"Industry NewsOn January 26, a bipartisan coalition of Oregon lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 1593, also known as the Oregon Recreation Commerce and Affordability Act of 2026 (ORCA), for consideration in the upcoming legislative session, which begins on February 2. "Oregon is facing an affordability crisis in recreation and health and fitness," Senator Mark Meek (D-Oregon City) said in a press release. "Prices are rising, businesses are closing, insurers are leaving-and Oregon"
"ORCA is supported by Protect Oregon Recreation, a statewide coalition that includes dozens of recreation user groups, recreation providers, non-profits, conservation groups, and community partners who are advocating for comprehensive, industry-wide waiver reform. "Oregon's liability laws are broken, and it's not just hurting recreation providers," Representative Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) said. "It's hurting small businesses of every kind that rely on basic liability waivers to operate. Insurance is disappearing,"
A bipartisan coalition introduced Senate Bill 1593, the Oregon Recreation Commerce and Affordability Act of 2026 (ORCA), for the legislative session starting February 2. The bill seeks to restore legal recognition of liability waivers, aligning Oregon with other Western states. Since 2014, state court rulings nullified waivers, causing insurers to leave, premiums to rise, higher consumer prices, business closures, and reduced recreational opportunities. Supporters include Protect Oregon Recreation, a coalition of user groups, providers, nonprofits, conservation organizations, and community partners advocating industry-wide waiver reform. Lawmakers emphasize recreation’s economic, social, and health benefits and link waiver reform to affordability and access.
Read at SnowBrains
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]