Oregon Legislative Issues
Last updated on August 22, 2018 by Kevin Haas, Oregon ITE Legislative Chair
The 2018 Legislative Session concluded on March 3. Legislative sessions in even numbered years tend to only tackle minor legislative changes since they are limited to only 35 days. The major $5.3 billion transportation funding package that was passed during the 2017 Legislative Session received some minor technical amendments during the 2018 Legislative Session through the passage of House Bill 4059. With a major state transportation funding package in place for the next 10 years we don't expect to see significant additional transportation funding legislation being introduced during the next few sessions. The next legislative session is scheduled to begin in January 2019 which will likely have several new legislators depending on the outcome of the November 2018 elections.
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) closely tracks legislation related to transportation and publishes a Legislative Summary Report after every Legislative Session. Summaries of the 2016-2018 Legislative Sessions are linked below. If you have any questions or comments concerning Bills that passed during the 2018 Legislative Session or previous sessions please don't hesitate to contact me via email or by phone at 503-986-3583.
Recap of Previous Legislative Sessions
These documents provide summaries of most transportation bills, with effective dates, and in some cases an ODOT staff person responsible for implementing the bill. The most recent ODOT Legislative Summary Reports are linked below. Contact ODOT Government Relations for copies of reports from previous Legislative Sessions.
2018 Legislative Session
There were 260 bills, memorials and resolutions introduced during the 2018 session and of those, the legislature passed 142..
2017 Legislative Session
There were 2829 bills, memorials and resolutions introduced during the 2017 session and of those, the legislature passed 881.
2016 Legislative Session
There were 283 bills, memorials and resolutions introduced during the 2016 session and of those, the legislature passed 61.
Last updated on August 22, 2018 by Kevin Haas, Oregon ITE Legislative Chair
The 2018 Legislative Session concluded on March 3. Legislative sessions in even numbered years tend to only tackle minor legislative changes since they are limited to only 35 days. The major $5.3 billion transportation funding package that was passed during the 2017 Legislative Session received some minor technical amendments during the 2018 Legislative Session through the passage of House Bill 4059. With a major state transportation funding package in place for the next 10 years we don't expect to see significant additional transportation funding legislation being introduced during the next few sessions. The next legislative session is scheduled to begin in January 2019 which will likely have several new legislators depending on the outcome of the November 2018 elections.
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) closely tracks legislation related to transportation and publishes a Legislative Summary Report after every Legislative Session. Summaries of the 2016-2018 Legislative Sessions are linked below. If you have any questions or comments concerning Bills that passed during the 2018 Legislative Session or previous sessions please don't hesitate to contact me via email or by phone at 503-986-3583.
Recap of Previous Legislative Sessions
These documents provide summaries of most transportation bills, with effective dates, and in some cases an ODOT staff person responsible for implementing the bill. The most recent ODOT Legislative Summary Reports are linked below. Contact ODOT Government Relations for copies of reports from previous Legislative Sessions.
2018 Legislative Session
There were 260 bills, memorials and resolutions introduced during the 2018 session and of those, the legislature passed 142..
2017 Legislative Session
There were 2829 bills, memorials and resolutions introduced during the 2017 session and of those, the legislature passed 881.
2016 Legislative Session
There were 283 bills, memorials and resolutions introduced during the 2016 session and of those, the legislature passed 61.
National Legislative Issues
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
It has been over 10 years since the first draft of the 2009 MUTCD was released and work is continuing at the federal level on development of the next edition of the MUTCD. However recent information presented at the National Committee for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD) indicate that a new MUTCD may be delayed to 2019 or beyond. Any draft documents are typically posted as part of the Federal Register and are open for public comment for a period of 6 months. Once a draft document is released ODOT will be coordinating comments with the Oregon Traffic Control Devices Committee (OTCDC) which includes a representative from Oregon ITE.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a final rule on the 2009 Edition of the MUTCD on December 16, 2009. ODOT offically adopted the 2009 MUTCD and an Oregon Supplement on December 21, 2011 as the official MUTCD for the State of Oregon. Practitioners need to familiarize themselves with both the 2009 MUTCD and the Oregon Supplement when performing work in the State of Oregon. You can view the latest information on the 2009 MUTCD and how it is applied in Oregon at the ODOT web site linked below.
Oregon MUTCD Implementation & Supporting Documents - This link provides access to an ODOT web page providing supporting documentation for Oregon adoption of the 2009 MUTCD and FHWA Interim Approvals in Oregon.
MUTCD Federal Register Notices- Information on Notices of Proposed Amendments (NPAs) and Final Rules (FRs) regarding the MUTCD.
Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act
On December 4, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or “FAST Act.” It is the first law enacted in over 10 years that provides long-term funding certainty for surface transportation, meaning States and local governments can move forward with critical transportation projects, like new highways and transit lines, with the confidence that they will have a Federal partner over the long term.
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
It has been over 10 years since the first draft of the 2009 MUTCD was released and work is continuing at the federal level on development of the next edition of the MUTCD. However recent information presented at the National Committee for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD) indicate that a new MUTCD may be delayed to 2019 or beyond. Any draft documents are typically posted as part of the Federal Register and are open for public comment for a period of 6 months. Once a draft document is released ODOT will be coordinating comments with the Oregon Traffic Control Devices Committee (OTCDC) which includes a representative from Oregon ITE.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a final rule on the 2009 Edition of the MUTCD on December 16, 2009. ODOT offically adopted the 2009 MUTCD and an Oregon Supplement on December 21, 2011 as the official MUTCD for the State of Oregon. Practitioners need to familiarize themselves with both the 2009 MUTCD and the Oregon Supplement when performing work in the State of Oregon. You can view the latest information on the 2009 MUTCD and how it is applied in Oregon at the ODOT web site linked below.
Oregon MUTCD Implementation & Supporting Documents - This link provides access to an ODOT web page providing supporting documentation for Oregon adoption of the 2009 MUTCD and FHWA Interim Approvals in Oregon.
MUTCD Federal Register Notices- Information on Notices of Proposed Amendments (NPAs) and Final Rules (FRs) regarding the MUTCD.
Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act
On December 4, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or “FAST Act.” It is the first law enacted in over 10 years that provides long-term funding certainty for surface transportation, meaning States and local governments can move forward with critical transportation projects, like new highways and transit lines, with the confidence that they will have a Federal partner over the long term.