---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to water utilities regulated by the Public Utility Commission."
description: "</b> </i>] Authorizes the Public Utility Commission to order the [<i>acquisition</i>] <b>sale</b> of an incumbent water utility [<i>by</i>]<b> to</b> another water utility or entity when the incumbent water utility is not able to provide [<i>safe, adequate, efficient and reasonable</i>] <b>safe and adequate</b> service. <b>Requires the commission to provide the incumbent water utility reasonable opportunity to take alternative actions to the sale. Increases, from $5,000 to $100,000, the amount of fees that the commission may use to make emergency repairs to public utility plants that provide water service. Authorizes the commission to order a public utility that provides water service to make emergency repairs.</b>"
jurisdiction: "us/states/or"
legislature: "Oregon Legislative Assembly"
session: "2025R1"
identifier: "SB 845"
citation: "Oregon SB 845 (2025R1)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 5
action_count: 21
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2025-01-13T17:07:30+00:00"
last_action: "2025-06-06T23:05:17+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/282cd64d-7b51-4a79-9e73-4d06785676bb"
source_url: "https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Measures/Overview/SB845"
source_hash: "3c11770ee31bdf94077e83ecba26e07a44bdaec50bc0438ace860e5e448ee778"
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 845 (2025R1) — Relating to water utilities regulated by the Public Utility Commission.

</b> </i>] Authorizes the Public Utility Commission to order the [<i>acquisition</i>] <b>sale</b> of an incumbent water utility [<i>by</i>]<b> to</b> another water utility or entity when the incumbent water utility is not able to provide [<i>safe, adequate, efficient and reasonable</i>] <b>safe and adequate</b> service. <b>Requires the commission to provide the incumbent water utility reasonable opportunity to take alternative actions to the sale. Increases, from $5,000 to $100,000, the amount of fees that the commission may use to make emergency repairs to public utility plants that provide water service. Authorizes the commission to order a public utility that provides water service to make emergency repairs.</b>

## Version chain

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

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB845/Introduced)
2. **Senate Amendments to Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB845/Senate%20Amendments%20to%20Introduced)
3. **A-Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB845/A-Engrossed)
4. **SNRW Amendment -1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/ProposedAmendment/27669)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB845/Enrolled)

## Votes

- Heard and Reported Out with Amendments — **3–2** (pass) · upper
- Third reading. Carried by Helm. Passed. — **41–9** (pass) · lower
- Heard and Reported Out — **7–0** (pass) · lower
- Third reading. Carried by Golden. Passed. — **18–9** (pass) · upper

## Timeline

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

- **2025-01-13T17:07:30+00:00** Introduction and first reading. Referred to President's desk. `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2025-01-17T22:13:22+00:00** Referred to Natural Resources and Wildfire. `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-18T21:01:00+00:00** Public Hearing held.
- **2025-04-01T20:02:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2025-04-07T22:16:39+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass with amendments. (Printed A-Eng.) `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-08T19:03:35+00:00** Second reading. `reading-2`
- **2025-04-09T19:26:51+00:00** Carried over to 04-10 by unanimous consent.
- **2025-04-10T21:11:23+00:00** Third reading. Carried by Golden. Passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-04-10T23:51:53+00:00** First reading. Referred to Speaker's desk. `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2025-04-15T17:31:11+00:00** Referred to Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water. `referral-committee`
- **2025-04-28T15:01:00+00:00** Public Hearing held.
- **2025-05-12T15:02:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2025-05-14T22:22:39+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-05-15T18:20:57+00:00** Second reading. `reading-2`
- **2025-05-19T20:27:04+00:00** Rules suspended. Carried over to May 20, 2025 Calendar.
- **2025-05-20T18:40:35+00:00** Third reading. Carried by Helm. Passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-05-21T22:13:26+00:00** President signed. `passage`
- **2025-05-22T17:22:34+00:00** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2025-05-28T20:25:24+00:00** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2025-06-06T23:00:17+00:00** Chapter 233, 2025 Laws.
- **2025-06-06T23:05:17+00:00** 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/282cd64d-7b51-4a79-9e73-4d06785676bb`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Oregon legislature records).