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.
February: A hearing is scheduled for March 18th,
March: Local 1790 member Alex Mackaben testified before the House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care on 3/18. The bill is scheduled for a work session on 4/3.
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.
March: The bill is scheduled for Management-Labor Advisory Committee (MLAC) on March 31.
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.
March: This bill is currently in the Senate Health Care Committee, awaiting an amendment.
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.
February: There is a hearing scheduled for March 6th in the House Higher Education Committee.
March: The bill passed out of the House Committee on Higher Education on March 27th. It will now go to the House floor for a vote.
HB 3363
PERS Overtime Cap Fix - DOC, OSH, and SACU have been operating with chronic short staffing for years, leading to individual workers racking up thousands of hours of mandatory overtime each year, forcing staff to miss birthdays and holidays while regularly working multiple 16 hour shifts in a week. Currently, DAS has a cap on the number of overtime hours that may be included in the final PERS calculation for OPSRP/Tier Three employees. HB 3363 corrects the existing static cap of 300 hours, which will be assessed based on an equation and assessed annually.
February: The bill had a hearing with powerful testimony from members DOC members Don Carlyle, Kate Oldfield, Trish Houtz, OSH President David Lynch, and SACU member Bradley Capps.
March: HB 3363 is scheduled for a work session on 4/7.
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.
March: House Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards held a hearing for HB 3789 on 3/10. Oregon AFSCME Executive Director Joe Baessler testified in support of protecting union members. A work session has been scheduled for 3/31.
SB
24
SB
751
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.
Task Force on Healthcare after Retirement for Public Safety workers - Creates a taskforce to review how to extend healthcare coverage for retired public safety workers, including DOC. Corrections will be included in the taskforce.
February: A hearing is scheduled for 3/13 in the Senate Committee on Healthcare.
March: 12 DOC medical care members came to Salem from EOCI, CRCI, OSP, CCCF, and Deer Ridge to advocate for the bill on 3/13. There is a hearing scheduled for 4/1.
March: The Senate Committee on Labor and Business held a hearing on 3/26. A work session is scheduled for 4/3.
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.
February: 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.
February: 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.
March: Members from OHSU met with their legislators in mid-March to discuss the need for life saving and life extending biomedical research funding.
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.
February: A hearing was held on 2/18, and Susan Allen from AFSCME’s political team testified in opposition.
March: As of the 3/21 deadline, there are no additional hearings or worksessions posted.
HB 3107
BAD BILL: Permit Fast Tracking - Will require the state to contract out services currently supported by AFSCME Local 3336 DEQ workers. It will also strengthen the process 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 high standard permitting processes that ensures oversight oneach step from application to enforcement and retain their exclusive ability to write permits for the state of Oregon that safeguards clean air, water, and land.
March: The House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment held a hearing on 3/13, and Susan Allen from AFSCME’s political team testified in opposition. AFSCME Local 3336 (DEQ) President, Gus Glaser submitted written testimony in opposition.
SB 2024
Behavioral Health Workforce Investment - Access to high-quality behavioral health care depends on a strong, stable workforce, yet the people who are serving individuals with the highest need are struggling to make ends meet, leading to high turnover in the field This bill would provide $20 million for a targeted rate increase to support higher wages for workers. It would also establish a Workforce Incentive Grant Program which allows employers to offer workforce supports-including housing stipends, tuition assistance, child care subsidies, and other incentives-to attract and retain qualified professionals. The bill also allocates $5 million to the United We Heal trust to expand access to apprenticeships and career-advancing certifications.
March: Local 1790 President Porter Clements testified before the House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care on behalf of SB 2024. The bill is scheduled for a work session on 4/3.