HB3231 • 2025

Requires the passenger rail plan to include strategies for upgrading and improving railroad track, strategies related to infrastructure and boosting capacity and information about federal grants sought and received.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Representative Nathanson,, Senator Gorsek, Representative Gamba,, Mannix,, Neron,, Senator Anderson,, Frederick,, Pham,, Woods,
Last action: 2025-06-27
Official status: In House Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Requires the passenger rail plan to include strategies for upgrading and improving railroad track, strategies related to infrastructure and boosting capacity and information about federal grants sought and received.

Digest: The Act says that the passenger rail plan needs to include ways to fix and improve train tracks and other important parts.

What This Bill Does

Digest: The Act says that the passenger rail plan needs to include ways to fix and improve train tracks and other important parts.
It also has to help trains carry more passengers.
The Department of Transportation must give updates on how the plan is going by December 31 every two years.
All reports about passenger trains will be combined into one part of the law.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2025-06-27 House
In committee upon adjournment.
2025-02-04 House
Public Hearing held.
2025-01-17 House
Referred to Transportation.
2025-01-13 House
First reading. Referred to Speaker's desk.

Official Summary Text

Digest: The Act says that the passenger rail plan needs to include ways to fix and improve train tracks and other important parts. It also has to help trains carry more passengers. The Department of Transportation must give updates on how the plan is going by December 31 every two years. All reports about passenger trains will be combined into one part of the law. (Flesch Readability Score: 68.9).
Requires the passenger rail plan to include strategies for upgrading and improving railroad track, strategies related to infrastructure and boosting capacity and information about federal grants sought and received. Requires the Department of Transportation to provide status updates on the plan no later than December 31 of each even-numbered year. Consolidates reports on passenger rail into one section of law.
Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.
Relating to: Relating to passenger rail; prescribing an effective date.
Current location: In House Committee

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 3231
Sponsored by Representative NATHANSON, Senator GORSEK; Representatives GAMBA, MANNIX, Senators
ANDERSON, FREDERICK, PHAM K, WOODS (Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act says that the passenger rail plan needs to include ways to fix and improve train
tracks and other important parts. It also has to help trains carry more passengers. The Department
of Transportation must give updates on how the plan is going by December 31 every two years. All
reports about passenger trains will be combined into one part of the law. (Flesch Readability Score:
68.9).
Requires the passenger rail plan to include strategies for upgrading and improving railroad
track, strategies related to infrastructure and boosting capacity and information about federal
grants sought and received. Requires the Department of Transportation to provide status updates
on the plan no later than December 31 of each even-numbered year. Consolidates reports on pas-
senger rail into one section of law.
Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to passenger rail; amending ORS 824.400; repealing ORS 824.410; and prescribing an effec-
tive date.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
ORS 824.400 is amended to read:
824.400. (1) The Department of Transportation shall develop and implement a passenger rail plan
for the purposes of increasing ridership on passenger trains and increasing ticket revenue. The
passenger rail plan must include, but is not limited to, the following:
(a) A marketing strategy.
(b) Strategies for boosting ridership.
(c) Strategies for boosting tourism through the use of passenger rail.
(d) Strategies for boosting capacity.
(e) Strategies for upgrading and improving railroad track and related infrastructure.
(f) Information about federal rail infrastructure grant applications submitted, denied and
approved, provided in summary form.
(2) The department may coordinate with other state agencies to develop the plan.
(3) Not later than December 31 of each even-numbered year, the department shall provide
a status report, in the manner provided in ORS 192.245, to the Joint Committee on Trans-
portation on developing the passenger rail plan, actions taken to implement the plan and any
needed legislative changes.
(4) The department shall submit a quarterly report on the performance of passenger rail
to the Joint Committee on Transportation in the manner provided in ORS 192.245. The report
must include a summary of the number of passengers utilizing passenger rail and on-time
performance for the previous quarter.
SECTION 2.
ORS 824.410 is repealed.
NOTE: Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [ italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 1410
HB 3231
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SECTION 3.
This 2025 Act takes effect on the 91st day after the date on which the 2025
regular session of the Eighty-third Legislative Assembly adjourns sine die.
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