Governor Kotek Signs Bills to Strengthen Oregon’s Economy and Create Jobs

Governor Tina Kotek signed key legislation passed during the 2026 legislative session designed to advance Oregon's economic prosperity. The new laws streamline processes for business investment, support small businesses facing pressures from tariffs, modernize regulatory approaches, and promote emerging sectors of the state's economy.

"Communities in every corner of our state are looking for clear, reliable pathways to help local businesses grow and support family-wage jobs in this challenging economic climate," Governor Kotek said. "These bills represent a promise that Oregon is open for business and ready to be a partner."

The Governor's action on laws that strengthen Oregon's economic landscape signals her continued effort to grow jobs, attract investment, enhance regional economic resilience, and position Oregon for long-term success amid national and global challenges.

In December 2025, Governor Kotek announced the Prosperity Roadmap, a statewide strategy that emphasizes business growth and retention, job creation, and building on Oregon's assets for future economic growth. The December announcement featured a framework for House Bill 4084, signed last week along with the bills below. Her bill implements a FastTrack permitting model for major economic development projects in Oregon and modernizes current economic development tools.

Other signed legislation includes:

• House Bill 4062 requires the Oregon Business Development Department (Business Oregon) to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all programs administered by the department and provide recommendations for improvement and streamlining to ensure alignment with Oregon's economic development efforts.
• House Bill 4102 modernizes the Department of Environmental Quality's regulatory processes by allowing agreements with regulated businesses to expedite or enhance permitting and compliance, helping balance environmental protections with efficient project development timelines.
• House Bill 4061 creates a micro-enterprise tariff adjustment grant program to help small Oregon businesses offset rising costs due to federal tariffs and updates the state's unified trade strategy to better promote Oregon exports, attract foreign investments, and support economic resilience.
• House Bill 4086 provides funding for "industrial symbiosis" pilot projects that reduce waste, lower emissions, and strengthen local supply chains across the state, including in Clatsop, Klamath, Morrow, and Multnomah counties. The bill is poised to turn waste into wealth by bringing together disparate industries so they can coordinate waste byproduct reuse into their respective supply chains.
• Senate Bill 1525 establishes the Blue Economy Task Force to study and develop recommendations for growing Oregon's ocean-related industries, including marine science, sustainable aquaculture, seafood, and coastal tourism while aligning economic opportunities with effective and efficient environmental stewardship.

"For capital-intensive projects and industries, predictability, efficiency, and coordination across state agencies is just as important as incentives," said Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County Director Paul Schuytema. "The comprehensive tools and regulatory streamlining these bills provide will bolster transparency, efficiency, and business opportunity in every corner of Oregon. This is a positive and exciting step forward, and I'm looking forward to continued efforts like these to build Oregon's economic flexibility and competitiveness."

"Our economy is at an inflection point-we need to act now to optimize our natural strength and innovation," said State Representative Daniel Nguyen (D-Lake Oswego & SW Portland), Chair of the House Committee on Economic Development, Small Business, and Trade. "Oregon's era of growth without direct intervention has ended. These policies are a good first step toward prosperity, and I thank Governor Kotek for acting with urgency and intention to actively encourage and attract more people, more jobs, and more businesses so that we can generate more revenue and resources for housing, education, healthcare, and all of our shared priorities."

To achieve the goals laid out in her Prosperity Roadmap, the Governor's Prosperity Council will be delivering final recommendations by June 30, 2026 to inform further legislative and executive action that will bolster Oregon's business climate, workforce opportunities, and economic growth strategies.

The Council has hosted multiple listening sessions and dozens of stakeholder meetings across Oregon aimed at creating opportunities for Oregonians from every corner of the state to share their insights, experiences, and ideas about the state's economic future. Over one thousand individual responses have been submitted to the Council via an online survey, with contributions from nearly every county in Oregon. That feedback will help shape and guide the Council's work.

The Prosperity Council will next convene in Pendleton on April 15.

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