Directs contracting agencies to give preference to a bidder or proposer who is certified by the Oregon Department of Emergency Management as an emergency preparedness partner.

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 2852
Sponsored by Representative EVANS (Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act tells state agencies to try to contract with bidders who agree to help with
emergency readiness. The Act tells ODEM to start a program to certify such bidders. (Flesch
Readability Score: 64.7).
Directs contracting agencies to give preference to a bidder or proposer who is certified by the
Oregon Department of Emergency Management as an emergency preparedness partner.
Directs the department to establish a program for certification of business organizations as
emergency preparedness partners. Provides that organizations shall be certified if a minimum num-
ber of individuals in the organization complete the required training and meet other requirements.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to emergency preparedness public contracting preferences.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
Section 2 of this 2025 Act is added to and made a part of ORS chapter 279A.
SECTION 2. Notwithstanding provisions of law that require a contracting agency to
award a contract to the lowest responsible bidder or best proposer or provider of a quotation,
a contracting agency shall give preference to a bidder or proposer who is certified by the
Oregon Department of Emergency Management as an emergency preparedness partner un-
der section 3 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 3. (1) The Oregon Department of Emergency Management shall develop and
administer a program for the certification of organizations as emergency preparedness
partners. Pursuant to the program:
(a) Organizations doing business in Oregon with a workforce of at least five individuals
may apply to the department for certification.
(b) The department shall certify an organization if at least five individuals in the organ-
ization, or 10 percent of the individuals in the applicant’s workforce, whichever is greater:
(A) Have successfully completed the training described in subsection (2) of this section;
and
(B) Have registered with the department to perform emergency service activities, or are
otherwise qualified emergency service volunteers, as defined in ORS 401.358.
(2)(a) The department shall establish training requirements for purposes of the program.
The training must improve the ability of the individual receiving the training to assist pro-
fessional first responders in short-term emergency response and recovery.
(b) The department may directly provide training or may approve courses offered by third
parties, or both.
(c) The required training must include both practical and classroom components.
(d) The department may establish different training requirements for applicants in dif-
NOTE: Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [ italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 1098
HB 2852
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ferent industries.
(3) Organizations certified as emergency preparedness partners are eligible for public
contracting preferences under section 2 of this 2025 Act.
(4) The department may adopt rules necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.
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