[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6607366,"mediaKeyId","2953043-87ad63a3e9035424ebd0bc831f62e4d8","parentId",2953043,"title","Bill would require age verification for online sales of nitrous oxide canisters; testimony urges broader restrictions","audioSeconds",1787,"startMs",1529000,"endMs",3316000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2953043-87ad63a3e9035424ebd0bc831f62e4d8&start=1529&end=3316","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2953043-87ad63a3e9035424ebd0bc831f62e4d8/thumbnail_1529000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6607366/Oregon/Bill-would-require-age-verification-for-online-sales-of-nitrous-oxide-canisters-testimony-urges-broader-restrictions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6607366-4d4db1df04aacdb96846d73b4701b214/orig.mp4?Expires=1771034477&Signature=exM9-3rE8nkhevDyxQcYLcIxzCdjHKdgziA4wsYi9sX6p66ANofajjemaTpkHQ0ahX86CnOfN3HbnHG7ByApLLQtU5R~kYs5yxxufPKXZy5CuluLRXykw~2t2nxsp8iNsOJnFI3DelJh1Duu5Nm5fAq3aayA7FeL4gyJQV-3U8oO555eQm7VV1MZZQi8NafGphHtSUdkGm9kNN1v2iP0ZEUjc1A3-8dM2FPJDBhrHAmVhSpgl3NzXWP1xWhonsMRUJd6uqxK58C97lGVjmgHg3WPjFuntkdWys4NX4XLofiBQXYnYwl0lL5JpOzyibdy-iJY4NuJTHvXFnhVTpc6Tg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","article","Chair Taylor opened the hearing on House Bill 3447, which the sponsor described as requiring retail sellers using online/electronic systems to verify that buyers are 18 or older for sales of nitrous oxide canisters on or after Jan. 1, 2026. The bill came to the committee from the House with a reported floor vote of 57 aye, 1 nay and 2 excused.

Representative Emily McIntyre, sponsor of the bill, told the committee she supports the measure and would welcome more stringent language. She said online sales currently include no age verification and that teenagers can order large canisters or small “whippets” online with home delivery. “The bill makes it so if you order online nitrous oxide, you have to get carded,” she told the committee.

Lori Huntley of Eagle Point testified she has a son recovering from nitrous-oxide-related injury and urged stronger restrictions. Huntley described her son’s medical condition: “Our son, Austin, age 38, has difficulty walking, as well as numbness in all of his extremities. The central nervous system along the spine loses its sheath that surrounds the nerve.” Huntley said the family has bank records she said show repeated purchases and that product labels warn ingestion can be deadly. She urged lawmakers to adopt more aggressive regulation.

Committee members asked practical questions about how the product is consumed and how retail sales and delivery work. Senator Hayden and others discussed the possibility of raising the minimum purchase age to 21 and aligning this bill with past legislation aimed at similar products, such as legislation raising age limits for other inhalants. Representative McIntyre said she would be willing to consider a 21-year-old threshold and to work on an amendment; committee members agreed to attempt drafting an amendment and scheduled a work session for the following Tuesday, while acknowledging the amendment might require concurrence from the House if enacted by the Senate.

Ending: The public hearing closed with committee members signaling interest in further language and potential amendments to raise the age or extend restrictions to in-store sales; no committee vote occurred at the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee On Labor and Business 04/10/2025 8:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 3447 would require online sellers to verify buyers are at least 18 before completing sales of nitrous oxide canisters, a measure its sponsor said is intended to curb easy youth access to products used recreationally.","taxTitle","Labor and Business, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17989,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6607376,"Bill would codify BOLI Employer Assistance Division and expand mediation for wage and hour disputes",518,647000,1165000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2953043-87ad63a3e9035424ebd0bc831f62e4d8&start=647&end=1165","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2953043-87ad63a3e9035424ebd0bc831f62e4d8/thumbnail_647000.jpg","/articles/6607376/Oregon/Bill-would-codify-BOLI-Employer-Assistance-Division-and-expand-mediation-for-wage-and-hour-disputes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6607376-b979a929e75de0c6aa84129d6a3c8113/orig.mp4?Expires=1771034477&Signature=F2p~2WVnfIjZXzb4joLUuDowkSy5r4o3IBYUyzmZf0LqYV2ISIOOTlebZzzpwg4814uxGsKnud0fqhQTXzWfIJKxJjgIKGmAaJ-l3BdYByM5KXTNNuF-VZ7UmgclIfODayrPrjqiTzB7E5iJ54sJDRVGah7u8aU1JhOLijsGiS2zx2PiTddX2CWZRh07Nqpxb5RMjGCYC7bye0EPZUo-CnDeoVOmmrBW-lMdJmbrYQvtIcqgfw6XGPnWI9qEl-lt15m1arqeE5xPSU8Q~mWbJ1xwetwkvnPtJBAyu6noNPTq5dy2Y4y03Q1nGlrtVh9GaYeMlVabU87wSJW~gUNGvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chair Taylor opened the public hearing for House Bill 2248A and Whitney summarized that the bill, brought from the House Interim Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards, establishes the Employer Assistance Division within the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), clarifies BOLI’s ability to settle violations through alternative resolution processes and takes effect on the 91st day after adjournment.

