House Labor and Workplace Standards committee advances multiple bills; prevailing‑wage off‑site fabrication sent to Ways and Means

The House Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards met April 7 and took action on several work sessions, adopting amendments and forwarding bills to the floor or to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.

The committee adopted a dash‑4 amendment to House Bill 2249, which establishes a task force on health care apprenticeships and career pathways and authorizes modest per‑diem and expense reimbursement for task force members. The committee approved the amended bill with a due‑pass recommendation and referred it to Ways and Means.

Committee members engaged in extended debate over House Bill 2688, which would apply prevailing‑wage requirements to bespoke off‑site fabrication and prefabrication specifically produced for public works projects. The committee rejected a proposed dash‑7 amendment and adopted a dash‑5 amendment instead; the bill as amended was given a due‑pass recommendation and referred to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Members raised enforceability questions for out‑of‑state or international manufacturers and expressed concern about potential cost impacts to Oregon contractors and transportation projects.

The committee also advanced three other measures. House Bill 2799 (dash‑2) raised the cap on witness fees, expenses and claimant costs in workers' compensation disputes to $3,500 (with higher…