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SB954 • 2025

Increases the penalties for unlawfully causing fires.

Increases the penalties for unlawfully causing fires.

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.

Increases the penalties for unlawfully causing fires.

Digest: The Act increases the penalties for causing fires.

What This Bill Does

  • Digest: The Act increases the penalties for causing fires.
  • (Flesch Readability Score: 61.2).
  • Increases the penalties for unlawfully causing fires.
  • Punishes a first violation by a maximum of 30 days' imprisonment, a $1,250 fine, or both.

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. 2025-01-28 Senate

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

  3. 2025-01-28 Senate

    Referred to Judiciary.

Official Summary Text

Digest: The Act increases the penalties for causing fires. (Flesch Readability Score: 61.2).
Increases the penalties for unlawfully causing fires. Punishes a first violation by a maximum of 30 days' imprisonment, a $1,250 fine, or both. Punishes a second violation by a maximum of six months' imprisonment, a $2,500 fine, or both. Punishes a third violation, or a first violation that proximately causes human injury, loss of human life or property damage of $10,000 or more, by a maximum of 364 days' imprisonment, a $6,250 fine, or both.
Relating to: Relating to penalties for causing fires.
Current location: In Senate Committee

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 954
Sponsored by Senator SMITH DB
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 increases the penalties for causing fires. (Flesch Readability Score: 61.2).
Increases the penalties for unlawfully causing fires. Punishes a first violation by a maximum
of 30 days’ imprisonment, a $1,250 fine, or both. Punishes a second violation by a maximum of six
months’ imprisonment, a $2,500 fine, or both. Punishes a third violation, or a first violation that
proximately causes human injury, loss of human life or property damage of $10,000 or more, by a
maximum of 364 days’ imprisonment, a $6,250 fine, or both.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to penalties for causing fires; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 477.993.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
ORS 477.993 is amended to read:
477.993. (1) Violation of any of the provisions of ORS 477.510, 477.515, 477.535 to 477.550, 477.565,
477.615, 477.625, 477.635 to 477.670[ ,] or 477.695[, 477.710, 477.720 or 477.740 ], or any rule or order
adopted pursuant thereto, is a violation punishable as follows:
(a) For the first offense, as a Class D violation.
(b) For the second offense, as a Class C violation.
(c) For the third offense, as a Class A violation.
(2) Violation of any of the provisions of ORS 477.710, 477.720 or 477.740, or any rule or
order adopted pursuant thereto, is a violation punishable as follows:
(a) For the first offense, as a Class C misdemeanor.
(b) For the second offense, as a Class B misdemeanor.
(c) For the third offense, as a Class A misdemeanor.
[(2)] (3) Multiple violations of any single requirement of this chapter, or of any rule or order
adopted pursuant thereto, in an operation area shall be considered a single violation. However, each
day a violation continues shall be considered a separate violation.
[(3)] (4) Notwithstanding [ subsection (1) ] subsections (1) and (2) of this section, violations of
any of the statutes listed in [ subsection (1) ] subsection (1) or (2) of this section which proximately
cause human injury, loss of human life or property damage of $10,000 or more, and unauthorized
entry into a fire scene secured under the authority of ORS 477.365 (1)(f), may be punishable as a
Class A misdemeanor.
[(4)] (5) Violations and punishments set forth in this section and ORS 477.740 are in addition to
and not in lieu of the provisions of ORS 164.305 to 164.335.
SECTION 2.
The amendments to ORS 477.993 by section 1 of this 2025 Act apply to vio-
lations that occur on or after the effective date of this 2025 Act.
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 1417