New Oregon laws related to utility rates, tenants, health plans & more take effect Jan. 1

A slew of new laws passed by Oregon lawmakers this year are set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.

The new laws include those related to utility rates, telemarketing rules, the rights of tenants, medical debt, requirements for what health plans regulated by the state must cover and more.

Here are some of the new laws taking effect Jan. 1.

Senate Bill 688: The Public Utility Commission can now require investor-owned power companies to meet certain targets if they want to raise rates, like by reducing costs, lowering greenhouse gas emissions or keeping the electricity flowing to low-income residents.

Oregon has three investor-owned power companies: Idaho Power Company, Pacific Power and Portland General Electric.

House Bill 3865: Tired of telemarketing calls, including solicitations through text messages? This new law may offer you some relief. Texting is now included in the definition of “telephone solicitation.” Telemarketing calls can now only be made between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and the new law only allows a telemarketer to call someone three times a day.

House Bill 3521: If you’re a prospective tenant and are required to put in a deposit before signing a rental agreement, you now have more protection under the law. Landlords are now required to return your deposit if you find major issues with your home, like a leaky roof, inadequate heating and unsafe drinking water.

Senate Bill 605: Hospitals and clinics now can’t notify consumer reporting agencies that you owe them money or how much. And reporting agencies are no longer allowed to include medical debts in your report.

House Bill 3064: Health plans regulated by the state are now required to cover treatment of perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause, and the plans are required to cover hormone therapies and osteoporosis prevention and treatment.

Senate Bill 692 requires the Oregon Health Plan and health insurers to cover perinatal services like doulas, lactation consultants and lactation educators.

Under Senate Bill 699, health insurance companies now must cover prosthetic and orthotic devices that are medically necessary for physical exercises like running, biking, swimming and strength training.

Under Senate Bill 1137, health insurance plans are now required to cover breast reconstruction surgery that uses the patient’s own tissue instead of implants.

The law now is stronger against non-consensual distribution of intimate images under House Bill 2299. AI-generated deepfakes are now included in the definition of these images. The crime is now a felony for repeated violations and victims gain more protections.

The legal age in Oregon to get married is now 18 under Senate Bill 548. It used to be 17. Previously, a parent or guardian could sign off on the marriage of 17-year-olds without their consent. Lawmakers say the law was created because nearly 3,000 men were able to get marriage licenses with teenage girls between 2000 and 2021, allowing sexual contact with a minor because they were married. Lawmakers say the new law will help fight sexual exploitation.