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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 621
Sponsored by Senator BONHAM (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 that new fees or increased fees that an agency adopts have to be approved
by the Legislative Assembly.(Flesch Readability Score: 60.6).
Provides that new or increased fees adopted by state agencies do not become effective unless
approved by the Legislative Assembly by law.
Declares an emergency, effective July 1, 2025.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to approval of state agency fees by Legislative Assembly; creating new provisions; amend-
ing ORS 291.055; and declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. ORS 291.055 is amended to read:
291.055. (1) Notwithstanding any other law that grants to a state agency the authority to es-
tablish fees, [all new state agency fees or fee increases adopted during the period beginning on the date
of adjournment sine die of a regular session of the Legislative Assembly and ending on the date of
adjournment sine die of the next regular session of the Legislative Assembly] new or increased fees
adopted by a state agency:
(a) Are not effective for agencies in the executive department of government unless approved
in writing by the Director of the Oregon Department of Administrative Services;
(b) Are not effective for agencies in the judicial department of government unless approved in
writing by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court;
(c) Are not effective for agencies in the legislative department of government unless approved
in writing by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(d) Shall be reported by the state agency to the Oregon Department of Administrative Services
within 10 days of their adoption; and
[(e) Are rescinded on adjournment sine die of the next regular session of the Legislative Assembly
as described in this subsection, unless otherwise authorized by enabling legislation setting forth the
approvedfees.]
(e) Are not effective unless authorized by the Legislative Assembly by enabling legislation
setting forth the approved fees.
(2) Fees or fee increases authorized by the Legislative Assembly under subsection (1) of
this section take effect on the effective date of the enabling legislation or on the date spec-
ified in the rule adopting the fees or fee increases, whichever is later.
[(2)] (3) This section does not apply to:
(a) Any tuition or fees charged by a public university listed in ORS 352.002.
(b) Taxes or other payments made or collected from employers for unemployment insurance re-
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 1847 SB621
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quired by ORS chapter 657 or premium assessments required by ORS 656.612 and 656.614 or contri-
butions and assessments calculated by cents per hour for workers’ compensation coverage required
by ORS 656.506.
(c) Fees or payments required for:
(A) Health care services provided by the Oregon Health and Science University, by the Oregon
Veterans’ Homes pursuant to ORS 408.362 and 408.365 to 408.385 and by other state agencies and
institutions pursuant to ORS 179.610 to 179.770.
(B) Copayments and premiums paid to the Oregon medical assistance program.
(C) Assessments paid to the Department of Consumer and Business Services under sections 3
and 5, chapter 538, Oregon Laws 2017.
(d) Fees created or authorized by statute that have no established rate or amount but are cal-
culated for each separate instance for each fee payer and are based on actual cost of services pro-
vided.
(e) State agency charges on employees for benefits and services.
(f) Any intergovernmental charges.
(g) Forest protection district assessment rates established by ORS 477.210 to 477.265 and the
Oregon Forest Land Protection Fund fees established by ORS 477.760.
(h) State Department of Energy assessments required by ORS 456.595 and 469.421 (8).
(i) Assessments on premiums charged by the Director of the Department of Consumer and
Business Services pursuant to ORS 731.804 or fees charged by the director to banks, trusts and
credit unions pursuant to ORS 706.530 and 723.114.
(j) Public Utility Commission operating assessments required by ORS 756.310 or charges paid to
the Residential Service Protection Fund required by chapter 290, Oregon Laws 1987.
(k) Fees charged by the Housing and Community Services Department for intellectual property
pursuant to ORS 456.562.
(L) New or increased fees that are anticipated in the legislative budgeting process for an
agency, revenues from which are included, explicitly or implicitly, in the legislatively adopted
budget or the legislatively approved budget for the agency.
(m) Tolls approved by the Oregon Transportation Commission pursuant to ORS 383.004.
(n) Portal provider fees as defined in ORS 276A.270 and established by the State Chief Infor-
mation Officer under ORS 276A.276 (3) and recommended by the Electronic Government Portal Ad-
visory Board.
(o) Fees set by the State Parks and Recreation Director and approved by the State Parks and
Recreation Commission under ORS 390.124 (2)(b).
[(3)(a)] (4)(a) Fees temporarily decreased for competitive or promotional reasons or because of
unexpected and temporary revenue surpluses may be increased to not more than their prior level
without compliance with subsection (1) of this section if, at the time the fee is decreased, the state
agency specifies the following:
(A) The reason for the fee decrease; and
(B) The conditions under which the fee will be increased to not more than its prior level.
(b) Fees that are decreased for reasons other than those described in paragraph (a) of this sub-
section may not be subsequently increased except as allowed by ORS 291.050 to 291.060 and 294.160.
SECTION 2. The amendments to ORS 291.055 by section 1 of this 2025 Act apply to fees
adopted or increased on or after the effective date of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 3.This 2025 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
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peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2025 Act takes effect
July 1, 2025.
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