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Effective Dates of (Oregon) Legislation

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1) If you just need a quick and dirty answer to your “what is the effective date of this new law?” question and don’t have time to find the answer yourself (or just aren’t interested), phone the:

Legislative Liaisons (in Salem): 503-986-1000

The Legislative Liaisons are quick, helpful, courteous and just plain terrific.

2) If you want a DIY (Do-it-Yourself) lesson in Effective Dates, read on:

a) OREGON REVISED STATUTES

ORS 171.022 Effective date for Act of Legislative Assembly.
Except as otherwise provided in the Act, an Act of the Legislative Assembly takes effect on January 1 of the year after passage of the Act. [1999 c.1012 §1]

b) OREGON CONSTITUTION

Article IV

Section 1.

(3)(a) The people reserve to themselves the referendum power, which is to approve or reject at an election any Act, or part thereof, of the Legislative Assembly that does not become effective earlier than 90 days after the end of the session at which the Act is passed.

(4)(d) Notwithstanding section 1, Article XVII of this Constitution, an initiative or referendum measure becomes effective 30 days after the day on which it is enacted or approved by a majority of the votes cast thereon. A referendum ordered by petition on a part of an Act does not delay the remainder of the Act from becoming effective.

Section 28. When Act takes effect.

No act shall take effect, until ninety days from the end of the session at which the same shall have been passed, except in case of emergency; which emergency shall be declared in the preamble, or in the body of the law.

3) If you want more, see:

a) Oregon Constitution

b) Oregon Legislature web page

c) Oregon Legislative Counsel Bill Drafting Manual. (As of today, the Chapter 12 discussed effective dates.)

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