Requires persons with ownership interests in at least 200 acres of irrigated land used for agriculture to annually report information about fertilizer application to the State Department of Agriculture.

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 747
Sponsored by Senator PHAM K; Senators GOLDEN, MANNING JR, PATTERSON, TAYLOR, Representatives
GAMBA, NERON, RUIZ, VALDERRAMA (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 tells certain persons to report the use of fertilizer on farmland. The Act allows
agencies to take certain actions about the reports. (Flesch Readability Score: 60.7).
Requires persons with ownership interests in at least 200 acres of irrigated land used for agri-
culture to annually report information about fertilizer application to the State Department of Agri-
culture. Authorizes the department and the Department of Environmental Quality to take certain
actions related to the information. Directs the State Department of Agriculture to report on the
information to committees or interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to agriculture
on or before September 15 of each odd-numbered year.
Authorizes the imposition of civil penalties for a violation.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to the application of fertilizer; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 561.995.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
(1) As used in this section, “fertilizer” has the meaning given that term in
ORS 633.311.
(2) The State Department of Agriculture shall establish a process and system for re-
porting the application of fertilizer to irrigated land that is used for agriculture, pursuant
to subsection (3) of this section.
(3) On or before March 15 of each year, a person that has an ownership interest in at
least 200 acres of land that was irrigated and used for agriculture in the previous calendar
year shall report to the department:
(a) The rate of fertilizer applied to each field of the land, measured in pounds per acre.
(b) The type of fertilizer applied to each field of the land.
(c) The crop grown in each field of the land.
(4) The department may use information reported under this section:
(a) To identify persons who are overapplying fertilizer in a manner that can lead to
runoff and the contamination of surface water or leaching and the contamination of ground
water.
(b) To take steps to prevent the persons from overapplying fertilizer in the future, in-
cluding steps to provide targeted education or technical assistance.
(c) As part of an enforcement process under any law, rule or order that the department
may lawfully enforce.
(5) The Department of Environmental Quality may use information reported under this
section to identify opportunities to reduce air pollution from the agricultural sector through
targeted education, technical assistance or other measures.
(6) On or before September 15 of each odd-numbered year, the State Department of Ag-
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 1782
SB 747
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riculture shall report, in the manner provided by ORS 192.245, to committees or interim
committees of the Legislative Assembly related to agriculture on:
(a) Information reported to the department under subsection (3) of this section since the
department’s last report under this subsection.
(b) Any department activities described in subsection (4) of this section since the
department’s last report under this subsection.
SECTION 2.
ORS 561.995 is amended to read:
561.995. (1) In addition to any fine under ORS 561.990 or other penalty, a person who violates
section 1 of this 2025 Act or an order, rule or regulation described under ORS 561.590 is subject
to a civil penalty imposed by the State Department of Agriculture. The civil penalty shall not exceed
$10,000.
(2) Every violation of an order, rule or regulation described under ORS 561.590 is a separate
offense subject to a separate civil penalty.
(3) The department shall develop one or more schedules setting the amounts of civil penalties
that may be imposed for particular types of violations.
(4) The imposition of a civil penalty under this section is subject to ORS 183.745.
(5) The State Treasurer shall deposit all moneys from penalties recovered under this section into
the Department of Agriculture Account. Moneys deposited under this subsection are continuously
appropriated to the department for the administration and enforcement of quarantine laws.
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