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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 16
Sponsored by Senator THATCHER; Senator WEBER, Representatives DIEHL, LEVY B (Presession filed.)
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 says a state agency’s public records about being in favor of or against a bill
must be made public if the agency has also urged to pass or not pass the bill. (Flesch Readability
Score: 60.5).
Requires, if an executive department agency testifies in support of or opposition to a proposed
measure or amendment to the measure, the agency to disclose all public records in the agency’s
custody that relate to the agency’s decision to support or oppose the measure or amendment,
notwithstanding any other law providing an exemption from the required disclosure. Provides that
the law practitioner-client privilege may not serve as a basis for the agency’s refusal to disclose the
records.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to records of state agencies.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. Section 2 of this 2025 Act is added to and made a part of ORS 192.311 to
192.478.
SECTION 2.(1) As used in this section:
(a) “Agency” means a department, division, authority, board, commission, bureau or
other entity, without regard to the designation given that entity.
(b) “Executive department” has the meaning given that term in ORS 174.112.
(c) “Takes a position” means:
(A) An officer or employee of an agency, acting within the scope of the officer’s or
employee’s authority with the agency, testifies before a committee or subcommittee of the
Legislative Assembly and the substance of the testimony reflects the agency’s support of or
opposition to a proposed measure or amendment; or
(B) An agency files written testimony with a committee or subcommittee of the Legis-
lative Assembly, the substance of which reflects support of or opposition to a proposed
measure or amendment.
(2) If an agency of the executive department takes a position on a proposed measure
being considered by the Legislative Assembly or an amendment to a proposed measure being
considered by the Legislative Assembly, notwithstanding any other provision of law, any
public record in the custody of the agency that is related to the decision to support or oppose
the proposed measure or amendment must be disclosed to a person upon the request of that
person. The law practitioner-client privilege described in ORS 40.225 may not serve as a basis
for refusing to disclose the requested record.
(3) Subsection (2) of this section does not apply to a public record or information if the
disclosure of the public record or information is prohibited by federal law or regulation.
(4) ORS 192.329 and 192.335 apply to requests for public records described in this section.
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 859 SB16
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