Environment Oregon 2025 legislative session wrap up

The 2025 Oregon legislative session started on January 21st and ran through June 27th. Along the way, the Oregon legislature considered dozens of bills related to the environment. Here are some of the Environment Oregon-backed bills that the Oregon legislature advanced that will help build a cleaner, greener future– and some of the major missed opportunities to consider for future sessions.

The bills that passed

Update to Oregon’s plastic bag law (Senate Bill 551)

Nothing we use for a few minutes should pollute the environment and harm wildlife for hundreds of years. Plastic pollution is creating an environmental disaster for ocean wildlife: plastic and other marine debris kills millions of sea turtles, seabirds and marine mammals every year. This session, the Oregon legislature passed Senate Bill 551, which will eliminate all bags made of plastic film at checkout at restaurants, grocery stores, and other retail establishments in Oregon starting January 1, 2027. The bill passed with bipartisan support. 

The Recycling Modernization Act defense

The Oregon legislature passed the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act in 2021, which will modernize Oregon’s recycling system, ensure responsible end markets for recyclables, bring producers in to start bearing some of the costs of the system and bring recycling to even more Oregonians. During the legislative session, there were some attempts to weaken or delay the new law, but none of those proposals moved forward and the new law is going into effect on July 1, 2025 as intended.

Reconnecting nature (House Bill 2978)

Oregon’s wildlife is facing a crisis—fragmented habitats are forcing animals to risk their lives crossing busy highways in search of food, shelter, and mates. Every year, countless animals, from majestic elk to vulnerable species like frogs and salamanders, are killed on our roads, disrupting ecosystems and putting drivers at risk. But there’s hope. Wildlife crossings are a proven solution, reducing collisions and reconnecting habitats so animals can move safely. The legislature passed a bill that will allow for more collaboration between the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, the Oregon Department of Transportation and nearby communities to make it easier to bring these projects online. Unfortunately, vital funding for these projects was included in a big transportation package that did not pass.

Restricting the use of firefighting foam containing PFAS (Senate Bill 91)

Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a threat to our environment and public health. PFAS have been given the nickname “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in our bodies or in the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to PFAS chemicals, even in small amounts over time, has been linked to serious health effects including cancer, thyroid disruption and reduced vaccine response. The Oregon legislature passed a bill to restrict the use of firefighting foam containing PFAS to protect first responders and the environment with broad, bipartisan support. 

The bills that didn’t pass

Oregon legislators punted on a few key environmental bills this year. We will continue to build support for these issues and work to get them reintroduced in future sessions.

Save the bees (House Bill 2679)

Bees are dying at alarming rates. Franklin’s bumblebee hasn’t been seen in Oregon since 2006, and Western bumblebee populations have dropped 90% in 20 years. Pesticides, especially neonics, are a major cause—damaging bees’ brains, impairing navigation, and reducing reproduction. Lawmakers considered a bill to make neonics a restricted-use pesticide to protect these vital pollinators, but the bill didn’t pass out of committee.

Preventing food waste (House Bill 3018)

We waste too much food in Oregon– almost 1 million tons of food went uneaten in 2022 alone. That would fill enough garbage trucks to line up along I-5 from the Northern to the Southern borders of Oregon almost three times. About one third of that uneaten food ends up in landfills where it produces methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Given the amount of time, resources and labor it takes to produce our food, the last thing we should do is toss it in the trash, when it could be used to feed Oregonians or enrich our soil. Environment Oregon supported a bill that would standardize food labeling practices to reduce consumer confusion, and require large food waste generators to responsibly dispose of wasted food using alternative methods like composting, rather than sending it to the landfill. Unfortunately, that bill died in the budget committee.

Protecting Oregon’s ocean (House Bill 3580 & House Bill 3587)

Our ocean and coast boast immense ecosystems like kelp forests, tidepools and underwater seagrass meadows. These areas contain wildlife like migrating gray whales, nesting puffins and runs of salmon. Unfortunately, these environments are imperiled by the threats of climate change, plastic pollution and marine debris, development and more. Environment Oregon, along with our allies at the Oregon Ocean Alliance, advocated for the passage of two key bills that would have provided funding for programs to better protect Oregon’s eelgrass meadows and rocky habitats. Both bills died in the budget committee. 

Environment Oregon staff worked hard this session to advance our legislative priorities alongside our incredible coalition partners, effective and strategic legislative champs and the thousands of Oregonians making their voices heard on these critical issues.

But our work is far from over. We’re going to continue talking to Oregonians every day about important environmental issues, continue bringing their voices to Salem and helping to ensure that protecting the environment is a bigger priority for our state and beyond. Onward!