| Press Release |
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| May 31, 2007 |
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Governor Kulongoski Signs a Series of Legislation
Bills help protect children, consumers, workers and the environment
Salem – Today Governor Ted Kulongoski joined legislators and Japanese-Americans interned during World War II to sign House Bill 2823, which grants internees who were students at an Oregon university an honorary degree from that institution.
“This bill gives us the opportunity to honor the people whose learning was cut short because of this tragic chapter in our nation’s history,” said Governor Kulongoski. “With this bill, we hope to right one of the many wrongs that occurred with the internment.”
In total the Governor has signed 94 bills this week, including legislation to protect chilren, workers, the environment, consumers and help fight identity theft.
Protecting Children:
HB 2116: This legislation increases the grant amount for the “Ready to Read” program administered by the State Library. This legislation also expands the program to include early literacy services for children.
HB 2520: Under this legislation, the definition of Class II all-terrain vehicle (ATV) is changed to require all highway ATV operators to hold a valid driver’s license, comply with speed limits and drive as close to the right-hand edge of the highway as possible. Also, a lighted headlight and tailight on ATVs are required at all times.
SB 380: This bill requires a school district to provide to the Department of Human Services, the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission or other school districts the records of investigations into suspected child abuse by former and current school employees.
SB 412: Under this legislation, the Department of Human Services is required to notify the attorney, parents or court-appointed special advocate of a foster child if there is a report of abuse while the child is in substitute care.
SB 413: This bill requires the Department of Human Services to submit a biennual report to the legislature on the number of children currently in foster care and the number of them that have been in more than one foster care placement. Also, the report must outline the percentage of children placed apart from siblings and the percent placed with relatives.
Protecting Workers:
SB 202: This legislation requires that all farm labor contractors provide workers’ compensation insurance in order to receive a farm labor contractor’s license, helping further protect the rights of farm laborers.
SB 403: This legislation gives a tipped restaurant worker the option to waive their meal period if it benefits the employee and prohibits an employer from forcing an employee to waive a meal period.
Protecting the Environment:
HB 2925: As one of the Governor’s energy priorities, this legislation exempts wave energy projects off Oregon’s coast generating five megawatts or less from regulations of hydroelectric projects if a license is not required under the Federal Power Act. This legislation also allows university research to continue to test wave energy devices off the Oregon coast.
SB 432: Under this legislation, shipbreaking can happen only in dry dock areas with special exceptions when the Department of State Lands determines that it is impossible to move the shipwreck into dry dock.
Protecting Consumers and Fighting Identity Theft:
HB 2090: Under this legislation, the Sectretary of State is not required to file documents with unredacted Social Security, identification, driver licenese, credit card or bank account numbers. This bill also makes certain documents filed through the Sectretary of State no longer require a Social Security number or other personal information.
SB 118: This legislation prohibits price gouging by merchants and wholesalers and bans merchants from charging prices more than 15 percent above normal prices if the Governor declares an Emergency Declaration for an abnormal disruption of the market, such as a natural disaster.
Other highlights of legislation signed by the Governor include:
HB 2273: This bill redefines Oregon’s system for monitoring billboards in response to a 2006 Supreme Court decision that overturned Oregon’s current permitting system. This also ensures that Oregon’s federal highway funds are not jeopardized.
SB 747: This bill requires that unclaimed cash vouchers issued at horse racing meets and off-track betting sites be voided after 180-days. Money from unused vouchers to be used for financing of education programs operated by non-profit horse racing associations.
Contact:
Anna Richter Taylor, 503.378.6169
Jake Weigler, 503.378.6496
Kristina Edmunson, 503.378.5040
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