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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
A-Engrossed
Senate Bill 926
Ordered by the Senate April 18
Including Senate Amendments dated April 18
Sponsored by Senator SMITH DB
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: Bans the recoupment of certain costs that a power company incurs from claims based
on a wildfire. (Flesch Readability Score: 65.1).
Prohibits the recovery from customers of certain costs and expenses that an electric company
incurs [as a result of allegations of a wildfire resulting] if a court or jury finds that a wildfire
resulted from the negligence or a higher degree of fault on the part of the electric company.
Prohibits an electric company from paying or distributing dividends, income, interest or
profits or paying, distributing or repurchasing stock or other ownership interest to any
person or individual with an ownership or beneficial interest in the electric company if the
electric company owes any debt on an outstanding judgment that is based on a finding by a
court or jury that a wildfire resulted from the negligence or a higher degree of fault on the
part of the electric company.
Sets the rate of interest on the judgment at nine percent per annum to accrue from the
date the wildfire was ignited if a plaintiff establishes that a wildfire resulted from the
negligence or a higher degree of fault on the part of the electric company.
Provides that an electric company is liable for all taxes that may be owed by a prevailing
party on a judgment that the electric company has not satisfied by January 1, 2026, for a
judgment that is based on a finding by a court or jury that a wildfire resulted from the
negligence or a higher degree of fault on the part of the electric company.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to wildfires resulting from the fault of an electric company.
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
chapter757.
SECTION 2.(1) As used in this section:
(a) “Electric company” means an electric company, as defined in ORS 757.600, that ser-
vices electricity to more than 25,000 retail electricity consumers located in this state.
(b) “Retail electricity consumer” has the meaning given that term in ORS 757.600.
(2) If a court or jury finds that a wildfire resulted from the negligence or a higher degree
of fault on the part of an electric company, the electric company may not recover from retail
electricity consumers the following costs and expenses:
(a) Costs and expenses that are, or are associated with, a civil judgment, civil fine or
penalty or criminal fine or penalty that results from or is based on the finding that the
wildfire resulted from the negligence or a higher degree of fault on the part of the electric
company.
(b) Costs and expenses that are, or are associated with, a settlement that is based on:
(A) The underlying allegations that there are losses, expenses or damages caused by the
wildfire that resulted from the negligence or a higher degree of fault on the part of the
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 1362 A-Eng. SB 926
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electric company; or
(B) The finding that the wildfire resulted from the negligence or a higher degree of fault
on the part of the electric company.
(c) Litigation costs and expenses of, or associated with, the civil or criminal action in
which the court or jury finds that the wildfire resulted from the negligence or a higher de-
gree of fault on the part of the electric company.
(d) Costs and expenses of, or associated with, repairing or replacing the electric
company’s real or personal property that was damaged or destroyed in the wildfire that the
court or jury finds resulted from the negligence or a higher degree of fault on the part of
the electric company.
SECTION 3. (1) As used in this section, “electric company” means an electric company,
as defined in ORS 757.600, that services electricity to more than 25,000 retail electricity
consumers, as defined in ORS 757.600, located in this state.
(2) If an electric company owes any debt on an outstanding judgment that is based on a
finding by a court or jury that a wildfire resulted from the negligence or a higher degree of
fault on the part of the electric company, the electric company may not:
(a) Pay or distribute dividends, income, interest or profits of the electric company, or
affiliate or subsidiary of the electric company, to any person or individual with an ownership
or beneficial interest in the electric company; or
(b) Pay, distribute or repurchase stock or other ownership interest in the electric com-
pany, or affiliate or subsidiary of the electric company, to any person or individual with an
ownership or beneficial interest in the electric company.
SECTION 4. In a civil action arising out of allegations that the conduct of an electric
company, as defined in section 3 of this 2025 Act, caused or substantially contributed to a
wildfire, if the plaintiff establishes that the wildfire resulted from the negligence or a higher
degree of fault on the part of the electric company:
(1) The rate of interest on the judgment shall be nine percent per annum and accrue
from the date the wildfire was ignited; and
(2) Damages awarded to the plaintiff may not be offset by any money received from any
other source by the plaintiff.
SECTION 5.Sections 2 to 4 of this 2025 Act apply to wildfires that are ignited on or after
January 1, 2020.
SECTION 6.(1) As used in this section, “electric company” means an electric company,
as defined in ORS 757.600, that services electricity to more than 25,000 retail electricity
consumers, as defined in ORS 757.600, located in this state.
(2) If an electric company owes any debt on an outstanding judgment that is based on a
finding by a court or jury that a wildfire resulted from the negligence or a higher degree of
fault on the part of the electric company and the electric company has not satisfied the
judgment by January 1, 2026, the electric company shall be liable for all taxes that may be
owed by the prevailing party on the judgment at the time the electric company satisfies the
judgment.
SECTION 7.Section 6 of this 2025 Act applies to a judgment that has been issued between
January 1, 2020, and January 1, 2025.
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