Oregon lawmakers hear testimony to limit public display of resolved counselor discipline

House lawmakers heard emotional testimony on House Bill 2016 on Feb. 17, a measure that would let the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists remove certain disciplinary notices from public-facing lists after a defined period.

Representative Rob Noss, the bill sponsor, told the House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care he introduced the bill after a constituent complained that resolved disciplinary actions remain easily discoverable online and continue to damage providers’ careers years later. “Violations that occurred several years ago and have been resolved should be allowed to be removed,” Noss said.

Why it matters: supporters said long-standing online discipline listings can end careers, cause patient cancellations and permanent reputational harm even when a license was not suspended. Opponents, including NAMI Oregon, warned the bill’s current wording could be read too broadly and might limit access to searchable disciplinary databases the…