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Panel hears bill allowing OED to require drug tests for some unemployment claimants; unions and legal advocates oppose
Summary
Senate Bill 748 would permit the Oregon Employment Department to require drug testing for initial unemployment‑insurance claimants under limited circumstances. The committee heard extensive testimony raising concerns about public‑benefit barriers, administrative cost, and potential harms to people with substance‑use disorders.
Senate Bill 748, introduced by Senator David Brock Smith, would permit the director of the Oregon Employment Department to require an individual filing an initial claim for unemployment insurance benefits to submit to a drug test for unlawful controlled‑substance use if the individual was terminated from their most recent employment for unlawful drug use or if suitable work available to the claimant is only in occupations that regularly conduct drug testing.
Senator Brock Smith framed the bill as a targeted, discretionary tool intended to address workplace safety in occupations where drug testing is common and to give claimants an opportunity…
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