Restore Oregon’s Advocacy in Action: Update on Oregon Legislation

Recap of the 2025 Oregon Legislative Session from Restore Oregon

Being a statewide education and advocacy nonprofit means that Restore Oregon’s work takes many sizes and forms to be the “voice” for historic preservation. We had a particularly positive impact this year on the 2025 Oregon legislative session because of our supporters’ (you) active engagement and participation in the process. Testimony matters - thank you all!

Our priorities and work are led by staff and a volunteer Policy and Advocacy Committee, which determined our priority agenda:

– bring back the only financial incentive for historic preservation
– support the culture and arts sector priorities
– participate in any bills that could help (or hurt) historic preservation, especially any housing, climate or land use-related bills.

How did we do?

We achieved a lot this year for sure and were disappointed by those that didn’t make it, mostly the funding bills!

Achievements

• A significant victory when Governor Kotek signed HB 3190, putting back the Special Assessment for Historic Properties program, now streamlined for commercial properties. Thank you Rep Rob Nosse who championed this bil!
• Positively helped to secure capital funding for historic preservation projects from the Elsinore Theatre (Salem) to Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center (Joseph) to the James Beard Market (Portland).
• Successfully worked to remove language from housing bills that would have negatively affected historic preservation AND would not have achieved much-needed housing.

Disappointments

• At the very last minute, the $10 million grant program for our Oregon Main Street program was eliminated from the budget, surprising us all.
• The other culture and arts bills that did not pass in the budget process.
• One bill changed in the second chamber that raises concerns in certain situations for historic preservation.

For those who would like a deeper dive into the specifics of the bills and these outcomes, please continue to read on.

Restore Oregon’s 2025 Legislative Agenda had a LOT of ground to cover, track, support or oppose. Our official bill agenda started small (highlighted in BOLD ORANGE) but there were many additional bills we then decided to monitor or work in some way (support or oppose).

Arts & Culture Bills

HB 3190 -- Successful! (Special Assessment for Historic Properties) SIGNED BY GOVERNOR in June. Getting it through both houses was led by bill sponsor Rep Nosse and many elected co-sponsors with a 55-0 Vote in the House and a 25-2 Vote in the Senate. The Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon was a key partner with Restore Oregon on the education and advocacy efforts with over 270 pieces of testimony submitted showing overwhelming interest and support from the public as well. Other preservation and cultural organizations helped activate their networks and it truly was a team effort. As Restore Oregon worked hard to get this bill over the finish line as one of the 704 bills that passed this session (only 20% of all introduced bills actually pass… so it’s a big deal!)

What’s next? The State Office of Historic Preservation is already in rule-making and anticipates the program to re-open for commercial properties to begin enrollment by November 2025. Getting any financial incentive will have a lasting impact for our historic commercial properties across Oregon.

HB 3191 -- Successful ($8.3 million for 13 cultural capital projects including two historic theaters and Maxville Heritage). Funding allocated in HB5006-1

HB 3377 -- Successful ($10 million for James Beard Public Market). We wrote testimony in support, as it will preserve and reactivate two historic properties in downtown Portland. Funded in SB5531

SB 5505 -- Partially Successful (State Forester Headquarters Building Restoration) RO has tracked this for two sessions. Department of Forestry secured $1.5 million for stabilization work on this historic property but needs over $20 million for full rehabilitation.

HB 3189, Section 2 -- Partially Successful ($10 million in direct support for 6 major arts/culture orgs). Only $4 million was funded to two entities – Portland Center Stage and Shakespeare Festival – through HB 5006-1

HB 3189, Section 1 -- Unsuccessful (Increase Arts Commission funding to $10 million). It did not get heard in the budget committee or make it into a budget bill.

HB 3048 -- Unsuccessful (merger between Oregon Cultural Trust and Oregon Arts Commission). It did not get heard in the budget committee.

SB 5531 -- Unsuccessful ($10 million Main Street Grant funding. The final amendment, posted just one day before the budget vote, removed all funding for this program even though it was part of the Governor's Recommended Budget. The grant program still exists but there will be no grant funding available for distribution for the next biennium. This was a victim of hard budget decisions being made and there wasn’t much public testimony in the record making it less competitive.

Housing Policy Bills

HB 2138 -- Successful! (The “Middle Housing” bill). The original proposed language would remove demolition review for historic resources. With your help, a tremendous volume of testimony opposing this language (but not the goal of the bill) was submitted. RO worked with the Governor’s housing policy team and advocated directly with the leadership of the Housing Committee; the proposed language we opposed was removed in the amendment process. We monitored the bill through the rest of the session to ensure this language didn’t change. The bill was signed into law in July.

SB 49 -- Successful RO successfully opposed the -1 amendment to pre-empt local government historic protections. This bill was changed significantly and ultimately was narrowly focused on adding two members to the Building Code Structures Board.

SB 974 -- Partially Successful (successfully amended the original bill that proposed major alterations to design review; a later bill amendment that was adopted has some important potential impacts on historic preservation. RO’s involvement on this bill gave us an opportunity to engage with Senator Pham’s office opening a dialogue about ways historic preservation tools can support addressing the housing crises and we are working on this for the 2026 short session. How will the adopted bill intersect with historic preservation? Carrie Richter, Chair of our Policy & Advocacy Committee, provides this analysis:

“In relevant part, Senate Bill 974 exempts certain residential development from a listed set of design review standards, including historic protections for locally designated landmarks and within historic districts. This exemption applies to an application for the development of a residential subdivision that includes 20 or more single-family or middle housing units or to a multifamily structure that contains more than two units. The bill makes no mention of mixed use buildings and it is likely that a mixed use structure containing one or two residential units would be exempt from design review. Where this is most likely to come up within the historic preservation context would be a new mixed use structure within a Main Street historic district, where the building includes one or two residential units. This exemption would also apply to the alteration of a landmark that would add two housing units. The design standards that must be waived include: (1) façade materials, (2) roof form, decoration and materials, (3) garage and entry door materials and finishes, (4) window elements, (4) fencing, (5) architectural details, (6) balcony size and design, (7) floorplan variety and (8) front or backyard landscaping. Building siting standards such as height, setback or upper floor step backs and building orientation continue to apply. This exemption authorization expires on January 2, 2033.”

Other Notable Historic Preservation Projects in the Budget Bills

There were other projects or groups that have history, heritage and historic preservation needs being addressed in the adopted budget. We did not track these specifically but are happy to see financial support from the Legislature as follows:

HB 5006-1
$1.4 million for Oregon Historical Society
$2 million for Hoyt Arboretum
$200,000 for Gresham Historical Society - work on historic church
$750,000 for Willamette Heritage
$400,000 Wallowa History Center's ranger station restoration
$150 million for the seismic rehab grant program (for public and government facilities)
$1 million for Hermiston's Carnegie Library restoration
$11.75 million for Housing and Community Services housing preservation program, specifically includes rehab and preservation of housing for older adults and people with disabilities

SB 5505
$126 m for the Labor and Industries Building in Salem -- seismic and renovation