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Panel supports HB 2551 requiring campus hiring authorities to review DPSST background information for special campus security officers
Summary
The committee heard testimony in support of HB 2551, which would require public universities to request DPSST background and disciplinary records before commissioning special campus security officers.
The House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a public hearing Feb. 4 on House Bill 2551, legislation that would require public university governing boards to request and review Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) background and disciplinary information before commissioning special campus security officers.
Representative Hudson, sponsor of the bill, said the change responds to a post‑OUS (Oregon University System) transition oversight that, since around 2015, left universities without one statutory path to access DPSST disciplinary records for these specially commissioned, non‑sworn officers. He said the bill does not prescribe hiring decisions; instead it gives hiring managers fuller background information about candidates whose duties include making probable‑cause arrests and issuing citations.
Mark Overbeck of Southern Oregon University testified in support. Overbeck said student government and university leadership prioritize campus safety and that the bill balances safety and opportunity: "By not precluding an employment decision for someone who has faced disciplinary action, House Bill 2,551 ensures that background checks will help ensure safety, and help [hiring] be an important tool for considering who we will entrust with the safety of our students, staff, and faculty," Overbeck said. He also supported an amendment to keep review of sensitive background data within human resources rather than requiring board‑level access.
Committee members asked whether community colleges use the special campus security designation; witnesses said community colleges generally use in‑house or contracted security and do not use the statutory special campus security officer designation that applies to public universities.
The panel took testimony in support and from technical stakeholders; DPSST officials were not present but were noted as available for technical questions. No committee vote was taken during the hearing; the bill will return for further consideration.
