---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to water."
description: "Establishes uniform processes for hearing contested case proceedings relating to the use of water."
jurisdiction: "us/states/or"
legislature: "Oregon Legislative Assembly"
session: "2025R1"
identifier: "HB 3544"
citation: "Oregon HB 3544 (2025R1)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Ken Helm", "Mark Owens"]
version_count: 11
action_count: 26
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2025-02-11T19:19:12+00:00"
last_action: "2025-08-13T19:42:36+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/bcbccc33-2a8d-4533-aa94-42352976e5e8"
source_url: "https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Measures/Overview/HB3544"
source_hash: "efee0061c12797692dbbfc8f3a7bd4d0d6039e2aa84013e6724bc5bc98a14d61"
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 3544 (2025R1) — Relating to water.

Establishes uniform processes for hearing contested case proceedings relating to the use of water.

## 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/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB3544/House%20Amendments%20to%20Introduced)
2. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB3544/Introduced)
3. **A-Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB3544/A-Engrossed)
4. **B-Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB3544/B-Engrossed)
5. **C-Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB3544/C-Engrossed)
6. **HALNRW Amendment -5** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/ProposedAmendment/28594)
7. **House Amendments to A-Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB3544/House%20Amendments%20to%20A-Engrossed)
8. **JWM Amendment -A6** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/ProposedAmendment/29651)
9. **JWM Amendment -B8** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/ProposedAmendment/29815)
10. **Senate Amendments to B-Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB3544/Senate%20Amendments%20to%20B-Engrossed)
11. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB3544/Enrolled)

## Votes

- Heard and Reported Out with Amendments — **17–5** (pass) · legislature
- Heard and Reported Out with Amendments — **9–0** (pass) · lower
- Rules suspended. House concurred in Senate amendments and repassed bill. — **38–13** (pass) · lower
- Third reading. Carried by Owens. Passed. — **36–6** (pass) · lower
- Rules suspended. Third reading. Carried by Gorsek. Passed. — **24–5** (pass) · upper
- Heard and Reported Out with Amendments — **16–2** (pass) · legislature

## Sponsors

- Ken Helm — primary (person)
- Mark Owens — primary (person)
- Emerson Levy — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-02-11T19:19:12+00:00** First reading. Referred to Speaker's desk. `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2025-02-12T21:25:30+00:00** Referred to Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water. `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-12T15:01:00+00:00** Public Hearing held.
- **2025-04-02T15:01:00+00:00** Public Hearing held.
- **2025-04-09T15:02:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2025-04-16T16:18:18+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass with amendments, be printed A-Engrossed, and be referred to Ways and Means. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-16T16:18:19+00:00** Referred to Ways and Means by order of Speaker. `referral-committee`
- **2025-06-04T17:08:00+00:00** Assigned to Subcommittee On Natural Resources. `referral-committee`
- **2025-06-10T22:03:00+00:00** Returned to Full Committee.
- **2025-06-10T22:02:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2025-06-17T15:02:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2025-06-19T22:38:11+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass with amendments and be printed B-Engrossed. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-06-20T18:45:56+00:00** Second reading. `reading-2`
- **2025-06-23T22:13:42+00:00** Third reading. Carried by Owens. Passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-06-24T18:18:10+00:00** First reading. Referred to President's desk. `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2025-06-24T18:28:20+00:00** Referred to Ways and Means. `referral-committee`
- **2025-06-27T20:32:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2025-06-27T22:10:41+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass with amendments to the B-Eng. bill, to resolve conflicts. (Printed C-Eng.) `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-06-27T22:11:41+00:00** (Amendments distributed.)
- **2025-06-28T01:41:24+00:00** Second reading. `reading-2`
- **2025-06-28T02:02:48+00:00** Rules suspended. Third reading. Carried by Gorsek. Passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-06-28T03:44:00+00:00** Rules suspended. House concurred in Senate amendments and repassed bill.
- **2025-06-30T18:36:31+00:00** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2025-06-30T19:18:53+00:00** President signed. `passage`
- **2025-07-24T23:48:12+00:00** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2025-08-13T19:42:36+00:00** Chapter 575, (2025 Laws): Effective date January 1, 2026.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/bcbccc33-2a8d-4533-aa94-42352976e5e8`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Oregon legislature records).