Oregon bill would restore 5-year statute of limitations for workplace discrimination claims filed with BOLI

Representative Travis Nelson opened the public hearing on House Bill 2957, saying the measure would stop the Bureau of Labor and Industries’ (BOLI) administrative process from cutting short workers’ ability to file civil suits.

"HB 2957 fixes this. It ensures that workers, regardless of whether they go through BOLI or pursue civil action independently, retain the full five-year statute of limitations," Representative Travis Nelson said. "No one should be punished for seeking help from the state agency that is supposed to protect their rights."

The bill, Nelson and witnesses said, would preserve an employee’s full five-year filing window under Oregon law even if that employee first files an administrative complaint with BOLI and later receives a 90-day “right to sue” notice. Witnesses described repeated examples in which workers, particularly low-wage employees, people with disabilities, veterans, women and LGBTQ+ Oregonians, filed with BOLI and then faced a far shorter window to…