It’s not uncommon for Oregon lawmakers to consider public input when reviewing past legislation during each year’s legislative session in hopes of offering an update or technical fix.
This year in Salem, legislators strengthened protections for providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care, fortified Oregon’s first-in-the-nation immigrant protections and incorporated a slew of technical fixes to a complicated campaign finance law set to roll out in the next few years.
But a new tool aimed at improving outcomes, community engagement and oversight announced by House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, ahead of the session seeks to establish a separate process for reviewing the efficacy of laws.
The caveat? Lawmakers, not the public or their fellow legislators, would choose to revisit their own bills, allowing them to potentially pick laws that let them deliver fast, public-facing wins, rather than tackle complex or politically divisive issues.
House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, left, and Senate Majority Leader Kayse Jama, D-Portland, talk to reporters on the last day of the legislative session on March 6, 2026. Ahead of the session, Bowman unveiled a new effort to evaluate how Oregon laws are playing out on the ground.
Mia Maldonado / Oregon Capital Chronicle
The model is based on an outcomes review process from legislative leadership in California that began this year. The California program has already drawn criticism from political observers questioning why oversight should be separate from current legislative duties and whether lawmakers would ask tough questions about their own legislation’s implementation.
Mack Smith, a spokesperson for the House Democratic caucus, defended the system on the grounds that average Oregonians “aren’t primed to ask” about administrative delays, confusing terminology or other implementation issues that could get in the way of successful legislation.
“To be clear, these reviews aren’t meant to be a victory lap – they are genuine check ins to make sure legislation is functioning as it was intended,” Smith wrote in an email.
Bowman told reporters last week that he wanted legislators to review their own bills “because we don’t want a situation where people are weaponizing oversight” and trying to “make an argument about why their opponent’s bill is bad.”
He said he plans to conduct a review of the Oregon version of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program, which has already given free books to about 35% of children in the state under the age of 5 and received nearly $2 million in 2023 from legislators. State lawmakers officially codified the statewide program into law this year with the goal of providing a free book every month to children from birth to age 5.
“The questions we’re going to be asking are about implementation, are about rollout. How quickly is this being adopted? Which counties is it most successful in? How is the cost for implementing at the agency?” Bowman said. “And part of that will be talking to parents enrolled in the program and the local partners who are doing it on the ground.”
Laws set to be reviewed range from workforce development to health care
Smith said the lawmakers in Bowman’s pre-session announcement signed up to participate pre-session and have already selected the bills they will be reviewing, with a focus on their areas of expertise and their districts. Republicans were interested in participating, but Smith said they did “not roll out the program with Republican members to start.”
“This is not ultimately a partisan project, but given that Leader Bowman is the Democrat Majority leader, he started with his own caucus,” she wrote.
The laws already set to be reviewed by their authors deal with issues such as a council supporting seniors seeking emergency services, increased coverage of hearing aids, lower deductibles using pharmacy coupons and improved employment and training opportunities in maritime coastal jobs. They could lead to further hearings during legislative days in the spring or reports compiled by legislative analysts.
So far the laws and lawmakers announced by Bowman’s office include:
- Rep. Emerson Levy, D-Bend: House Bill 4113 from 2024, which allows a patient to use financial assistance and pharmacy coupons to count toward their health care insurance deductible and help them afford medication.
- Rep. Hai Pham, D-Hillsboro: House Bill 2994 from 2024, which expanded insurance coverage for hearing aids and implants for children. Pham is a pediatrician.
- Rep. Dacia Grayber, D-Portland: House Bill 2573 from 2025, which extended the sunset to 2030 for a Department of Human Services program that provides pilot project funding to bolster efficient and cost-effective emergency services for seniors living in residential care.
Another author reviewing his own law is Rep. David Gomberg, D-Otis, who said he has been heavily involved in championing maritime workforce issues. He plans to conduct a review of a 2023 law, House Bill 3410, which allocated millions in funding to bolster the state’s outdoor recreation economy and strengthen maritime employment opportunities. That may involve consulting with local stakeholders and state agencies to produce more official findings for legislative review, his office said.
“I would say that we are most familiar with the bills that were passed,” Gomberg told the Capital Chronicle. “So picking areas that we would like special attention, focus on, I think, is constructive.”
But Bowman’s office isn’t committing to keeping the outcomes review process as currently laid out. His spokesperson noted that Oregon is the second state to adopt such a model and that it could see reforms, calling it “a pilot program.”
“It’s not set in stone,” Smith said, “And I would imagine you might see changes to it in the future.”
It’s unclear how many hearings or how much time lawmakers will dedicate to reviewing each law, though Bowman’s pre-session announcement notes that findings will be highlighted “at the end of the legislative year.” No dates have been set for hearings or community meetings for the oversight effort, according to Smith.
Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501(c)(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Julia Shumway for questions: info@oregoncapitalchronicle.com. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on Facebook and Bluesky.
This republished story is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit opb.org/partnerships.
