City of Bend Recaps Recent Legislative Session Outcomes.

The 2026 Oregon legislative session ended March 6 with several bills that align with Bend's priorities on lodging tax flexibility, shelter funding, housing planning, transit and wildfire resilience. The City will share a full recap at the March 18 City Council work session.

The 2026 Oregon legislative session ran from Feb. 2 to March 6 and concluded with multiple measures the City of Bend supported. Bend entered the session focused on lodging tax flexibility, preserving shelter funding through OHCS, and protecting neighborhood commercial land in planning. Lawmakers passed bills that address those priorities and also advanced regional transit and wildfire resilience measures. City leaders acknowledged the work of local legislators and staff in securing these outcomes. Key outcomes: - HB 4148 increases the share of post‑2003 transient lodging tax revenue that local governments may use for city services from 30% to 50%, which gives Bend more discretion in funding visitor‑related infrastructure and services. - The Legislature preserved ongoing shelter funding through Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), maintaining continuity for City‑supported shelter operations. - HB 4037 included technical fixes related to urban reserves and requires a Master Plan amendment when an affordable‑housing project under SB 8 in a planned mixed‑use area over 10 acres would reduce commercial land below 80% of the originally adopted plan. - SB 1544 designates the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC) as a Qualified Entity, enabling Cascade East Transit to directly receive and administer regional Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) dollars. - SB 1551 prevents homeowners' associations from prohibiting replacement or installation of fire‑hardened building materials through CC&Rs, removing a barrier for homeowners seeking to reduce wildfire risk. Summary: The session produced measures that align with Bend's stated priorities on lodging tax flexibility, shelter funding, housing planning, transit administration and wildfire resilience. City officials said these changes provide additional local tools for funding services and supporting community planning. A full recap of the session will be presented at the City Council work session on March 18.