Establishes requirements for seed production contracts and seed purchase contracts for seed other than agricultural seed.
Prohibits fact finder from determining plaintiff's damages for civil cause of action using calculation for projected future earning potential of plaintiff that takes into account race or ethnicity of plaintiff. ] Makes calculation of projected future earning potential of plaintiff that takes into account race or ethnicity of plaintiff inadmissible in civil action. Directs court to instruct jury in civil action involving claim for projected future earnings that jury may not consider race or ethnicity of plaintiff.
Modifies funding mechanism for public employees' health care benefit to avoid excise tax under Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Requires local governments and school districts to participate in modified health care benefit plan. Permits public employees to redirect funds from health care premiums to other benefits. Dedicates portion of health care benefit costs to future health care costs and to critical services. Requires Public Employees' Benefit Board and Oregon Educators Benefit Board to assist employees in selecting benefit options. Excludes collective bargaining for specified health insurance benefits. Prohibits Public Employees' Benefit Board and Oregon Educators Benefit Board from self-insuring. Establishes Task Force on Flexible Benefits for Public Employees to monitor implementation of new benefit plans. Sunsets task force December 31, 2022. Declares emergency, effective on passage.
Transfers $7 million from Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement to Health System Fund to pay for Oregon Reinsurance Program. Increases taxes on cigarettes. Imposes assessment on ambulatory surgical centers and emergency ambulance services to be used for medical assistance program. Modifies hospital assessment and requires Oregon Health Authority to take specified actions with respect to medical assistance program. Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die.
Creates Task Force on Public Assistance Reform to study steps taken in Maine and Kansas to reduce public assistance expenditures. Directs task force to report findings, including recommendations for legislative changes, to interim committees of Legislative Assembly related to human services by September 15, 2019. Declares emergency, effective on passage.
Establishes retirement benefits payable under Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan to persons who establish membership in Public Employees Retirement System on or after effective date of Act. Provides that such persons do not become members of pension program of plan. Requires employers of such persons to make employer contributions to plan in amount equal to 10 percent of member's salary. Allows person to contribute additional two percent of salary, which is matched by employer. Provides break in service and change in service rules for persons who established membership in system before effective date of Act. Requires employer contribution rate set by Public Employees Retirement Board to be at least 18 percent of salary. For years beginning in 2019, caps at $200,000 annual salary used to calculate final average salary for purposes of Tiers 1 and 2 of system. Directs Oregon Investment Council to offer high, medium and low risk options for investment of individual accounts established under system. Directs board to adopt rules allowing members to elect from risk options. Directs Public Employees Retirement Board to recalculate employer contribution rates to reflect savings attributable to Act. Provides for expedited review of Act by Supreme Court upon petition by adversely affected party. Declares emergency, effective on passage.
Reestablishes Task Force on Reentry, Employment and Housing. Requires report to Legislative Assembly no later than September 15, 2018. Sunsets task force on December 31, 2018. Declares emergency, effective on passage.
Directs Department of Veterans' Affairs to develop and implement one or more grant programs statewide to expand and enhance existing campus veteran resource centers and employ campus veteran resource coordinators on campuses of community colleges and public universities to help veterans successfully transition from military service to college life, succeed in college, complete educational goals and transition from college to workforce and community. Limits biennial expenditures from lottery moneys allocated from veterans' services fund to Department of Veterans' Affairs for purpose of implementing grant programs. Requires Department of Veterans' Affairs to submit report on grant programs to interim legislative committees relating to veterans by August 31, 2018. Requires Advisory Committee to report to interim legislative committees related to veterans with evaluation of grant programs and recommendations for legislation by September 15, 2018. Sunsets January 2, 2020. Declares emergency, effective on passage.
Establishes Willamette Falls Locks Commission as advisory body for issues relating to repair, reopening, operation, maintenance and future transfer of ownership of navigational canal and locks. Appropriates funds from General Fund to Higher Education Coordinating Commission for purposes of Act. Sunsets commission, program and account on December 31, 2023. Declares emergency, effective on passage.
Requires school district board and public charter school governing body to adopt and implement policy that requires volunteers to undergo background check if district or school allows volunteers to have direct, unsupervised contact with school children. Allows governing body of private school to adopt and implement policy that requires volunteers to undergo background check if school allows volunteers to have direct, unsupervised contact with school children. Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die.
