The 2007 Legislative Session produced a number of new laws. Many of the changes can and will have an impact on Vernonia while others are good to have knowledge of. Here is a summary of several of the changes to laws important to Vernonia in green. The laws took effect on January 1, 2008 unless otherwise noted: Smoking Ban & Bottle Return Effective January 1, 2009 -Oregon's ban on indoor smoking will be extended to restaurants, bars, taverns, bingo parlors, and bowling alleys. The remaining exemptions will apply to cigar bars and smoke shops. Tribal casinos are not subject to the law. -Oregon's deposit requirement for containers will be extended to water bottles. Traffic HB 2872: Teen Cell Phone -prohibits drivers under 18 from using a cell phone if they have a provisional driver's license or a special student or instruction driver permit. This is a secondary offense and can't be the primary reason for a stop. HB 2147, 2148: Teen Alcohol -makes 18, 19, & 20yr olds subject to automatic license suspensions for alcohol offenses and creates the Class A violation of underage person in possession of alcohol while driving. HB 2774: Ignition Interlock -requires an ignition-interlock device on the cars of people convicted of drunken driving for one year for the 1st offense and two years for a second or subsequent offense. HB 2321: Fail to Pay -doubles the automatic license suspension for failing to pay a fine or appear in a traffic-related court proceeding from 5yrs to 10yrs. HB 2740: New Crime -creates new crime of aggravated vehicular homicide and expands 1st degree manslaughter and 1st degree assault to situations involving drunken drivers who kill or seriously injure someone. HB 2895: Reports to Police -requires health care provider to notify police within 5 days if the provider reasonably thinks that a person who receives treatment after a crash if the blood-alcohol content of .08% or greater, disclosed through a blood test. SB 101: ATV's -makes new requirements to include age-size restrictions aimed at keeping kids off adult-size machines. Theft HB 3026: Metals -updates legislation to attack the problem of methamphetamine users stealing metals, selling the materials for scrap, and using the proceeds to buy illegal drugs. SB 331: Retail Theft -creates new crime of organized retail theft. Must prove person stole merchandise, acted in concert with another person, and aggregate value of the merchandise within a 90-day period exceeds $5,000. SB 447 & 464: Identity Theft -adds "living or deceased" to definition of a person whose identity is used by someone and creates crime of aggravated identity theft if defendant commits i.d. theft 10 or more times in 180 days, amount stolen exceeds $10,000, or has 10 or more pieces of identification from 10 or more different people. SB 447 is Class C Felony and SB 464 is a Class B Felony. SB 583: Personal Information -requires businesses and others to safeguard personal information. Consumer Protection HB 2513: Gift Cards -bars the sale of gift cards that expire or have a face value that declines over time or with lack of use. SB 431: Landlord Towing -prohibits landlords from having motor vehicles towed with notice except under special circumstances. HB 2163: Self-Extinguishing Cigarettes -bars distribution or sales of cigarettes in Oregon unless the cigarette is of a variety the state fire marshal has determined to be fire safe. HB 2096: Mobile Home Parks -allows people living in manufactured-home parks to join together to create nonprofit cooperatives to buy land if park owners are selling for development purposes. HB 2208, 2237, 3009, 3201: Benefits Package -offer emergency financial assistance to veterans and military families, grants for part-time study, tax relief, educational benefits, and elimination of red tape related to homeownership. Children HB 3515: Internet Predators -makes it a crime to solicit minors over the Internet, which will give police more power to intervene when children are at risk of online sexual predators. HB 2843 makes it a crime, with some exceptions, to furnish sexually explicit material to a child. HB 2179: Child Abuse -If a child is at risk of being abused, provides that state workers do not have to gain written permission from the suspected abuser to run a criminal background check. Civil Rights HB 2007: Domestic Partnerships -legalizes and establishes procedures for domestic partnership agreements by same-sex couples. SB 2: Discrimination -prohibits discrimination against people based on sexual orientation.

New Laws 2008