Senate Bill 754 would allow businesses to require anyone who engages in a sports, fitness or recreational activity to sign a release form.
In 2006, a lower court ruled in a case of a snowboarder who crashed, becoming paralyzed, waived his right to sue after signing a waiver.
However, a 2014 Oregon Supreme Court ruling overturned that.
Travel Southern Oregon said this has increased liability insurance costs for businesses, that operate recreational activities.
“Those costs get passed on too,” Travel Southern Oregon executive director Bob Hackett said. “And that’s not the environment in the tourism world that we want to foster. We want everyone to be able to participate. We want everyone a lot of different price points. And we want support our partners in the outdoor industry who offer these things to guests and Oregonians alike.”
Travel Southern Oregon, Mount Ashland and SOU are among the local businesses that have signed the petition supporting the bill.
Mount Ashland said, since 2013, their liability insurance has gone up 118%.
They believe the new bill would lower insurance costs.
The bill has not yet gone to the Senate floor for a vote.
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