Table of Contents
2017 Legislative Session Begins
The 2017 legislative session began on February 1, 2017. While it began only two weeks ago, Bar sections and committees are already hard at work, identifying and tracking proposed legislation. If you are a section chair or legislative liaison, you should have received a list of bills for your section to review. Below is a list of some of the bills and a brief description that Bar sections and committees are currently tracking.
HB 2166 —Requires debt buyer to give notice to debtor if debt buyer brings legal action to collect debt and to submit certain filings to court.
HB 2217 —Prohibits guardian or conservator from restricting protected person’s right of communication, visitation, or interaction with other persons unless authorized by court order.
HB 2329 —Permits State Board of Psychologist Examiners to assess disciplinary costs against disciplined person.
HB 2352 —Authorizes Secretary of State to investigate alleged or potential violations of business entity statutes, to require business entity to provide list of shareholders, directors, members, and other persons, and to respond to interrogatories in course of investigation or in response to request from law enforcement agency.
HB 2356 —Establishes requirements under which debt buyer may bring legal action to collect debt. Specifies notice that debt buyer must give to debtor. Makes violation of requirements unlawful collection practice.
HB 2605 —Increases number of circuit court judges in certain judicial districts.
HB 2636 —Modifies annual salaries of judges of Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Oregon Tax Court and circuit court.
HB 2713 —Provides that evidence obtained during or as result of defendant’s unlawful detention by peace officer is inadmissible in criminal proceeding against defendant.
If you have any questions or additions to your section’s bill list, please contact [email protected].
President Levelle Testifies in Support of Bar Priorities, Law Improvement Legislation
On February 7, the Senate and House Judiciary Committees invited the Oregon State Bar to the legislature for a day of presentations and meetings. Bar President Michael D. Levelle traveled to Salem and spent the day testifying in front of the two committees and meeting with legislators. Joined by president-elect Vanessa Nordyke for the hearing, President Levelle spent the day discussing the Bar’s priorities and law improvement bills with legislators.
In addition, four of the bills in the Bar’s law improvement package received their first public hearings and work sessions and were voted out of committee. The four bills were:
SB 490 —Changes method for distributing ballots for voting by Bar members, eliminates position of vice president of Board of Governors, allows Board of Governors to assess late payment penalty, and changes title of executive director of Oregon State Bar to chief executive officer of Oregon State Bar.
SB 491 —Makes changes to Oregon State Bar’s disciplinary system.
HB 2608 —Modifies applicability of previous amendments to Oregon Uniform Trust Code.
HB 2610 —Specifies methods by which persons may sign and transfer corporation’s documents in electronic form. Specifies circumstances, dates, and times under which corporation’s documents are delivered and effective.
HB 2608 and HB 2610 were voted out of the House on February 14th. SB 490 and SB 491 are scheduled for a vote on February 21st in the Senate.
Ways and Means Roadshow
Every two years, the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, the legislature’s budget writing committee, schedules visits in communities all over the state. A bicameral, bipartisan group of lawmakers travels throughout the state to hear about the funding priorities of Oregonians. This year, the committee is off to an early start, with the first public hearing on Friday, February 10, in Salem and the second hearing on Saturday, February 11, in Portland. Vanessa Nordyke, president-elect of the Oregon State Bar, submitted testimony on behalf of the Bar.
The schedule for the remaining public hearings is posted below. If you are available to attend a hearing on behalf of the bar, please contact the Public Affairs Department at [email protected].
Friday, February 17 – UMATILLA / HERMISTON
Hermiston High School
5–7 p.m.
Saturday, February 18 – MADRAS
Performing Arts Center, Madras High School
1–3 p.m.
Friday, February 24 – ASHLAND
Rogue River Room, Southern Oregon University
5–7 p.m.
Saturday, February 25 – EUGENE
Lane Community College
1–3 p.m.
Friday, March 3 – TILLAMOOK
Officer’s Mess, Port of Tillamook
6–8 p.m.
OSB President’s Reception
On February 9, Marion County Bar members, legislators, and members of the judiciary joined Michael D. Levelle, President of the Oregon State Bar, for the President’s Reception in Salem. The event, held every year in Salem during the legislative session, provides lawyers, judges, legislators, and Bar leadership with the opportunity to discuss many of the issues that are affecting the practice of law and the judiciary. Thank you to the legislators, Bar members, and judges who came out to support the Bar.
Rep. Jodi Hack, OSB Public Affairs Director Susan Grabe and OSB President Michael D. Levelle
Rep. Bill Post, BOG member Vanessa Nordyke, Rep. Ron Noble, Rep. Rich Vial and OSB CEO/Executive Director Helen Hierschbiel
Archives
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2017 Public Affairs Committee Members
Kathleen Rastetter, Chair
John Mansfield, Vice Chair
Guy Greco
John Bachofner
Chris Costantino
Rob Gratchner
Eric Foster
Liani Reeves
Public Affairs Department
Susan Grabe, Public Affairs Director
Amy Zubko, Public Affairs Legislative Attorney
Matt Shields, Public Affairs Staff Attorney
Kellie Bagnani, Public Affairs Assistant