Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Opening State Government to Everyone Oregon Transparency
Search

Laws & Legislation


Transparency Laws & Legislation

 
 
The listings of the following laws and legislation is organized by year and applies to the Oregon Transparency Program and website. 
Laws and legislation include House Bills (HB), Senate Bills (SB), and Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS). The approval of House Bill 2500 (2009) launched the Oregon Transparency Program and website. HB 2500 required the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to create the Oregon Transparency website, and include information about state agency revenues, expenditures, contracting, human resources, and other types of data and information.  
Transparency Laws - Legislation Details and Links
Resources based on enactment dates: 2009 , 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2020.

2009 Laws & Legislation
Description:

​House Bill 2500​ (2009)​ was approved during the 2009 legislative session​, and required that the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) create the Oregon Transparency website. Requirements included providing: information about state agency revenues, expenditures, contracting, human resources, other data, and informational resources.​​​
2011 Laws & Legislation
 
Description:

In 2011, House Bill 25​00​ (2009) formed ORS 184.480-184.488, as Chapter 368 of Oregon Laws 2011.


Description:
​House Bill 2788 (2011) requires State Agencies, Boards, Commissions, and Education Service Districts (ESDs) to "...post on the Oregon Transparency website notices of public meetings required to be provided by the state agency under ORS 192.640."   
Description:

​House Bill 2825​ (2011) added reporting requirements to agencies that issue tax expenditures for economic development.

Examples include programs offered through the following:
  • Business Oregon
  • Oregon Film & Video Office (OFVO)
  • Oregon Department of Energy
  • Oregon Enterprise Zones 
  • Oregon Department of Revenue
Description:
House Bill 3188 (2011) requires that each of the 36 Oregon Counties report expenditure information, including how they
spent Lottery Funds for economic development, as referenced in ORS 461.512. 
​
Description:

​Senate Bill 250​ (2011) added reporting requirements for Oregon Education Service Districts, also referred to as ESDs. Currently, there are 19 ESDs serving Oregon’s 36 counties.

Reporting requirements include: revenue, expenditures, contracts, and salary reports; local service plans, audit reports, and meeting notices, etc. 



2013 Laws & Legislation
Description:

House Bill 2370​ (2013) added many new data reporting and informational requirements to the Oregon Transparency website. Examples include but are not limited to:  
  • Links to state agency websites (if available) for public meeting minutes or summaries. This information is now required if an agency postes the meeting minutes/summaries on their agency website. 
  • Links to administrative rules 
    • Link to Secretary of State website for rules adopted by state agencies​;
    • Links to agency website (if available) where rules are posted, or information related to rules of the agency are posted.​
  • Contract and subcontract data for agencies and Education Service Districts (ESDs)
    • To the extent available information about contracts and subcontracts must include:
      • Information on Professional, Personal and Material contracts
      • Date of each contract and amount payable (already included)
      • Period contract is/or was in effect (already included)
      • Names and addresses of vendors (Names already included; address, city, state, zip not currently included, but has been requested from both ESD’s, OUS, and DAS).​​​
  • A web page within the transparency website that provides links to:
    • Websites established by local government (defined in ORS 174.116) and;
    • Special government bodies (as defined in ORS 174.117) for the purpose of providing transparency in the revenues, expenditures and budgets of the public bodies.
  • Copies of all reports that the department, the Department of Revenue or the Oregon Business Development Department receives from counties and other local governments relating to properties in enterprise zones. 


Description:

​House Bill 3400 (2013) added more data and informational reporting requirements to the Oregon Transparency website. Examples include:  

  • Description of the percentage of expenditures made in Oregon and out of state under all contracts for goods and services entered into by the state agency during a biennium (effective for all contracts entered into by agencies after July 1, 2013).​
Description:
HB 3035 (2013)​​ passed during the 2013 legislative session required the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to develop a plan to review, a much wider range of additional reporting criteria for the Oregon Transparency Program and website. 

This request was completed, and a report was provided to the legislature​ in February 2015, as required in the bill. A link to this legislative report is provided below.​

Transparency Website Plan: HB 3035 (2013) response to the legislature, February 2015. 

Additional Listing:
State Library of Oregon - Legislative Reports Listing​ ​
State Library of Oregon - PDF of Legislative Report

​

2015 Laws & Legislation

Description:
House Bill 3099 (2015) transferred the responsibilities and functions of the Oregon Transparency Program and website per House Bill 2500 (2009), ORS 184.480-184.488, and subsequent bills, from the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to the State Chief Information Officer.

​

Description:
Senate Bill 515​ (2015) requires the “information describing the process for requesting copies of public records from a public body, including a link to the public records section of the Department of Justice webpage” be posted to the Oregon Transparency website. 

These additional transparency requirements were met by creating a supporting structure for the Oregon Transparency Program and website that included the following: 
  • creation of a dedicated webpage for public records resources and information;
  • creation of a master agency/entity data table;
  • adding agency/entity specific links to public records request policies, forms, and general information;​
  • updating Transparency website links and navigation, for ease of use​ and access to information on public records request.





2017 Laws & Legislation
Description:
​House Bill 2946 (2017) added many new data reporting and informational requirements to the Oregon Transparency website. Examples include but are not limited to:  
  • ​A report of revenue, budget, and expenditure data and information from all:
    • semi-independent agencies;
    • public corporations; 
    • and insurance entities​;
    • community colleges;
    • universities;
    • and statewide university programs.
Description:
​In 2017, the Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) reference number was updated for the Oregon Transparency Program and website. The new ORS for the Oregon Transparency Program and website is ORS 276A.250 – 276A.262.

​Oregon Transparency Guiding Principal and Core Constraint
All of the datasets, reports, information, and resource links currently managed, collected, updated, and posted annually for use on the Oregon Transparency website per ORS 276A.253(2): Are to be managed and deployed “…at no additional cost, using existing data and existing resources of the state agency or education service district and without reallocation of resources…" 

Per the initial HB 2500 (2009)​ and current statute ORS 276A.253(2), this guiding principle and core constraint remains. 

2020 Laws & Legislation
Description:
House Bill 4304 (2020)​ amended section five (5) of ORS 276A.253 to read: “(8) Nothing in this section prohibits the State Chief Information Officer or the Oregon Department of Administrative Services from incurring costs or requesting additional resources to develop, maintain or enhance the Oregon transparency website."

Legislative Fiscal Office (fiscal statement) - 8/9/20 
​https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2020S2/Downloads/MeasureAnalysisDocument/54057

“Permits the state's Chief Information Officer or the Department of Administrative Services to incur costs associated with developing or maintaining the Oregon transparency website."