Josh Nasby of the Bureau of Labor and Industries told the committee the bill “builds upon our existing collaborative work with employers and codifies our Employer Assistance Division” and that it expands the bureau’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) tools for wage-and-hour and civil-rights matters. Nasby said sections 1–4 codify the Employer Assistance Division, provide “clear sideboards,” and protect communications between employers and the division both from public disclosure and from subsequent use in BOLI enforcement. He said the bill allows an employer who reasonably relied on the division’s guidance to raise that reliance in a subsequent enforcement proceeding as a defense to penalties, but that “if the employer owes the worker money, they’re still gonna need to make the worker whole.”

Nasby described an advisory-opinion process for broader interpretive guidance requested by trade associations; advisory opinions would be publicly disclosed and could be used as evidence by an employer in a BOLI prosecution. He also said the bill allows BOLI to obtain employer contact information from other state agencies to help distribute guidance and educational materials.

Plumbus Sparks (Oregon Business and Industry), whose organization represents a range of private-sector employers, testified in support and said BOLI’s employer-assistance work — manuals, conferences and FAQs — helps employers comply with new laws and prevents violations. Sparks said codifying employer assistance and ADR expands tools to help employers “comply with the law so we prevent violations from occurring and we avoid enforcement actions on the back end.”

Committee members expressed support and interest in ensuring the initiative does not create mission creep for BOLI staff; Chair Taylor closed the public hearing and said she planned a committee work session the following Tuesday.

Ending: No committee vote was taken at the public hearing. Supporters characterized the bill as a preventive, cost‑efficient approach intended to reduce violations via education and mediation while protecting confidential communications used during ADR.","Senate committee members heard that House Bill 2248A would codify an Employer Assistance Division at the Bureau of Labor and Industries, protect communications with that division from disclosure and expand mediation provisions for wage-and-hour and civil-rights matters.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":80,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6607381,"Senate committee hears bill to modernize Oregon Insurance Guarantee Association, raise claim cap to $600,000",565,82000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2953043-87ad63a3e9035424ebd0bc831f62e4d8&start=82&end=647","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2953043-87ad63a3e9035424ebd0bc831f62e4d8/thumbnail_82000.jpg","/articles/6607381/Oregon/Senate-committee-hears-bill-to-modernize-Oregon-Insurance-Guarantee-Association-raise-claim-cap-to-600000","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6607381-a221de25f67686543d2f2b9d1aa88323/orig.mp4?Expires=1771034477&Signature=SKa5xYJLvmwhmogjpNu9de1wn4KD-tbZg8Aw9KgMKAkjhD3gCWSwzFHk1Gccsn43ymTyrbHMX-HWxp2OxL-D3ppXLjNs0OXAxGxhyBaS-rzleqzIaftOyWmt8-H55G2OfiKDM8-I3agDsUUYL3mL46hJZpTjLwb59exHodef7UqLj3xzAH09TpU5YNoSj0oBWWIr933pt7KpUv1ocAZgUcMtfYb-0a1xwQJZFoXK4y6wIHYGJzfHAumaKnZmbe6WRdFKCrnFUJO70uX2ADir3lZefK3nqUvFiAqUx8Nt6JolX8Q36DyQIEsf0NeJhCCNyLoK2mS-6ztmnxJFfuQ6Dg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chair Taylor opened the public hearing on House Bill 2130 on April 10, 2025. Whitney (staff) explained the measure, saying it was brought by the House Interim Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection for the Oregon Insurance Guarantee Association and that it carried no revenue impact and only a minimal fiscal impact.

