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Bill would add nine investigators to TSPC to reduce licensing investigation backlog
Summary
House Bill 3,504 would appropriate $2,054,000 from the general fund to the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission to hire nine investigators to reduce case delays. Witnesses said delays can exceed a year, disrupting schools and prolonging uncertainty for students, parents and educators; supporters said the appropriation is a one-time step to
House Bill 3,504 was the subject of a March 3 hearing in the House Committee on Education. The bill would appropriate $2,054,000 from the general fund to the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission for nine full-time investigator positions in the commission’s Professional Practices Unit; the bill declares an emergency and would take effect July 1, 2025.
Representative Courtney Neuron, sponsor, told the committee that the Professional Practices Unit investigates allegations of educator misconduct that can lead to revocation, suspension or denial of licenses and that current investigator caseloads have produced lengthy delays. “The safety of Oregon students depends on a swift and effective investigation process,” Neuron said, arguing additional investigators are needed to reduce backlogs and complete cases promptly.
Multiple witnesses described operational and emotional costs of slow investigations. Parisa Chanrami of the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators said TSPC received 463 new cases in 2024 and, as of February 2025, had more than 550 pending cases. The commission’s average investigation time is about 13.2 months from complaint to completion, testimony showed. Andrea Castaneda, superintendent of Salem‑Keizer Public Schools, said educators sometimes retire or resign rather than wait months for case resolution and that parents who file credible allegations can be left feeling the system is unresponsive.
TSPC staff said the unit’s capacity matters. Bill Rhodes, director of educator preparation and pathways programs at TSPC, said with five investigators in 2024 the commission cleared about 175 cases; TSPC’s director of professional practices estimated adding investigators and related support could increase yearly case closures substantially — roughly doubling clearance capacity in rough estimates provided at the hearing.
Advocates and district representatives supported the appropriation as a targeted, one‑time investment to speed investigations, reduce disruption to school staffing, and improve confidence in the disciplinary process. Opponents did not appear in force; committee members asked TSPC for more detailed projections quantifying how additional investigators would shorten average completion times and for follow-up cost analyses.
The hearing closed without a committee vote. Sponsors and witnesses asked the committee to consider the bill to address the backlog and return requested projections and fiscal detail to the record.
