Oregon lawmakers approve measure to limit National Guard deployment by the federal government

By LAUREN DAKE/Oregon Public Broadcasting

SALEM — Oregon legslators approved a measure Friday to clarify when the Oregon National Guard can be deployed for federal service.

The bill, which passed 32-16, comes as the Trump administration’s decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles is playing out in the courts.

Democratic Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, who noted he was a member of the military, said the measure “reflects long-standing legal precedents.”

“Quite frankly, what we used to think of as normal,” Evans said.

House Bill 3954 would clarify the limits on when and how the National Guard units could be deployed for federal service. If mobilization, for example, compromised the guard’s ability to respond to a disaster in Oregon, such as wildfires or earthquakes, that deployment would not be permitted.

The bill was first introduced in April, well before President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles after people started to protest the administration’s immigration raids. The deployment was reportedly the first since 1965 by a president of a state National Guard without the governor’s permission.

“This is the first time in 30 years that this map has been coming out that anyone can remember this fire potential map looking like this,” Grayber said. “And this tells us a couple of things. We are in for a heck of a ride this year with fire season.”

Grayber noted the state has already experienced a devastating fire. The Rowena fire burned 56 homes and was among the most destructive fires in state history.

She said Oregon could find itself fighting for fire resources if neighboring states are also battling wildfires. “Guess who we look to,” Grayber said of that situation, “the National Guard.”

The National Guard has been instrumental in helping fight fires in Oregon for years. The troops were particularly crucial during the state’s 2020 devastating wildfire season.

The National Guard serves both state governors and presidents at the same time. There are about 2,300 members of the Air National Guard in Oregon and about 4,800 members of the Army Guard. The guard has bases across the state, from Klamath Falls to Portland to Warrenton.

“I see part of this bill as an unnecessary and essential step to ensuring that when we most need our folks for the citizens of this state for our homes and our state lands that they are available for that purpose,” Grayber said.

The bill now heads to the Senate.

 This story originally appeared June 20, 2025 on Oregon Public Broadcasting.