Kathy Bronton Bazant, administrator of the Oregon Insurance Guarantee Association, described the association as a consumer-protection entity created in 1971 that pays covered property and casualty claims when a member insurer is ordered into liquidation. “We refer to ourselves as OIGA,” Bronton Bazant said, explaining OIGA’s funding sources: insurer assessments (the last assessment was in February 2002), recovery from liquidated assets, a special deposit fund tied to workers’ compensation insurers, and investment income.

Bronton Bazant said House Bill 2130 “modernize[s] the law that governs OIGA” and highlighted two changes: clarifying how cyber-insurance claims would be treated if a member insurer becomes insolvent and raising the statutory cap on property and liability claims from $300,000 to $600,000 for insolvencies on or after Jan. 1, 2025. On the cap she said the increase reflects higher repair and materials costs and was chosen to align with limits used by the Oregon Fair Plan. “The idea behind the guarantee fund is not to replace the full policy. It is to help protect the consumers of our state,” Bronton Bazant said.

Sean Miller, speaking for the Oregon Insurance Guarantee Association, added that the bill “is a consumer protection bill” and noted the measure passed the Oregon House unanimously or nearly so (58 aye, 2 excused on the House floor, per the sponsor’s remarks).

Chair Taylor closed the public hearing after committee members had no questions and said she planned to schedule a work session the following Tuesday.

Ending: The committee took no formal action at the hearing. Committee members and witnesses said the bill modernizes an older statutory framework, especially by clarifying coverage for cyber claims and increasing the per-loss cap; the committee's next step was a scheduled work session.","Witnesses told the Senate Committee on Labor and Business that House Bill 2130 would update the Oregon Insurance Guarantee Association law to clarify coverage for cyber claims and raise the property/liability cap from $300,000 to $600,000 for insolvencies on or after Jan. 1, 2025.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6607371,"Workers' compensation bill would require lump-sum PPD payments when award becomes final or worker waives reconsideration",298,1187000,1485000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2953043-87ad63a3e9035424ebd0bc831f62e4d8&start=1187&end=1485","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2953043-87ad63a3e9035424ebd0bc831f62e4d8/thumbnail_1187000.jpg","/articles/6607371/Oregon/Workers-compensation-bill-would-require-lump-sum-PPD-payments-when-award-becomes-final-or-worker-waives-reconsideration","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6607371-126a12b4912b84d0c9fae5efa2aa1827/orig.mp4?Expires=1771034477&Signature=bJ-KrnsGZ6xCJy6M0aRjD4qnQdgkcEef84wcumg~QwxmQIMCIHWFKo~5MHhlfHi4g0kqU-6~qirBz0SgCeduu8E~Ix48NaMG5aoX~HVxDuQyUIckT0tLJH3STGGJaI4QlJ5iqmI-hTePEPh~YOqgsJLQFIfddg~tVrE4TMoibfyzCHeak7GPrhyRxcJrZyS22foJ-x4sZytsY~JJodwlEdEW-eJo~GcCtpTqeRZj~Sr0ww8woCwOZKcOEIzKXZagoE4yx60zqOmB2PtUhsRdgr~6QveMlTFMcOVEqtrFW-lrEgI5aQPb52RsP6kX6cd7UPjlgg0H9rgwCknsUcD-QA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chair Taylor opened the public hearing on House Bill 2802A. Whitney told the committee the measure, carried by the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS), requires insurers to make lump-sum payments of permanent partial disability (PPD) awards in certain circumstances and clarifies exceptions.

Matt West, administrator of the Workers’ Compensation Division, described the statutory issue the bill addresses, noting that changes made in 2007 altered the administrative pathway for lump-sum requests so that workers now request lump sums from carriers rather than the division. West said a 2023 Court of Appeals decision concluded that even if a worker waives the right to appeal an award, the award may not be final by operation of law under current text, creating a delay of up to 60 days for some workers to access lump sums.

“House Bill 2802 ensures that workers who waive their right to request reconsideration of the notice of closure can get the full amount of their award sooner,” West said, summarizing that the bill requires lump-sum payment upon worker request if the worker waives reconsideration, and preserves existing grounds for denial (e.g., a timely carrier request for reconsideration, a stay due to hearing request, or when the worker is in vocational training).

