Senate Labor and Business committee advances five bills to the Senate floor, refers funding bill to Ways and Means

The Senate Committee on Labor and Business advanced five bills on Tuesday, April 1, sending each to the floor of the Oregon Senate and referring one to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.

Senate Bill 569, sponsored by Senator Woods, was moved to the floor with a due-pass recommendation and referred to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. The introduced version directs the Oregon Business Development Department to establish a grant program for qualified nonprofits that assist businesses in becoming certified by the Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity (COBID) as minority‑owned businesses. The measure includes a report requirement to the Legislative Assembly by Sept. 1, 2026, and an appropriation of $4,000,000 from the General Fund for the 2025–27 biennium.

Senate Bill 606, carried by Senator Campos, was advanced with a due-pass recommendation. The bill would add certain Oregon State Hospital employees with direct patient contact and Department of Human Services staff working at Stabilization and Crisis Units to the list of employees for whom specific stress disorders are presumed compensable occupational diseases under workers’ compensation law.

Senate Bill 831, carried by the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS), was amended (dash‑2) and passed out of committee. The dash‑2 replaces the measure to require insurers whose ultimate control persons must register with DCBS to file a group capital calculation and, if they meet NAIC liquidity stress‑test criteria, to conduct a liquidity stress test and share results with the insurer’s chief insurance regulatory official. The amendment preserves confidentiality rules, defines key terms, and sets an operative date of Jan. 1, 2026.

Senate Bill 1005, sponsored by Senators Bonham and Meek and Representative McIntyre, was moved to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. The bill would allow private entities to scan a driver’s license or identification card to verify a customer’s age when selling age‑restricted goods or services, regardless of whether there is reasonable doubt the person is under 21.

Senate Bill 1086, carried by Senator Anderson with Senators Grama and Brotman listed as sponsors, was advanced as amended with a due‑pass recommendation. The dash‑2 amendment directs DCBS to assist and provide staff support to the Oregon Building Officials Association to develop and submit a proposal to the State Apprenticeship and Training Council to establish a building‑inspector program that qualifies as the practical experience equivalent to current training and experience standards. The committee moved to rescind the subsequent referral to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.

Several motions were made from the chair and vice chair and were adopted without recorded roll‑call tallies during the work session. For Senate Bill 569, a roll call captured an explicit “no” from Senator Hayden and recorded “aye” votes from Chair Taylor, Vice Chair Bonham and Senator Pham (recorded as “Pam” in the transcript); the committee announced SB 569 would proceed to Ways and Means and the floor. Other measures were advanced by voice or unanimous consent after brief staff summaries and sponsor remarks.

The committee noted that Senator Woods was excused from the hearing and that some items were being carried over to Thursday because sponsors or amendments were not yet ready.