Health Care
SB 1530 – This bill would require health insurance coverage of specified fertility services and treatments. It would require small and large employers and individual health benefit plans to cover a wide range of fertility services without cost sharing or capping coverage.
- Last Action – Referred to Senate Rules Committee (S)
Employment & Labor
HB 4002 – This has been the most highly controversial bill this session. We featured this topic as a solo discussion in last month’s Public Policy Meeting. If passed, this bill would remove the long-standing agricultural exemption from overtime. Farmers and ranchers simply do not have the ability to increase prices to adjust to increases in costs, and their labor needs are dictated by nature. This bill will reduce hours for workers, increase administrative burdens for farmers and harm one of Oregon’s largest industries. Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle has indicated she plans to move forward with administrative rules to enact overtime at 40 hours if the Legislature does not pass legislation this session.
- Last Action – Work Session held 2-22 (H)
SB 1512 – This bill would prohibit employers from taking job applicants’ juvenile records into consideration. As introduced, the bill is overly broad and ignores the needs of employers who handle sensitive personal information or work with vulnerable populations.
- Last Action – Referred to Senate Rules Committee, 2-22 (S)
Retail
SB 1565 – This bill would require businesses to accept cash. This is problematic given the pandemic-related reluctance of many workers to handle cash. Employers do not want to force employees to engage in activity they consider unsafe. This bill also ignores changing technology and attitudes toward cashless businesses.
- Last Action – Work Session Scheduled, 2-23 (H)
Transportation
HB 4090 – This bill requires state agencies procuring diesel vehicles to obtain certifications from manufacturers and dealers that their trucks can operate with a 20%-biofuel mix. Warrantying specific fuel types would add cost and complexity to an already challenging regulatory environment.
- Last Action – Work Session held, 2-17 (H)
HB 4141 – This bill would ban petroleum diesel and mandate renewable diesel statewide by 2029. Renewable diesel is an important tool for lowering greenhouse gas emissions and achieving Oregon’s climate goals. However, a mandatory transition to renewable diesel of limited supply almost certainly would lead to market volatility, uncertainty and fuel shortages. Current regulatory programs and those in progress will already drive market demand for renewable diesel without the arbitrary targets contemplated in the bill.
- Last Action – Work Session held, 2-22 (H)