Rep. Brian Clem

Proposes amendment to Oregon Constitution establishing obligation of state to ensure every resident of state access to cost-effective, clinically appropriate and affordable health care. Requires state to balance obligation to ensure health care with funding of public schools and other essential public services. Refers proposed amendment to people for their approval or rejection at next regular general election.

Creates family and medical leave insurance program to provide partially or fully compensated time away from work to covered individual who meets certain criteria while covered individual is on family leave, medical leave or safe leave. Requires employer and employee contributions to fund program. Establishes requirements for employers related to required contributions. Creates exemption from employer contribution requirements for employers that employ fewer than 25 employees. Provides grant program for certain employers to defray costs. Allows Director of Employment Department to assess civil penalties in specified circumstances. Authorizes director to bring civil action against employer for failure to file required reports and pay contributions due. Provides that employers shall be personally liable for contribution amounts due. Makes employer's violation of provisions of Act punishable by specified imprisonment, fine or both. Allows self-employed individuals and tribal government employers to elect family and medical leave insurance coverage. Directs director to determine contribution amounts and weekly benefit amounts for self-employed individuals and tribal government employers that elect coverage. Protects eligible employee's position of employment with employer while employee is on leave if employee has been employed with employer for 90 days before commencing leave. Prohibits employer from retaliating against employee who inquires about rights or responsibilities under family and medical leave insurance program and from interfering with employee rights under program. Establishes right for civil action for certain employer violations. Establishes Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund as trust fund and continuously appropriates moneys in fund to Employment Department for purposes of Act. Appropriates moneys to department to cover start-up costs related to program. Permits director to contract with third party to serve as administrator of program. Provides that employer may apply to director for approval of employer-offered benefit plan that provides family and medical leave insurance benefits that are equivalent to or better than leave and benefit amounts available under family and medical leave insurance program established by department. Establishes requirements for employers. Requires director to establish by rule application process for employers and method for resolving disputes between employers and employees concerning coverage and benefits provided under approved plan. Provides that employers may apply to director for approval of plan. Requires director to establish process for review of final decisions regarding benefit claims, benefit amounts, receipt of benefits and repayment of benefits. Provides that provisions of Act do not require reopening or renegotiation of collective bargaining agreement entered into before effective date of Act. Requires director to submit progress reports to interim committee of Legislative Assembly. Requires director to submit periodic report concerning administration of family and medical leave insurance program, including recommendations made by advisory committee. Provides specified delayed operative dates. Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Eliminates requirement that person provide proof of legal presence before Department of Transportation issues noncommercial driver license, noncommercial driver permit or identification card. Becomes operative January 1, 2021. Declares emergency, effective on passage.

Requires state to pay for ballot return envelopes that can be returned by business reply mail, or other mailing service determined by Secretary of State to be more cost effective or efficient, for each election held in this state. Applies to elections held on or after January 1, 2020. Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Expands types of entities that may receive grant from Farm-to-School Grant Program to purchase food produced or processed in state or to identify sources of foods or to process foods. Expands purposes for which grant may be used. Creates grant to encourage and sustain successful efforts related to program. Expands types of entities that may receive grant for food-based, agriculture-based or garden-based educational activities. Directs Department of Education to evaluate effectiveness of program and to ensure that technical assistance, training and resources are provided to certain entities. Declares emergency, effective July 1, 2019.

Requires that for person who completes prior educational requirements to participate in Oregon Promise program while confined in correctional facility, six-month period to enroll in courses to participate in program begins after person is first released from correctional facility. Authorizes Higher Education Coordinating Commission to waive requirement that person enrolled in program must enroll in sufficient number of credit hours to be considered at least half-time student, under specified circumstances.

Prohibits school district, community college district and certain education service district and community college district ] elections from being conducted in manner that impairs ability of members of protected class to have equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice as result of dilution or abridgment of rights of electors who are members of protected class. Establishes processes to ensure compliance with prohibition. Requires Secretary of State to ensure that forms used to nominate candidates for elected office to board of school district, education service district or community college district ] give candidate option of providing candidate's race and ethnicity.

Requires public employer to grant reasonable paid time to public employee who is designated representative to engage in certain activities. Requires public employer, upon request by exclusive representative, to authorize release time to designated representative of exclusive representative. Authorizes public employer and exclusive representative to negotiate and enter into agreements regarding release time. Entitles designated representative to be restored to same position after conclusion of release time. Requires public employer to provide exclusive representative reasonable access to employees in appropriate bargaining unit. Requires employers to provide employee contact information to exclusive representative within certain time limits. Permits public employer to deduct dues, fees and assessments from salary and wages of public employee who has authorized deduction. Requires employer to pay amounts deducted to labor organization. Expands definition of "employment relations" to include labor organization access to represented employees. Makes certain activities, related to labor organization, ] attempts to influence employee to resign from or decline membership , use of employer's electronic mail to discourage membership ] in labor organization or to discourage authorization of deduction for payment to labor organization, ] and employer's encouragement of employee to revoke authorization of deduction for payment to labor organization and provision of certain personally identifiable information about public employees within bargaining unit to entity other than exclusive representative, ] unfair labor practices.

Allows dog training classes to be conducted in farm buildings existing on January 1, 2019, within counties that adopted marginal lands provisions. Allows counties to approve up to five additional one-year extensions of land use permits for residential development. Declares emergency, effective on passage.

Expands list of hospitals whose medical staff may qualify for specified income tax credit. Applies to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2020. Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die.