West told the committee the Workers’ Compensation Management-Labor Advisory Committee voted to support HB 2802 on Feb. 27 and that the change is intended to correct an oversight in ORS 656.230 related to lump-sum payments.

Chair Taylor closed the public hearing and said she intended to schedule a work session for the following Tuesday; no committee vote was taken at the hearing.

Ending: The bill seeks to ensure timely lump-sum payments when a worker waives reconsideration, correcting a statutory interpretation produced by a recent appellate decision; a work session was planned and no committee vote was recorded at the hearing.","House Bill 2802A would change the treatment of permanent partial disability (PPD) awards by requiring insurers to make lump-sum payments when a worker requests one and the award becomes final by operation of law or the worker waives reconsideration; the bill also clarifies when lump sums are not required.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6607363,"Bill would allow selected state agencies to share data with Paid Leave Oregon and unemployment insurance programs",286,1927000,2213000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2953043-87ad63a3e9035424ebd0bc831f62e4d8&start=1927&end=2213","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2953043-87ad63a3e9035424ebd0bc831f62e4d8/thumbnail_1927000.jpg","/articles/6607363/Oregon/Bill-would-allow-selected-state-agencies-to-share-data-with-Paid-Leave-Oregon-and-unemployment-insurance-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6607363-12ad9b5c463fe03ae6116dc750dab117/orig.mp4?Expires=1771034477&Signature=YGbrWa7IlrBpI~SfFSc~jggxPAhag5NDXmKbGuP2ztX54rejz310WhSLpC2Q~MTD6K~Nk3jMHS2Bs91AMb4AEjdU4Imp-D5PD-Rgt2ECq9eV1FZRte~4r8C9DRLNos29nrr1og2LBB5jvfe1fMAT4t~nKVxmeew-ya-9aTbA9Cjx6wszTLI9fSS8YKQ4EeWzGaJFKAUpPiyBL-fahwywmL9JRlksXAPsVrGwR6xAIR~1Sb~cCuySZPPfQP6Db900uSTYNx~IO5jATyr7Zb6ic4zcli2fP1N9Mv-f0HoGp1XIDBFo2p2sMFOebFWj58gBLeRLRhT8SuHn94EhPvGwQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chair Taylor opened the hearing on House Bill 3022, described by Whitney as a Department of Employment concept that authorizes specific state agencies to share information with the Oregon Employment Department for administering the Paid Leave Oregon and unemployment insurance programs. The bill applies to disclosures and reports required on or after Jan. 1, 2023, and takes effect on the 91st day after adjournment.

Karen Halalva, director of Paid Leave Oregon at the Oregon Employment Department, told the committee HB 3022 would enable joint audits with the Department of Revenue, automatic sharing of self-employed income information, sharing of employer-reported income details to detect misclassification, alignment of child-support new-hire sharing, and access to confinement data from the Department of Corrections and county jails that the unemployment insurance program already receives. Halalva said the bill was refined after 2023 work with the Department of Revenue and that it does not include employer contribution reporting to the Department of Revenue, a controversial element of a prior 2023 proposal (House Bill 2290).

Halalva said the changes would improve program administration, reduce multiple audits on employers, and provide tools to verify eligibility and detect misrepresentation or fraud. She described the bill as having minimal programming needs that could be handled with existing resources and said the Department of Revenue had withdrawn prior objections.

Chair Taylor closed the public hearing and said she intended to schedule a work session for the following Tuesday; no committee vote occurred at the hearing.

Ending: Supporters characterized HB 3022 as a technical, interagency data‑sharing fix designed to improve efficiency and detection of misclassification or fraud while protecting taxpayer information.","House Bill 3022 would authorize specified state agencies — including the Department of Revenue, Department of Justice Child Support Division and corrections authorities — to share information with the Oregon Employment Department to improve administration of Paid Leave Oregon and unemployment insurance, agency testimony said.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill would require age verification for online sales of nitrous oxide canisters; testimony urges broader restrictions

Bill would codify BOLI Employer Assistance Division and expand mediation for wage and hour disputes

Senate committee hears bill to modernize Oregon Insurance Guarantee Association, raise claim cap to $600,000

Workers' compensation bill would require lump-sum PPD payments when award becomes final or worker waives reconsideration

Bill would allow selected state agencies to share data with Paid Leave Oregon and unemployment insurance programs