Committee hears bill to expand OLCC minor‑decoy checks, require clerk training

The House Committee on Economic Development, Small Business, and Trade heard public testimony April 2 on House Bill 2,282, a committee bill that would direct the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) to change minor‑decoy inspection procedures and require separate training or a permit for liquor‑store clerks.

Committee staff described HB 2,282 as a technical bill directing OLCC to study and modify its minor‑decoy operations. Rosie Shatkin of the OLCC told the committee that current statute requires randomization that, in 2022, resulted in only 12 of Oregon’s 284 liquor stores being included in the minor‑decoy checks; the agency later saw an overall compliance (pass) rate fall from 75% in 2022 to about 67% in mid‑2024. To increase oversight, OLCC proposes removing liquor stores and distilleries from the large randomization pool and running a separate annual check so each licensed liquor store is inspected each year.

Rosie Shatkin, identifying herself as with the OLCC, said the measure would also allow the agency to require liquor‑store clerks to hold a separate permit and complete online training similar to what OLCC requires of servers in bars and for marijuana permittees. She described the aim as educational rather than punitive: bringing clerks into the permit system would let OLCC provide training and “have an eye on each of the 284 liquor stores,” she said, to raise compliance rates.

Representative questions focused on implementation and enforcement. Representative Osborne and others asked whether adding a clerk permit would shift liability from store owners to clerks and whether clerks could lose the ability to work if a permit were revoked. Shatkin said OLCC intends a rule‑making process with stakeholders and emphasized that the change is intended to educate clerks and store owners rather than to unduly punish individuals. She also said the change would not take effect until 2027, giving time for rule making and stakeholder engagement.

Sarah Lochner, representing the Oregon Coalition of Local Health Officials (CLO), supported HB 2,282 and the expected amendments. Lochner argued that annual inspections and clerk training are “the right direction” to reduce minors’ access to alcohol and tobacco products and pointed to public‑health harms, saying, “When we know better, it’s time to do better.” She told the committee that preventing early substance use reduces long‑term health and health‑care costs.

Committee members asked about fiscal impacts and OLCC staff said they expected to absorb the changes within existing resources and that fiscal considerations were under discussion in rule making. No formal committee vote was taken on HB 2,282 during the hearing; the committee closed the public hearing and proceeded to work‑session items. The record includes discussion of expected rule making, a 2027 implementation date, and stakeholder conversations about whether fines or permit revocation will be part of enforcement.