2025 Bill Tracker
HB 2203
Implement the Behavioral Health Task Force Recommendations - After the death of Cascadia Behavioral Health worker Haley Rogers in 2023, Oregon AFSCME called for action by the state legislature to improve worker safety. In 2024, HB 4002 established a task force to look at how to prevent future injury and harm to workers. The recommendations include requiring written safety plans specific for each worksite, specific safety planning for lone workers, and assessments of the built environment to maximize safety and mitigate vulnerabilities. Additional training on deescalation, modeling the cost of increasing minimum staffing above one person and improving patient acuity assessments are also included in the recommendations among others.
There is a hearing scheduled for March 18th, which we will provide updates on in a future email.
SB
705
Workers Comp Fix for Low-Income Workers - Workers compensation is based on a formula that penalizes low-income workers hurt on the job, leaving them with a lower percentage of their take home pay than higher income workers. SB 705 will change the compensation formula for workers earning below the state average weekly salary of $998.84 for an individual and $1,059.99 for a family of four. This will allow them to focus on healing and pay the bills during their recovery.
A hearing will be scheduled in March, which we will provide updates on in a future email.
SB
606
PTSI Presumption for OSH and SACU - Due to the increased acuity of the populations they serve and chronic understaffing, workers at Oregon State Hospital and the Stabilization and Crisis Unit at Oregon Department of Human Services are regularly exposed to unsafe conditions and trauma on the job, but often are refused workers' compensation to help them heal. SB 606 would create a presumption that PTSI and other stress-related conditions are work-related for the purposes of workers compensation benefits.
At a hearing on 2/18 in the Senate Labor and Business Committee, David Lynch, President of Local 3295, Ronda Martinez and Sonia Brauhn from SACU Local 1246 testified in support for this bill.
SB 537/
HB 2552
Hospital Workplace Safety - Jobs in hospitals and in-home health & hospice settings have become more difficult and dangerous over the last few years as short staffing, increased acuity and other pressures have fueled a rise in workplace violence. This legislation defines workplace violence in statute, and prevents violence in hospitals. It promotes common sense safety improvements, supports victims of workplace violence by offering post-incident interviews, trauma counseling, first aid, and wage compensation when violence disrupts the remainder of a worker’s shift and increases transparency through improved reporting which provides data to the legislature to assess progress and help inform future policymaking.
This bill is currently in the Human Services sub-committee pending a work session.
HB 2695
OHSU Presidential Hiring Committee - Currently, the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Board of Directors does not include students, faculty, and/or staff in the search and hiring committees for a president of the university. This leaves many workers out of the conversation, including the many labor unions that exist within OHSU. The OHSU Presidential Hiring Committee Act (HB 2695) ensures a more democratic, transparent, and accountable hiring process for OHSU’s next president. Instead of unilateral decisions by the Board of Directors, this bill includes representation from students, faculty, and staff, making the selection process more diverse and well-rounded.
There is a hearing scheduled for March 6th in the House Higher Education Committee, which we will provide updates on in a future email.
HB 3363/SB 475
PERS Overtime Cap Fix - DOC has been operating with chronic short staffing for years, leading to thousands of hours of mandatory overtime. This policy has forced many staff members to work multiple 16 hour shifts in a week, with no option to refuse without penalty. Currently, DAS has a cap on the number of overtime hours that may be included in the final average salary calculation for OPSRP/Tier Three employees. HB 3363/SB 475 corrects the existing static cap of 300 hours, which will be assessed based on an equation and assessed annually.
Both bills had hearings in February with powerful testimony from members Don Carlyle (EOCI/L3361), Kate Oldfield (CRCI/L2376), David Lynch (OSH/L3295), Bradley Capps (SACU/L1246) and Trish Houtz (TRCI/L2376). Legislators are signing on as co-sponsors with future hearings to be scheduled.
HB 3789
The Worker Fraud Protection Act - Union members have fallen victim to third parties wearing union T-shirts and swag, identifying themselves as members of their union to persuade union members to opt-out of union representation. HB 3789 will define misrepresentation of a union representative as a fraudulent act, subject to civil penalties. We will keep you posted on hearing dates and upcoming opportunities to protect union workers.
The bill was first read on the floor of the House on 2/27, and a hearing has been scheduled for 3/10.
SB
24
DOC Medical Staffing - Oregon's Department of Corrections (DOC) has been operating under chronic short staffing for years. An unfortunate example of this is with DOC healthcare staff. There are simply not enough people to support timely healthcare service to adults in custody (AlCs). They are also required to do more than their counterparts supporting patients in the general public. DOC healthcare staff are caring for a population with complex physical and behavioral health needs. The wages and benefits that the state offers for DOC medical staff are not competitive with the private sector, harming recruitment and adequate staffing levels.
There is a hearing tentatively scheduled for Thursday 3/13 in the Senate Committee on Healthcare. Oregon AFSCME is coordinating testimony from AFSCME DOC healthcare members. Want to share your story? Email Susan Allen sallen@oregonafscme.org.
OHA Budget
Increased Staffing at Oregon State Hospital – Oregon AFSCME supports the Governor’s Recommended Budget/Oregon Health Authority requests that will increase safety and care for patients and reduce risk for workers. The request includes 136 mental health positions to reduce overtime for LPNs and RNs, increased forensic evaluation service positions, electronic monitoring of patient vital signs for enhanced care, increased security screening at OSH, and community navigators to help patients get the appropriate level of care when they leave OSH.
David Lynch, President of Local 3295, testified in support of this legislation, and at the moment it is in the OHA budget process.
HJM
6
NIH Research Resolution - Oregon researchers rely on NIH grants to fund groundbreaking medical research, but federal uncertainty and funding freezes have put labs and critical projects in jeopardy. Without stable support, lifesaving research could be delayed or lost. This bill urges Congress to ensure strong, consistent NIH funding and increase investment in cutting-edge medical research to keep Oregon at the forefront of innovation.
OHSU postdocs from Local 723 submitted several stories to Congresswoman Maxine Dexter about what’s at stake for them if federal NIH funding is cut.
HB 2642
BAD BILL: DEQ Privatization - Cuts 75+ AFSCME positions at the Department of Environmental Quality, who support the emissions control in seven clean air stations located in Medford and Portland. It would require the State to contract out these positions in order to privatize the work, going forward.
A hearing was held on 2/18, and Susan Allen from AFSCME’s political team testified in opposition. There have been no additional hearings or worksessions scheduled for the bill at this time.
HB 3107
BAD BILL: Permit Fasttracking - Allows a pathway for huge corporations to have a fast tracked process for permitting. Amazon is the major proponent of this legislation. Oregon DEQ AFSCME members are proud of Oregon’s gold standard permitting processes that ensures staff shepherding each process from application to enforcement.
There has been no movement on this bill, but we are tracking it in case we need to testify in opposition.