| 2009 Legislative Recap |
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The 2009 Legislative Assembly faced many difficult choices this year, but despite this, the Department of State Lands was able to secure a budget that will continue our core programs to build the Common School Fund, regulate Oregon's public waters, and administrate the state's unclaimed property and estate laws.
"This session was tough – no doubt about it," said DSL director Louise Solliday. "Fortunately we were able to show the Legislature how an investment in our programs benefits the state economically and environmentally, and that the Department of State Lands generates more revenue than we expend, specifically for the state's schools." DSL is now wholly funded by "other funds" and receives no state general fund (tax) revenue.
During the last few days of the session, the legislature passed the "Christmas Tree" bill which included cuts in program revenue for all state agencies. DSL's cut – $750,000 for the 2009-11 biennium – is a number "we’ll simply have to manage to," said Solliday.
Highlights of the 2009 session include:
- Passage of House Bills 2153 (allowing the department to impose civil penalties for unauthorized use of state-owned uplands); 2155 (clarifying provisions for removal-fill permitting and adding a new category of exempted activities for voluntary restoration projects); and 2156 (clarifying and improving provisions relating wetland mitigation programs). HB 2153 became effective June 18, 2009; the other two bills will become effective Jan. 1, 2010 and will require rulemaking.
- Passage of DSL's budget bill – Senate Bill 5542 – which supports funding and staffing at a comparable level to the 2007-09 budget. The budget also makes several limited-duration staff positions permanent, bringing stability to the South Slough Reserve and other programs.
- Passage of House Bill 2911 that makes the proceeds of the sale of contents of abandoned storage units part of Oregon's unclaimed property law.
- Funding for territorial sea mapping and other marine planning efforts, using remaining funds from the New Carissa removal.
- Changing the name of the Natural Heritage Program to the Natural Areas Program.
- Passage of House Bill 3013 which directs the Land Board and other agencies to initiate rulemaking to establish two pilot marine reserves as recommended by the Ocean Policy Advisory Council.
- Passage of House Bill 2929 that requires the agency to consult with other agencies to study the feasibility of creating a single removal fill permit and to report back to the Legislature. This bill also allows the agency to seek funding from a variety of sources, including a fee increase, to support the studies.
- Passage of House Bill 3106 which creates a task force on near-shore research that is directed to make recommendations regarding funding and long-term strategies toward protection Oregon’s near-shore resource. One of the task force members will be a DSL employee.
Three DSL-sponsored bills did not advance – SB 178 (cleaning up statutory references); SB 179 (protecting estates from identity theft); and HB 2154 (transferring the Unclaimed Property Section to the Office of the State Treasurer).
Additional information about the 2009 session or DSL's budget is available from Cynthia Wickham, Assistant Director, Finance and Administration Division: 503-986-5227; cyndi.wickham@state.or.us.
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