Policy and Legislation
Oregon's 2026 legislative is a wrap
It's was a short session year in Oregon meaning our legislative process was a full on sprint, just 35 days long. We typically don't build big policy in short session years, and much of the time is spent dedicated to unfinished business from the 2025 session and this year in particular, making up for significant budget shortfalls from reduced spending and federal reductions. Besides budget defense to protect many of the ocean and environmental programs we care about, like marine reserves and protected areas, ocean acidification and hypoxia monitoring, water quality testing, etc., we also set our sites on policies aimed at building better revenue sources and growing our coastal blue economy.
This Year's Legislative Progress & Pitfalls
Below, you'll find a list of the key legislative bills we prioritized this session, with highlighted final outcomes. They are organized by our core initiatives, making it easy to follow the issues that matter most.
📌 Need tools to take action? On the right side of this page, you'll find resources to track bills and, more importantly, ways to raise your voice and get involved.
Want a quick overview of our outcomes from last session? ➡️ Check out our 2025 Oregon Legislative Recap & Outcomes
New to the Oregon Legislative Process?
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Protecting Ocean Habitats
In line with both our Ocean Protection and Coast and Climate Initiative, Surfrider Foundation is working in in Oregon this legislative session to protect conservation funding for programs like marine reserves and protected areas through ongoing budget advocacy as well as better pave the way for future investments in protecting climate resilient habitats. Many of these efforts are through our partnered work with the Oregon Ocean Alliance - read more on our priorities here.
Ocean Conservation Funding - With a hefty budget shortfall, much of the short session was be focused on the Ways and Means Committee where many agency budgets and natural resource programs had significant proposed budget cuts (marine reserves, wildlife and fisheries enforcement, hypoxia and acidification monitoring, among other things were all on the chopping block).
Coastal and Ocean Agency Budgets (HB 5204)
Final Budget Outcomes: Natural Resource Agencies' Budget Reconciliation bill (HB 5204) minimized nearly all cuts to ocean conservation programs we advocated for this session!
Our Actions - Surfrider Foundation volunteers conducted legislative outreach, engaged in our ocean lobby day to advocate and submitted testimony during the very short period of time. More broadly we worked as a member of Oregon Ocean Alliance to organize coalition testimony during the Ways and Means budget hearings.
1.25% For Wildlife (HB 4134): A key piece of legislation we advocated for with the Oregon Ocean Alliance and Wildlife Coalition that will provide significant revenue for wildlife and conservation programs at Oreg. Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, like the ones above that are being regularly cut from the budget!
Final Bill Outcomes - passed House and Senate, now awaiting the Governor's signature!
Our Actions - Surfrider Foundation volunteers conducted legislative outreach, engaged in our ocean lobby day to advocate and submitted both oral and written testimony several times throughout the legislative process. Our volunteers played a key role in helping to secure coastal voices for this landmark legislation! Read more on our campaign.
Oregon Ocean Science Trust (HB 4097): An administrative fix to allow the Ocean Science Trust to operate like an NGO and apply for grants and funding outside the state's general fund. Protecting Oregon's ocean and coast means ensuring dedicated funding for ocean science to inform conservation and policy at the state level through the science trust.
Final Bill Outcomes - Passed both chambers and signed by Governor
Our Actions - Surfrider Foundation played a very small role in this effort, simply providing supportive testimony during policy hearings, but did not record this as an official policy campaign.
Blue Economy (SB 1525): Initiates a task force to better synergize existing efforts and realize new opportunities for growing and sustaining Oregon's blue economy. A critical concern and opportunity was ensuring a diversity of representation on the task force from recreation to restoration, cultural and labor interests, could help shape our state's furtherance in defining, investing and growing the blue economy.
Final Bill Outcomes - Passed both House and Senate, now awaiting the Governor's signature.
Our Actions: Not originally identified as a campaign this short session, Surfrider had a unique opportunity to help shape early amendments to significantly broaden the inclusion of important groups and stakeholders on the task force. Our members both met with sponsoring legislators early and had the opportunity to help shape bill amendments through testimony and engagement. Read more on our campaign
Ocean Protection Bill Resources
Ocean Conservation Budget: Track Natural Resource Budget Committee
1.25% For Wildlife (HB 4134) Track the Bill
Ocean Science Trust (4097)
Blue Economy (SB 1525)
(2025) Beyond the Bag Ban: SB 551
Working with our Zero Waste Coalition we are working to expand Oregon's bag ban to do 3 key things: 1) eliminate all film plastic at checkout 2) "Skip the Stuff" - reducing single use take out at restaurants and 3) eliminate single use toiletries in lodging establishments.
Current Status: Passed! Signed by Governor! - read more
Past Actions: Passed Senate Concurrence, 4/29 Work Session, Passed - House Climate, Energy & Environment - bill was amended so will have to return to the Senate for concurrence. 05/20 Passed House Floor 33-19
Public Hearing House Committee on Climate, Energy & Environment, Watch/Read Testimony
Passed Senate Floor 22-8 headed to House Committee on Climate Energy & Environment
Hearing Held - 2/12 in Senate Energy & Environment - Watch Hearing & Read Testimony
SB 551 resources:
(2025) Prevent Microfiber Pollution: SB 526
A significant portion of microfibers and plastics in our ocean and waterways comes directly from our washing machines. This bill would require manufacturers to install filters on newly sold washing machines in Oregon to prevent microfiber plastic pollution. Both the pollution issue and the science behind environmental impacts and the even the use of filters is well understood in Oregon.
