---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to voluntary in-stream leasing of water rights; and prescribing an effective date."
description: "<i>Includes as permissible farm use for purposes of property tax special assessment operation or use of farmland subject to farm-related government program for voluntary in-stream leasing of water rights.</i>]"
jurisdiction: "us/states/or"
legislature: "Oregon Legislative Assembly"
session: "2023R1"
identifier: "HB 2971"
citation: "Oregon HB 2971 (2023R1)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Ken Helm", "Mark Owens"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 23
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2023-01-09T16:13:56+00:00"
last_action: "2023-08-15T22:20:56+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/5d894ec0-0191-427a-9225-9c90701ddc35"
source_url: "https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/HB2971"
source_hash: "965fb1a1eecf776bf747414dcdd82c7ce03ac2db20bfef164264c3fe6b313861"
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 HB 2971 (2023R1) — Relating to voluntary in-stream leasing of water rights; and prescribing an effective date.

<i>Includes as permissible farm use for purposes of property tax special assessment operation or use of farmland subject to farm-related government program for voluntary in-stream leasing of water rights.</i>]

## Version chain

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

1. **House Amendments to Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB2971/House%20Amendments%20to%20Introduced)
2. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB2971/Introduced)
3. **A-Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB2971/A-Engrossed)
4. **HALNRW Amendment -5** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/ProposedAmendment/23763)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB2971/Enrolled)

## Votes

- Heard and Reported Out — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- Heard and Reported Out — **7–0** (pass) · lower
- Third reading. Carried by Owens. Passed. — **51–0** (pass) · lower
- Third reading. Carried by Golden. Passed. — **25–0** (pass) · upper
- Heard and Reported Out with Amendments — **8–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Ken Helm — primary (person)
- Mark Owens — primary (person)
- E. Werner Reschke — cosponsor (person)
- Jason Kropf — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-09T16:13:56+00:00** First reading. Referred to Speaker's desk. `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2023-01-16T17:42:49+00:00** Referred to Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water with subsequent referral to Revenue. `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-26T23:01:00+00:00** Public Hearing held.
- **2023-03-28T22:02:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2023-03-30T23:59:33+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass with amendments, be printed A-Engrossed, and be referred to Revenue by prior reference. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-30T23:59:34+00:00** Referred to Revenue by prior reference. `referral-committee`
- **2023-05-09T15:31:00+00:00** Public Hearing held.
- **2023-05-24T15:32:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2023-05-26T21:04:49+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-05-31T18:23:21+00:00** Second reading. `reading-2`
- **2023-06-01T18:17:56+00:00** Third reading. Carried by Owens. Passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-06-15T18:26:05+00:00** First reading. Referred to President's desk. `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2023-06-15T23:40:43+00:00** Referred to Finance and Revenue. `referral-committee`
- **2023-06-21T20:31:00+00:00** Public Hearing and Work Session cancelled.
- **2023-06-22T15:02:00+00:00** Public Hearing and Work Session held.
- **2023-06-24T15:24:22+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass the A-Eng. bill. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-06-24T21:13:50+00:00** Second reading. `reading-2`
- **2023-06-25T18:26:06+00:00** Third reading. Carried by Golden. Passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-06-29T18:11:08+00:00** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2023-06-29T20:11:41+00:00** President signed. `passage`
- **2023-08-01T01:00:00+00:00** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2023-06-25T18:27:06+00:00** Vote explanation(s) filed by Smith DB.
- **2023-08-15T22:20:56+00:00** Chapter 520, (2023 Laws): Effective date September 24, 2023.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/5d894ec0-0191-427a-9225-9c90701ddc35`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Oregon legislature records).