PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – In 2025, a set of new laws will take effect in Oregon, including some aiming to address public drug use, lowering the cost of prescriptions, and increasing transparency in public education.
During the 2024 legislative session, Oregon lawmakers passed dozens of bills. Below is a list of laws taking effect in 2025.
In March, the Oregon legislature passed Senate Bill 1553, which expands the crime of interfering with public transportation to include drug use on public transit.
On January 1, 2025, drug use on public transportation will be considered a Class A misdemeanor if someone “knowingly ingests, inhales, ignites, injects or otherwise consumes a controlled substance that is not lawfully possessed by the person” while on public transit.
In Oregon, Class A Misdemeanors are punishable by a jail sentence of up to 364 days, a $6,250 fine, or both.
Because this is a drug-designated Class A misdemeanor, the law opens access to state-funded treatment for people convicted of the crime in “many cases,” lawmakers said.
The law comes after a TriMet survey found about half of riders feel safe on public transit, with 82% of riders reporting their feelings of unsafety were due to “other riders with nuisance/aggressive behaviors.”
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed the Right to Repair bill -- SB 1596 -- in March, to give consumers the option to fix broken electronic devices instead of purchasing new ones.
The law will require original equipment manufacturers to provide repair tools and information to owners and repair providers, so consumers have more options when it comes to fixing electronic devices.
Lawmakers said the law also strives to reduce waste by making it easier for consumers to repair devices instead of buying new ones.
House Bill 4012 prevents health insurers from requiring physician-administered drugs – such as chemotherapy— to be dispensed at specialty pharmacies.
Officials explained that physicians have been able to “buy-and-bill” physician-administered drugs for patients, but in recent years, insurers have tried to reduce costs by requiring those drugs to be purchased from select pharmacies.
The practice raised safety concerns from health care providers because it makes it difficult to adjust dosages and could lead to delays in care from drug shipping issues.
HB 4113 aims to make prescription drugs more affordable by helping Oregonians reach out-of-pocket maximums easier.
The law will include all amounts paid towards prescription drugs in the calculation of the enrollee's out-of-pocket maximum.
HB 4083 will divest an estimated $1 billion in public pension investments in coal stocks. Additionally, the law directs the state treasurer to end new investments in thermal coal and orders the state treasury to provide annual reports on divestment progress to the legislature.
The law will require the divestments to be accomplished without monetary loss to the investment funds and incentivizes emission reductions by requiring divestment from emitters unless they are transitioning to clean energy within a reasonable timeline.
Starting in 2025, HB 4147 will allow schools to install cameras on school buses to record drivers who fail to stop for bus safety lights when students get on and off buses.
Under the law, authorities can cite drivers who fail to stop for school buses based on those recordings.
SB 1502 requires education board of public school districts, community colleges and universities to video record their meetings and post them online for public viewing.
The bill exempts school districts with fewer than 50 students and allows school boards lacking internet access to upload audio recordings instead.
The requirement to record does not apply to meetings that are not already public, including executive sessions.
