An Oregon bill called the "Right to Rest Act" would decriminalize camping in public places and give homeless people the ability to treat property — like tents — as private residences even when they're on public sidewalks, KATU-TV reported.

HB3501 asserts that homeless people would be entitled to "a privacy interest and a reasonable expectation of privacy in any property belonging to the person, regardless of whether the property is located in a public space," KATU said, adding that means they can treat public spaces like private residences "without discrimination and time limitations that are based on housing status."

The station added that homeless people also can sue for up to $1,000 if they are "swept, told to relocate, or otherwise 'harassed' as per the bill."

Jimmy Jones — executive director of the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency — told KATU that "most of the advocate community in the state really want to establish a constitutional right to exist, and I am very sympathetic with that position because I don’t believe that when people lose their housing they lose their legal and constitutional rights."

Decriminalize public camping, "Right to rest" bill proposed in Oregon legislatureyoutu.be

A number of commenters underneath the KATU video report on YouTube didn't seem thrilled by the bill:

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