OHSU leaders urge passage of HB 4179 to create Knight Cancer Group and safeguard a donor‑funded cancer initiative

OHSU leaders asked the committee to advance House Bill 4179, legislation they said is necessary to establish the Knight Cancer Group — a nonprofit entity with OHSU as corporate member — and to ensure that faculty and providers working through that entity retain coverage under the Oregon Tort Claims Act and public‑employee collective‑bargaining protections.

Brian Drivicker (CEO of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute) described a $2 billion gift from Penny and Phil Knight and said the Knight Cancer Group will expand patient navigation, clinical trials and supportive services. "This legislation before you will ensure we can take the next step in making this vision a reality with the creation of the Knight Cancer Group," he said. Alice Caprillkomas (general counsel, OHSU) explained the bill’s drafting intent: to permit an OHSU‑associated nonprofit to operate clinical care in coordination with OHSU without violating the corporate‑practices‑of‑medicine statute while preserving prohibitions on fraud and malpractice.

Senator Golden asked for clarification about whether the bill would exempt nonprofit employees from ORS 677.080; counsel said the intent is not to exempt fraud‑related provisions and offered to follow up with legislative staff to clarify wording. The committee closed testimony and planned to revisit the bill in an upcoming work session.