Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Employment Age Discrimination topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate passes bill barring pre-interview age questions on job applications
Summary
The Oregon Senate passed House Bill 31‑87 to prohibit employers from asking job applicants about age, date of birth or graduation date before an initial interview, with limited exceptions for bona fide occupational qualifications or legal requirements.
The Oregon Senate on May 12 approved House Bill 31‑87, a measure that stops employers from asking job applicants for their age, date of birth or date of graduation before an initial interview except where age is a bona fide occupational qualification or required by law.
The bill’s sponsor on the floor, Senator Patterson, said the measure aims to prevent older jobseekers from being screened out before they can interview. “Many job applications require those looking for work to enter their age, their date of birth, or the year when they obtained their degree or certification,” Patterson said. “While this information might seem harmless, far too often it opens the door to discriminatory presumptions or stereotypes based on age.”
House Bill 31‑87 bars employers from requesting an applicant’s age-related information until after the first interview unless the employer can show a bona fide occupational qualification (the example cited on the floor was mandatory pilot retirement ages) or other legal requirement. The bill’s sponsor emphasized that the measure does not prevent employers from asking about experience, qualifications or credentials.
Supporters framed the bill as a targeted change to level the hiring playing field for older workers. Patterson noted Oregon would join other states with similar protections, naming Connecticut, Colorado, California, Delaware, Minnesota and Pennsylvania as comparators.
There was no recorded floor debate opposing the measure; the Senate called the roll and the bill was declared passed with the constitutionally required majority. The bill now moves forward in the legislative process per standard practice.
The bill’s proponents say the change is modest but intended to reduce early-stage age-based screening. The measure includes the narrow exception language to allow employers to comply with legal or safety requirements tied to age.
