KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Oregon

SB344 • 2025

Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to notify the Attorney General if the air quality index readings for an area of the state reach 250 or higher during seven consecutive days and the cause is believed to be a wildfire originating on lands owned by the United States.

Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to notify the Attorney General if the air quality index readings for an area of the state reach 250 or higher during seven consecutive days and the cause is believed to be a wildfire originating on lands owned by the United States.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Senator Smith DB
Last action
2025-06-27
Official status
In Senate 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.

Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to notify the Attorney General if the air quality index readings for an area of the state reach 250 or higher during seven consecutive days and the cause is believed to be a wildfire originating on lands owned by the United States.

Digest: This Act tells the Attorney General to sue the U.S.

What This Bill Does

  • Digest: This Act tells the Attorney General to sue the U.S.
  • government if some wildfires that cause bad air quality start on U.S.
  • land.
  • (Flesch Readability Score: 65.7).

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

  1. 2025-06-27 Senate

    In committee upon adjournment.

  2. 2025-01-17 Senate

    Referred to Natural Resources and Wildfire, then Judiciary, then Ways and Means.

  3. 2025-01-13 Senate

    Introduction and first reading. Referred to President's desk.

Official Summary Text

Digest: This Act tells the Attorney General to sue the U.S. government if some wildfires that cause bad air quality start on U.S. land. (Flesch Readability Score: 65.7).
Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to notify the Attorney General if the air quality index readings for an area of the state reach 250 or higher during seven consecutive days and the cause is believed to be a wildfire originating on lands owned by the United States.
Directs the Attorney General to investigate and bring a civil action if the wildfire was caused by negligent or unlawful forest management practices.
Relating to: Relating to wildfire.
Current location: In Senate Committee

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 344
Sponsored by Senator SMITH DB (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: This Act tells the Attorney General to sue the U.S. government if some wildfires that
cause bad air quality start on U.S. land. (Flesch Readability Score: 65.7).
Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to notify the Attorney General if the air
quality index readings for an area of the state reach 250 or higher during seven consecutive days
and the cause is believed to be a wildfire originating on lands owned by the United States.
Directs the Attorney General to investigate and bring a civil action if the wildfire was caused
by negligent or unlawful forest management practices.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to wildfire.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
(1) The Department of Environmental Quality shall notify the Attorney
General if:
(a) The department determines that air quality index readings for an area of this state
have reached 250 or higher during seven consecutive days; and
(b) The cause of the elevated air quality index readings is reasonably believed to be
wildfire smoke from a wildfire that originated on lands owned by the United States.
(2) Upon receiving notice under subsection (1) of this section, the Attorney General shall
investigate the cause of the wildfire. If the Attorney General determines that the wildfire
was caused, in whole or in part, by forest management practices of the United States carried
out in a negligent or otherwise unlawful manner, the Attorney General shall bring an ap-
propriate civil action in the name of the State of Oregon to secure an injunction, damages
or other appropriate relief.
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 1347