulatory authority or other authority for issuing the per-
mit.
(d) The method by which the agency receives applications for the permit and, if readily
available, the date the method was last significantly updated.
(e) Any statutory, regulatory or other authority governing the time within which the
agency must process applications for the permit.
(f) The application fee for the permit, the statutory, regulatory or other authority for the
application fee and when the amount of the application fee was last changed.
(g) An analysis of the time in which, with existing resources, the agency could consist-
ently process complete applications for the permit.
(h) A description of the steps in the current approval process, as well as any post-
approval steps that must be completed before a person can use the permit.
(i) For the year 2024:
(A) The number of applications received for the permit.
(B) The average processing time for all applications for the permit, including applications
that were initially incomplete.
(C) The average processing time for complete applications for the permit.
(D) The average time between approval of the permit and any necessary post-approval
step.
(j) An analysis identifying opportunities to streamline the approval process for the per-
mit, eliminate any unnecessary steps or barriers, reduce the incidence of incomplete appli-
cations and eliminate any obsolete or unnecessary approval processes.
(k) The approximate number of applications for the permit currently pending at the
agency and a statement of whether a backlog exists.
SECTION 4. Section 3 of this 2025 Act is repealed on January 2, 2026.
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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