Relating to child care facilities; prescribing an effective date.
Summary
HB 3496 directs the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) to create guidance for local governments on how to site and encourage child care facilities. The guidance must be developed by December 31, 2026 and must address how to implement existing child care-related land use statutes, how child care facilities may be allowed as home occupations, model land use regulations, best practices for speeding up permitting, and policy tools that local governments can use to incentivize development.
The bill also requires DLCD to publish the guidance on its website and send it, along with any legislative recommendations, to the interim legislative committees dealing with land use or child care. It does not itself change zoning rules statewide, but it is intended to shape local land use decisions and provide a framework for future legislation or local action. The act takes effect 91 days after adjournment of the 2025 regular session.
Impact
HB 3496 would add a new section to ORS chapter 197 and create a DLCD planning and advisory mandate focused on child care facility siting. It would affect local governments, land use planners, and child care providers by supplying model regulations and implementation guidance for existing statutes, while leaving final land use authority with local jurisdictions. The bill is procedural and policy-oriented rather than directly regulatory, but it could influence zoning, permitting, and local incentives for child care development statewide.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support: the House committee voted 9-0 to do pass and refer the measure to Ways and Means. No committee transcript was provided, but the unanimous committee vote indicates the bill was viewed favorably and as a practical response to child care access and land use barriers. The absence of recorded opposition in the materials points to a generally positive reception.
Contention
No specific objections are documented in the provided materials. The main policy issue implicit in the bill is how far local governments should go in accommodating child care facilities through zoning, home-occupation rules, streamlined permitting, and incentives. Any contention would likely center on local land use autonomy, administrative burden on DLCD and cities/counties, and whether the state should merely provide guidance or adopt stronger mandates.