---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to evidence; and declaring an emergency."
description: "Makes evidence about sexual behavior or predisposition inadmissible in civil proceeding except under certain circumstances."
jurisdiction: "us/states/or"
legislature: "Oregon Legislative Assembly"
session: "2017 Regular Session"
identifier: "SB 261"
citation: "Oregon SB 261 (2017 Regular Session)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Sara Gelser"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 25
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2017-01-09T18:52:09+00:00"
last_action: "2017-06-22T19:44:17+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/5e329ddc-45d6-4fc6-8e84-3a5de4a2c3fc"
source_url: "https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Measures/Overview/SB261"
source_hash: "5a38e312bbf5cd3e87c86e3ac657196feacd5aeb60858499c6ebf2320c81cf18"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-or"]
---

# Oregon SB 261 (2017 Regular Session) — Relating to evidence; and declaring an emergency.

Makes evidence about sexual behavior or predisposition inadmissible in civil proceeding except under certain circumstances.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB261/Introduced)
2. **Senate Amendments to Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB261/Senate Amendments to Introduced)
3. **A-Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB261/A-Engrossed)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB261/Enrolled)

## Votes

- Heard and Reported Out with Amendments — **5–0** (pass) · legislature
- Heard and Reported Out — **11–0** (pass) · legislature
- Third reading. Carried by Williamson. Passed. — **58–0** (pass) · legislature
- Third reading. Carried by Gelser. Passed. — **27–0** (pass) · legislature

## Sponsors

- Sara Gelser — primary (person)
- Ann Lininger — cosponsor (person)
- James Manning Jr. — cosponsor (person)
- Jennifer Williamson — cosponsor (person)
- Laurie Monnes Anderson — cosponsor (person)
- Michael Dembrow — cosponsor (person)
- Tim Knopp — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2017-01-09T18:52:09+00:00** Introduction and first reading. Referred to President's desk. `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2017-01-17T16:06:43+00:00** Referred to Judiciary. `referral-committee`
- **2017-04-11T15:01:00+00:00** Public Hearing held.
- **2017-04-18T15:02:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2017-04-25T16:12:57+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass with amendments. (Printed A-Eng.) `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-04-26T18:13:37+00:00** Second reading. `reading-2`
- **2017-04-27T18:49:29+00:00** Third reading. Carried by Gelser. Passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2017-05-01T16:25:52+00:00** First reading. Referred to Speaker's desk. `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2017-05-01T23:27:15+00:00** Referred to Judiciary. `referral-committee`
- **2017-05-15T20:02:00+00:00** Public Hearing and Work Session held.
- **2017-05-17T20:45:00+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-05-18T16:42:58+00:00** Second reading. `reading-2`
- **2017-05-22T19:50:17+00:00** Rules suspended. Carried over to May 23, 2017 Calendar.
- **2017-05-23T18:38:49+00:00** Rules suspended. Carried over to May 24, 2017 Calendar.
- **2017-05-24T21:56:50+00:00** Rules suspended. Carried over to May 25, 2017 Calendar.
- **2017-05-25T22:00:25+00:00** Rules suspended. Carried over to May 26, 2017 Calendar.
- **2017-05-26T15:36:22+00:00** Rules suspended. Carried over to May 30, 2017 Calendar.
- **2017-05-30T18:44:50+00:00** Rules suspended. Carried over to May 31, 2017 Calendar.
- **2017-05-31T18:56:58+00:00** Rules suspended. Carried over to June 1, 2017 Calendar.
- **2017-06-01T21:53:22+00:00** Third reading. Carried by Williamson. Passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2017-06-06T20:10:13+00:00** President signed. `passage`
- **2017-06-07T22:09:22+00:00** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2017-06-14T22:30:00+00:00** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2017-06-22T19:41:09+00:00** Chapter 321, 2017 Laws.
- **2017-06-22T19:44:17+00:00** Effective date, June 14, 2017.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/5e329ddc-45d6-4fc6-8e84-3a5de4a2c3fc`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Oregon legislature records).