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Committee hears support for allowing public officials to accept pay for college teaching
Summary
A public hearing on House Bill 2932 drew testimony from the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, Oregon Health Authority and nursing educators supporting an exception to the prohibited-use statute so judges, state nurses and other public officials can teach for pay at postsecondary institutions.
The Senate Committee on Rules held a public hearing on House Bill 2932, a proposal to create an exception to ORS 244.04 so public officials may accept compensation for teaching one or more courses at Oregon postsecondary institutions.
Susan Myers, executive director of the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, said the change is intended to remove uncertainty and allow highly qualified judges, justices, state-employed nurses and other officials to teach without risking a prohibited use‑of‑office finding. "This exception makes sure there's no question that if the reason you're getting an opportunity is because of your years of experience in the legislature or in another public official position, that it would not be seen as a prohibited use of office for you to get a teaching position based on your public official experience," Myers testified.
Representatives of the Oregon Health Authority and nursing educators told the committee that the bill would help address shortages of behavioral‑health and psychiatric nursing faculty. Matthew Green of the Oregon Health Authority said some psychiatric nurses at Oregon State Hospital have been invited to teach, but the agency has had to advise that current ethics law can prohibit that activity. George Gilchrist, a registered nurse and nurse educator at Oregon State Hospital, said allowing state hospital nurses to teach clinical courses and bring students into hospital settings would improve training and become a recruiting tool for psychiatric nursing.
The League of Women Voters of Oregon also testified in support, saying the bill promotes public education and allows public officials to share experience with students while remaining subject to ethics rules. Committee members questioned drafting details about the bill language that references compensation "in exchange for teaching 1 or more courses;" committee staff said the phrasing aims to align with the statutory framework focused on prohibited uses tied to compensation.
No action was taken at the hearing; the committee closed public testimony on the bill and moved on to other items.
