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Oregon committee hears debate over HB 4,027 to create BOLI Expense Fund; business groups cite constitutional concerns
Summary
A public hearing on House Bill 4,027 (dash 1) centered on funding for the Bureau of Labor and Industries through a new expense fund supported by assessments on employers and employees; labor unions and BOLI staff urged stable funding to reduce case backlogs, while business groups and OBI raised constitutional questions that legislative counsel said the bill likely avoids.
The House Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a public hearing Feb. 9 on House Bill 4,027 (dash 1), which would establish a Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) Expense Fund and authorize the director to set assessments on employers and employees to support BOLI operations.
BOLI witnesses described long case backlogs and staffing shortages that have delayed resolutions for workers. Josh Nasby of the Bureau of Labor and Industries said many claimants are in financial distress, asserting that "62 percent of filers are facing food, housing or medical insecurity," and noted that a nearly $15,000,000 one-time transfer the agency received expires in 2029. Nasby and other proponents urged a shared assessment to provide ongoing funding for the agency’s core work.
Labor unions and agency staff argued the proposal is modest in per-worker cost and necessary to retain recently hired employees. Senator Kathleen Taylor, sponsor of the mirrored Senate measure (SB 1506), described…
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