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SB 1566OREGONSession 2026R1State Billdead
Did Not Advance

Oregon Senate Bill 1566 exempts qualifying affordable housing projects from prevailing wage requirements starting January 1, 2027

Original title: Exempts certain projects for public works, primarily related to affordable housing, from the requirement to pay a prevailing rate of wage.

Last action · March 6, 2026: In committee upon adjournment.Sponsors: Dick Anderson and 2 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Proposed

Official description

Digest: Says that a public agency does not need to set a certain wage level for a project that is affordable housing. (Flesch Readability Score: 60.6). Exempts certain projects for public works, primarily related to affordable housing, from the requirement to pay a prevailing rate of wage. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Background
  • Oregon public works projects are generally subject to prevailing wage-rate laws administered by the Bureau of Labor and Industries to ensure workers receive standard local wages. context

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Developers and contractors

Directly affected

Construction workers

Workers employed on qualifying projects are subject to wage standards that do not incorporate statutory prevailing wage mandates.

Directly affected

Bureau of Labor and Industries

The agency is authorized to adopt rules and administer provisions related to the new exemptions and wage determinations.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Senate Bill 1566 change?
It exempts specific privately owned residential and affordable housing projects from state prevailing wage requirements.
Are building height limits different for certain counties?
Yes. In Clackamas, Lane, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington, and Yamhill counties, eligible residential projects can be up to seven stories high, whereas projects in all other areas are limited to four stories.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in Senate committee.

Procedural history

4 actions
  1. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    In committee upon adjournment.
  2. Feb 9, 2026Senate
    Public Hearing held.
  3. Feb 2, 2026Senate
    Referred to Labor and Business.
  4. Feb 2, 2026Senate
    Introduction and first reading. Referred to President's desk.

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Dick AndersonSenate · District 5RepublicanChief sponsor
Vikki Breese IversonHouse · District 59RepublicanChief sponsor
Sen Smith DBCosponsorNo profile match

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Exemption Expansion for Affordable Housing

The bill replaces previous conditional language with an explicit framework exempting qualifying residential and affordable housing projects from prevailing wage rules.

SB 1566Bureau of Labor and Industries

Connected Entities

Bureau of Labor and Industries, Clackamas, Washington and 8 more
OrganizationBureau of Labor and Industries“Commissioner adopts rules to carry out provisions”Map →
locationClackamas“County subject to specific project price thresholds and building height limits”Map →
locationWashington“County subject to specific project price thresholds and building height limits”Map →
PersonDick Anderson“Chief sponsor of Senate Bill 1566 in the Senate”Map →
locationMarion“County subject to specific project price thresholds and building height limits”Map →
locationMultnomah“County subject to specific project price thresholds and building height limits”Map →
locationYamhill“County subject to specific project price thresholds and building height limits”Map →
PersonSmith DB“Senate co-sponsor of the bill”Map →
locationPolk“County subject to specific project price thresholds and building height limits”Map →
PersonVikki Breese Iverson“Co-sponsor of Senate Bill 1566 in the House”Map →
locationLane“County subject to specific project price thresholds and building height limits”Map →

Sources

Open source document

olis.oregonlegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
  • Controversy55
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz25
    Current news / social attention level

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