Portland camping ban and updated stalking law coming in July
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A handful of state laws and updated local regulations go into effect Monday that will impact Portlanders.
Why it matters: The changes reflect a new approach to homeless encampments and a crackdown on public transit fare evasion, as well as updates to state laws aimed at providing more protection for victims of stalking and sexual grooming.
Driving the news: Portland will begin enforcing Mayor Ted Wheeler's scaled-back homeless camping ban Monday.
- The ban requires campers on city property to accept shelter if it is available and establishes parameters for public camping if it's not. That includes not blocking sidewalks, starting a fire, or setting up permanent or temporary structures.
- Enforcement will focus on camps presenting "the greatest health and safety risks," according to the ordinance.
Flashback: A circuit court blocked last year's proposed ban on camping from 8am to 8pm before it went into effect.
Meanwhile, TriMet will increase fare inspections and step up enforcement of existing ridership rules starting Monday to "make transit cleaner, safer and more accessible," agency spokesperson Tyler Graf told Axios.
- The decision comes in response to passenger safety concerns over violence, drug use and harassment on transit.
How it works: TriMet has roughly doubled to 400 the number of frontline staff dedicated to safety and security since 2022, Graf said.
- TriMet will increase enforcement of its smoking ban and prohibit items on board that leak or block aisles, doors, or the priority seating areas.
- People without valid fare could be fined up to $250 or be barred from riding.
Zoom out: Although nearly two dozen laws passed by the Legislature this session won't go into effect until January, a couple become official July 1.
- In what lawmakers billed as a modernization of the state's stalking laws, House Bill 4156 expands the definition of stalking to include digital and online harassment, including what's known as revenge porn.
- It also expands the circumstances that constitute felony-level stalking and felony violations of a stalking protective order.
House Bill 4160 modifies the length of time a person is considered a student from 90 days to one year after graduating or leaving high school, for purposes of laws that require reporting school employees and others who engage in sexual contact with a student, according to the Statesman Journal.
- Another law establishes two new circuit court judges in Jackson and Washington counties to reduce case backlogs and improve the timeliness of judicial proceedings.
- A third new judge will start in Clackamas County on Jan. 1, 2025.
What's next: Small amounts of street drugs become illegal again Sept. 1 as the partial rollback of Measure 110 kicks in.