Oregon Legislative Issues
Last updated on March 24, 2021 by Kevin Haas, Oregon ITE Legislative Chair
The 2021 Legislative Session convened on January 11 and in the midst of the COVID pandemic will be one of the most unusual sessions in Oregon history. Many of the committee and floors sessions are taking place in a hybrid fashion with both in-person and virtual participants. There are not expected to be any major transportation bills that come out of the 2021 session but there are several bills being proposed changing the authority for how speed limits are set in the State of Oregon and expansion of photo enforcement. Any major bills of interest to Oregon ITE members will be posted here as I become aware of them. Click on the bill number to open the direct link to Oregon State Legislature web page for the status and text of that particular bill. If you have any questions or comments concerning bills that are being currently discussed or that passed during previous Legislative Sessions please don't hesitate to contact me via email or by phone at 503-986-3583.
Recap of Previous Legislative Sessions
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) closely tracks legislation related to transportation and publishes a Legislative Summary Report after every Legislative Session. 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.
2020 Legislative Session
There were 283 bills, memorials and resolutions introduced during the 2020 session and of those, the legislature passed 3 impacting transportation.
2019 Legislative Session
There were 2,768 bills, memorials and resolutions introduced during the 2019 session and of those, the legislature passed 1,205.
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 2,829 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 March 24, 2021 by Kevin Haas, Oregon ITE Legislative Chair
The 2021 Legislative Session convened on January 11 and in the midst of the COVID pandemic will be one of the most unusual sessions in Oregon history. Many of the committee and floors sessions are taking place in a hybrid fashion with both in-person and virtual participants. There are not expected to be any major transportation bills that come out of the 2021 session but there are several bills being proposed changing the authority for how speed limits are set in the State of Oregon and expansion of photo enforcement. Any major bills of interest to Oregon ITE members will be posted here as I become aware of them. Click on the bill number to open the direct link to Oregon State Legislature web page for the status and text of that particular bill. If you have any questions or comments concerning bills that are being currently discussed or that passed during previous Legislative Sessions please don't hesitate to contact me via email or by phone at 503-986-3583.
- HB-2019 – Adds City of Unity to the list of cities authorized to operate mobile photo radar
- HB-2530 – Expands use of Fixed Photo Radar on “urban high crash corridors” from just Portland to any city over 50,000 (meaning a segment identified as a safety priority by ODOT or the governing body of a city).
- HB-2744 – Requires ODOT regions to evaluate segments of highway for jurisdictional transfer, report to the Joint Committee on Transportation on costs, establishes pot of money for jurisdictional transfers.
- HB-3055 – Joint Committee on Transportation Omnibus Bill (Sections 16 and 81)
- SB-395 – Updates ORS 366.514 – aka Oregon’s Bike Bill and OBPAC scope (366.112)
- SB-548 – Prohibits ODOT from designating speed on I-5/I-205 in Portland less than 60 mph
- SB-561 – Driver response to flashing yellow beacon (expecting this to not go anywhere – rolled into HB-3055)
- SB-574 – Motorcycle lane splitting
Recap of Previous Legislative Sessions
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) closely tracks legislation related to transportation and publishes a Legislative Summary Report after every Legislative Session. 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.
2020 Legislative Session
There were 283 bills, memorials and resolutions introduced during the 2020 session and of those, the legislature passed 3 impacting transportation.
2019 Legislative Session
There were 2,768 bills, memorials and resolutions introduced during the 2019 session and of those, the legislature passed 1,205.
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 2,829 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)
On December 11, 2020 the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) finally announced the Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) for the long-delayed next edition of the MUTCD. The draft documents for the next edition have been posted as part of the Federal Register and are open for public comment through May 14, 2021. ODOT is coordinating comments with the Oregon Traffic Control Devices Committee (OTCDC) which includes a representative from Oregon ITE. Visit the OTCDC web page to find out when their upcoming meetings are being held.
Until the next edition of the MUTCD is officially adopted by ODOT for the State of Oregon, the 2009 Edition of the MUTCD remains in effect. ODOT officially 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.” The law provided 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. However the current FAST Act has reached the end of its useful life and was extended by Congress through the end of fiscal year 2021 in hopes of securing a new landmark federal transportation bill from the Congress sometime in 2021. If and when Congress acts on a new federal transportation funding package details and links will be posted to this page.
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
On December 11, 2020 the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) finally announced the Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) for the long-delayed next edition of the MUTCD. The draft documents for the next edition have been posted as part of the Federal Register and are open for public comment through May 14, 2021. ODOT is coordinating comments with the Oregon Traffic Control Devices Committee (OTCDC) which includes a representative from Oregon ITE. Visit the OTCDC web page to find out when their upcoming meetings are being held.
Until the next edition of the MUTCD is officially adopted by ODOT for the State of Oregon, the 2009 Edition of the MUTCD remains in effect. ODOT officially 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.” The law provided 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. However the current FAST Act has reached the end of its useful life and was extended by Congress through the end of fiscal year 2021 in hopes of securing a new landmark federal transportation bill from the Congress sometime in 2021. If and when Congress acts on a new federal transportation funding package details and links will be posted to this page.