House passes research-contract fix, three psychiatric-review bills and adopts memorial for Ralph Groener

The Oregon House of Representatives on the floor on March 27 passed four measures and adopted a memorial honoring former state representative Ralph Groener.

House members approved House Bill 2565 to remove a statutory barrier that has prevented the Oregon Department of Energy from contracting with national laboratories. Representative Mari Watanabe, who carried the bill, said the department’s current classification as a federally funded research and development center prevents those contracts and that the change “has no fiscal impact.”

Lawmakers also passed three bills related to the Psychiatric Security Review Board. Representative Brian Anderson described House Bill 2807 as clarifying and extending immunity "to members of the psychiatric security review board who, in their official capacity, [make] decisions concerning a person before them," aligning the board’s protections with those enjoyed by other quasi‑judicial state bodies.

Representative Tran supported House Bill 2812, which she said narrowly exempts “individually identifiable health information of individuals under the jurisdiction of the Psychiatric Security Review Board from public records disclosure” while permitting access in limited circumstances such as law enforcement, judicial proceedings and certain firearm background checks.

Representative Wallin said House Bill 2915 removes a consent barrier that had required individuals under PSRB jurisdiction to sign waivers before medical records could be sent to the Department of Corrections when a person is transferred from PSRB jurisdiction to DOC for parole or probation. “This will allow those records to flow back and forth,” Wallin said, noting state health privacy law requires careful handling.

Earlier on the floor, Representative Greg Hartman led final reading and passage of House Concurrent Resolution 13, a memorial recognizing Ralph Groener and detailing his legislative work, including co‑sponsoring early…