Current Status: SB 526 did not advance this session.
Hearing Held - 2/12 and carried over 2/17 - Watch Hearing and Read Testimony
SB 526 Resources:
(2025) Ban Chemical Recycling: HB 2960
The petrochemical industry is promoting plastic conversion technologies, sometimes called “chemical” or “advanced recycling,” as the quick-fix solution to the plastic pollution crisis to argue against the upstream changes needed to really tackle this crisis. But these systems are anything but a quick fix - these false solution technologies further intensive pollution and production of plastic rather than reducing or truly recycling.
Current Status: HB 2960 did not advance this session.
Public Hearing Scheduled: 03/20 - Read Testimony
HB 2960 Resources:
(2025) Marine Debris Cleanup: SB 795
Two bills this session are aimed at improving and better funding marine debris cleanup related to our inland waterways and submerged lands. Cleaning up derelict docks, vessels and other infrastructure associated with waterway leases has long been an issue for us in Oregon. Community groups and local governments often bear the costs of cleanup and disposal. These bills would better fund Department of State Lands cleanup and enforcement of derelict debris.
Current Status: Signed by Governor & Recorded as Law - more info.
Past Actions:
Passed House Floor 52-0
Passed 05/01 House Ag., Land Use, Nat. Resources and Water
04/16 Public Hearing House Committee on Ag., Land Use & Water - Submit Testimony
Passed Senate Floor 29-1 - now headed to House
Senate Hearing Held 01/30 - Read our testimony
SB 795 Resources
One Page Background
(2025) Ocean Shore Protection: HB 2925
Oregon's public beaches are special recreational areas to Oregonians. Managed as the "ocean shore" under Oregon Parks and Recreation (OPRD), Oregon's beaches and public access are caught in the coastal squeeze between static development and mother nature's rising seas and increased erosion. This bill supports OPRD's ability to adapt permitting along the ocean shore to better manage our changing coastlines and preserve our public beaches.
Current Status: Passed Unanimous, Awaiting Governor's signature - more info
Work Session 03/17: House Committee on Ag., Land Use, Natural Resources and Water
Public Hearing Held 2/26 - Read our Testimony
HB 2925 Resources:
(2025) Nature-Based Solutions
Traditional shoreline management of our beaches has relied heavily on rock armoring or rip rap and seawalls, which erode public beaches. The solution is to incorporate more dynamic "nature-based" shoreline management methods such as natural cobble revetments, native dune restoration and natural berms that help nourish the beaches sand supply. While HB 2925 offers opportunities to further permitting such efforts, some further clarity and guidance is necessary. This bill, SB 504 introduces the idea of "bioengineering" coastal solutions. While not currently supported by Surfrider given some concerns with land use consistency and potential loopholes for development, the bill is in the direction of better addressing nature-based solutions.
Current Status: Passed and waiting Governor's signature-more info.
Work Session: Passed 5-0 Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire on 2/25
Hearing Held 02/05 - Read our testimony
SB 504 Resources:
(2024) Ocean Beach Fund
During Oregon's 50th Anniversary of the Beach Bill (2017), Surfrider introduced the legislative concept with coastal lawmakers to establish a dedicated fund to support stewardship and protection of Oregon's Beaches and expanding OPRD's ocean shore management capacity. The concept failed during the 2017 session but has been reintroduced every session since by a variety of coastal lawmakers, this year by two coastal Senators!
Current Status: Neither of these advanced this session
SB 434 Referred to Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire & SB 358 also in the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire.
Bill Resources:
Legislative Scoping
Surfrider currently has no statewide legislative campaigns within our Clean Water priority. At the federal level we continue our strong advocacy for the BEACH Act to support state water quality monitoring on our recreational beaches. At the state level, we are continuing to scope opportunities to improve the state's beach monitoring program which currently relies solely on federal funding and only tests in the summer months. Along the coast and more locally in Oregon, our chapters operate and maintain 8 volunteer water quality testing labs in Oregon and test year-round our recreational beaches and notify ocean users if it is safe to swim and surf.
(2025) Recreational Immunity: HB 2295 & SB 179
A recent ruling and opinion on "recreational immunity", a law that protects landowners from liability, has resulted in a number of public access closures along beaches and trails managed by cities and counties along the coast. Following an interim solution in 2024, a more permanent solution is being sought during the 2025 session by multiple lawmakers. Surfrider is tracking and engaging with a broad coalition to support the best solution for expanding the definition of Oregon's recreational immunity law to best accommodate continued public access to our most treasured coastal places!
Current Status: Signed by Governor & Recorded as Law
Past Actions: Passed House Floor
04/24: Hearing, House Judiciary Committee Submit Testimony
SB 179 referred to Senate Judiciary Committee.
Hearing Held.
SB 179 Passed Senate Judiciary 6-0 - now on Senate Floor
Passed Senate Floor
Bill Resources