Beyond Toxics 2022 Legislative Commitments

Learn about the bills we supported in 2022

Passed Bills

Farmworker Overtime Bill - HB 4002

Farm workers play a vital role in the American economy. Farm workers collect, package, and maintain the bulk of our nation’s food products and they are subject to the same psychological, physiological, and social impairments as workers performing overtime in any other occupation. However, they face the additional compounding burdens of financial strain, job insecurity, and housing instability. Farm work requires long hours, yet these workers continue to be excluded from protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
 
New rules are needed in Oregon to better protect Oregon's farm workers from unfair labor practices. Beyond Toxics has joined with our partners at Pineros Y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN: Oregon's farm worker union) to educate Oregonians about this injustice and bring the related issues to the attention of our elected leaders in state government. We stand with PCUN in recognizing that Oregon farmeworkers deserve to be paid for every hour of their essential, difficult, and often dangerous work.

Culturally and Linguistically Specific Mobile Health Units Pilot - HB 4052

The bill will establish an advisory committee convened by the Oregon Health Authority to provide guidance on building, funding and operating a pilot program to improve the health outcomes of communities impacted by racism. Eligible entities will receive a grant to operate two culturally and linguistically specific mobile units in Oregon, which will provide relevant information regarding populations served by race, ethnicity, language, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity to inform the potential expansion of the pilot program statewide. A final report of the study must be submitted by June 30, 2026.

The bill will also create affinity group task forces as a result of a collaboration between Oregon Advocacy Commissions Office and culturally specific community-based organizations consisting of leaders of Black and indigenous communities, people of color and members of the nine federally-recognized tribes in Oregon. The task forces will discuss and research specific needs of the communities they represent and develop recommendations for specific allocations of resources to address the communities’ needs and health inequities.

The OHA will use this information to develop funding recommendations for intervention programs that are culturally- and linguistically-specific, across all relevant state agencies. These interventions will focus on aspects of the social determinants of health including housing, access to food, neighborhood safety, education, transportation and involvement with the criminal justice system.

Rename Environmental Justice Task Force as Environmental Justice Council - HB 4077-A

HB 4077 has two main sections, the first refers to the name change of the “Environmental Justice Task Force” to “Environmental Justice Council” and its establishment within the office of the Governor, including streamlining the new name within the statutory law.

The council will consist of 13 members appointed by the Governor, where eight members must have expertise in environmental justice as well as in at least one of the following categories: climate change, environmental laws, natural resources management, land use planning and development, sustainability, community organizing, civil rights and disability rights, environmental health, energy, agricultural operations and food systems, water planning and management or forest management. Four members will be nominated by commissions of vulnerable communities and the last member of the council will represent the youth, who must be at least 16 but no more than 24 years of age when appointed.

The Bill will develop an environmental justice mapping tool by September 15, 2025. The development of this mapping tool will be led by the Environmental Justice Council with staff support from the Department of Environmental Quality, and in collaboration with the Office of Enterprise Information Services, the Institute for Natural Resources, the Portland State University Population Research Center, and natural resource agencies with staff support from the department and the Oregon Health Authority. The mapping tool will assess environmental, health, and socioeconomic disparities.

The tool will layer together data such as air emissions, ozone level, and toxic hazards with health-related data and socioeconomic information such as linguistic isolation and income levels to help state agencies better understand the impacts of environmental disparities. Data from the mapping tool will be accessible to lawmakers, community organizations, and the public to assist in decision-making in environmental program development, implementation, and funding.

Private Forest Accord Bills - SB 1501 & SB 1502

Beyond Toxics supports SB 1501 and SB 1502, which would advance implementation of the Private Forest Accord Report. In 2019, Beyond Toxics was one of ten environmental protection non-profits that worked with Governor Brown to reach an historic agreement to curb aerial herbicide sprays and move Oregon to a new era of riparian protections based on science and precedent in other states.

Last October, representatives from environmental organizations and the timber industry took action to protect fish and wildlife habitat streams on over 10 million acres of forestland in Oregon by reaching a new agreement to overhaul the Oregon Forest Practices Act.

Thirteen conservation and fishing groups joined 13 timber representatives to agree on key modernizations to Oregon’s outdated forest management practices. The parties agreed on a framework for: 1) riparian buffers for streams, rivers, and bodies of water; 2) steep slopes protection to minimize erosion and protect habitat; 3) an approach moving forward to improve forest roads; 4) requirements to include Tribal participation in adopting rules and practices; and 5) a path forward to make adjustments and adaptation to forest practices in the future.

SB 1501 and SB 1502 are critical pieces of legislation to move this historic agreement for our fish, forests, and water forward.

Improve Energy Infrastructure Resilience - SB 1567

Beyond Toxics believes this bill will help these Oregonians, and all communities, prepare for and survive emergencies such as a major earthquake during which fossil fuels storage facilities may ignite, explode, leak, spread, and otherwise harm and contaminate nearby communities and the environment. In addition to supporting safety and resilience in frontline communities, SB 1567-1 can also help provide for mitigation actions for emergency fuels planning, seismic stability, and stable fuel capacity for our communities.

Emergency Heat Relief Bills - HB 4058 & SB 1536

Beyond Toxics supports HB 4058 and SB 1536, the Emergency Heat Relief Bills. Nearly 100 Oregonians died during last summer’s heat dome event, many of them in their homes because  they lacked access to life-saving cooling devices such as air conditioners and electric heat pumps. These bills will help Oregonians be more resilient when disaster hits by: 1) deploying emergency AC + air filtration during heatwaves and smoke season; 2) investing in energy efficient heating and cooling pump installation, prioritizing low-income, people of color, and rural households; 3) removing barriers for renters to safely install portable air conditioners; and 4) funding extreme weather shelters, such as cooling, warming, and clean air shelters.

Bills That Did Not Pass

Support Frontline Workers Affected by Climate Change - HCR 203

Beyond Toxics supports this declaration of legislative intent to address risk to workers due to climate change impacts and climate hazards. As the climate crisis worsens, related hazards disproportionately impact outdoor frontline workers who are overwhelmingly from immigrant communities, low-income communities and communities of color that historically and presently experience the brunt of health, economic and ecological impacts. The State must acknowledge the hazards frontline workers face and protect those workers who are disproportionately impacted by the increase in extreme weather conditions due to climate change.

Increase Carbon Sequestration - SB 1534

Beyond Toxics supports SB 1534, which will provide a framework and resources for the Oregon Global Warming Commission’s carbon sequestration recommendations to begin to be implemented in Oregon. SB 1534 lays the foundation for the creation of voluntary, incentive-based programs to increase carbon sequestration and resilience on Oregon’s natural and working lands (NWL). Oregon can and should make investments in the future to protect rural economies, fish and wildlife, and precious drinking water supplies as we navigate changing environmental conditions.

Although the bill and funding requests were ultimately not successful, we know that natural and working lands play a critical role in addressing the climate crisis and supporting the economic and environmental health of our communities. We stand strong in our support and are committed to advancing this work in the future.