2024 Legislative Climate Wins
We’re excited to celebrate the environmental and climate wins during the 2024 short legislative session. For just a month-long session, we are so excited to see that climate continues to be an important issue for electeds and other citizens in our state. Here’s a roundup of those wins:
SB 1530 Funding for Safe and Healthy Homes: Legislators secured $24.5 million to aid communities most impacted by the climate crisis by providing home repairs, improvements in energy efficiency, and measures for climate resilience. This includes a $15 million investment in the Healthy Homes program.
HB 4083 COAL Act (Clean Oregon Assets Legislation Act): With the passage of the COAL act, Oregon has directed the Oregon State Treasury and the Oregon Investment Council to make efforts to divest from thermal coal companies and funds.
SB 1596 Right to Repair Act: Have you noticed how difficult it is to get our modern electronics fixed? Well, in many cases, this is by design by the manufacturers to compel consumers to purchase the brand-new products. The passage of SB 1596 gives consumers the legal “right to repair” by requiring manufacturers to produce diagnostic tools, information, replacement parts and tools for consumers and repair shops, allowing Oregonians to more easily and affordably fix their own devices. This is a big step to reduce waste in our landfills.
HB 4132 Oregon Marine Reserves Program: The passage of this bill helps improve this important marine conservation program to increase the efficiency of the program’s monitoring and research work. And the bill also ensures the program’s marine science has utility for communities and that commercial fishing knowledge is incorporated into ongoing research and monitoring efforts.
HB 1561 Monsanto Settlement Environmental Restoration Council: This bill establishes the Environmental Restoration Council funded by the $698 million Monsanto paid in a 2022 settlement with Oregon over its pollution of waterways with PCBs. The money will be used for environmental restoration projects and will prioritize recognized tribal governments, state agencies, and disproportionately impacted communities. This legislation helps organize and structure the settlement funding to repair the extensive environmental damage caused by Monsanto over the past few decades.
We are grateful to the coalition of climate justice organizations and advocacy groups around the state to get these bills passed during this short session. And we are especially grateful to those of you who came to our legislative events, provided testimony, and supported the work of Families for Climate. Advocacy is a major avenue for making change, leading us into a brighter, more resilient future.
