SAM Magazine—Salem, Ore., March 6, 2026—Oregon State HouseOregon lawmakers finally passed a bill that strengthens the enforceability of liability waivers in the state after several previous attempts to quell what had amounted to a crisis for the state’s outdoor recreation providers failed to progress over the past decade or so. Senate Bill 1517 passed the Oregon House 55-2 on March 5 and the Senate 29-0 on March 6. It only needs Gov. Tina Kotek’s signature to become law.

Several organizations and individuals have been fighting for liability waiver reform since a 2014 Oregon Supreme Court verdict invalidated the enforceability of waivers in the state, resulting in a significant uptick in lawsuits and leaving outdoor recreation providers facing untenable insurance costs. All but one ski area insurer has left the state because of the unfavorable legal climate. 

While SB 1517 is not the comprehensive reform the outdoor recreation industry had hoped for, it is an improvement. All sides involved reportedly made sacrifices to move the legislation along.

The Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association (PNSAA) was a major driver of the efforts for reform. Following the passage of SB 1517, Timberline, Ore., director of marketing and public affairs John Burton—also a big part of the reform effort—shared a statement with SAM on behalf of PNSAA:

The 2026 legislative session provides a waiver reform framework that reflects significant cooperation and compromise among stakeholders. While no single party achieved everything it sought, the process demonstrated the importance of working together and finding common ground in pursuit of solutions that serve the greater good. Many of the provisions included represent meaningful progress that we appreciate, and most are elements we feel confident we can work with moving forward. While a few remaining items still warrant continued discussion and careful implementation, we are encouraged that this bill will make a meaningful and positive difference for the insurance market and the communities that rely on it.

We appreciate the dedication and collaborative spirit shown over the past decade by the many stakeholders who helped move this effort forward, including the Oregon Health and Fitness Alliance, the Oregon Outfitters and Guides Association, the Pacific Northwest Ski Areas’ Association, the Oregon Trails Coalition, River and Trail Keepers, statewide municipalities and DMO’s, and a broad array of legal counsel. We are also grateful for the principled guidance provided by Kancler Consulting throughout this process.

The recreation and fitness community thanks Governor Kotek for her attentiveness to this issue, and we are proud of our legislative champions, including Sen. Meek, Rep. Levy, and Rep. Helfrich, who worked tirelessly on behalf of their constituents and demonstrated how thoughtful compromise can lead to durable, practical policy solutions.

Among the other organizations involved in the reform fight was the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA). In a letter acknowledging the many “individuals and organizations whose dedication made the successful passage of SB1517 possible,” Timberline president Jeff Kohnstamm credited NSAA director of risk and regulatory affairs Dave Byrd for contributing “decades of experience in legal precedent and practical application related to recreational statutes.”

Byrd, who testified repeatedly on the legislation and spoke to Oregon recreation groups around the state to help emphasize the extent of Oregon’s insurance crisis, told SAM, “Oregon was an outlier on releases of liability—every western state enforced them for various recreational activities, all but Oregon. The negotiations were brutal, and at times surreal, but the ultimate bill is far better law than currently exists in Oregon now.”

Prior to SB 1517, no other waiver enforceability reform bill ever made it to the floor for a vote. The next closest was SB 1196, which got through committee but died on the floor during the legislature’s last session in July 2025. 

Despite often having strong bipartisan support, legislation aimed at addressing waiver enforceability has consistently been met with strong opposition led by the lobbying efforts of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, the members of which have reportedly benefitted from the state’s legal climate. Several lawmakers that have opposed related legislation are also defense lawyers, including one of the two members of the House that voted against SB 1517.

Supporters, including Protect Oregon Recreation (POR), a coalition of more than 400 recreation and fitness organizations formed to advocate for reform, hope the legislation will help ease the insurance crisis outdoor recreation operators have faced. POR said that it is “reasonably hopeful that this bill will make a meaningful difference for the insurance market."