Grants the Governor authority to declare an economic emergency.

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 2903
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 says when the Governor may declare an economic emergency. The Act would
allow a state agency to change the employment status of certain jobs to at-will status. The Act
would require a review and a report of the changes that were made. (Flesch Readability Score:
65.0).
Grants the Governor authority to declare an economic emergency. Authorizes state agencies to
reclassify management service employees to at-will employment status and to adjust staffing levels
of management service employees.
Requires a state agency that reclassified management service employees to at-will employment
status to review personnel adjustments made during the economic emergency to determine the value
of those adjustments and to report findings to the Governor and the Legislative Assembly.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to adjustment of classification of management service employees during an economic
emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) “At-will employment status” means employment in a position that serves at the
pleasure of the appointing authority and that may be terminated at any time without cause.
(b) “Economic emergency” means the period following the issuance of a state revenue
forecast by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services that projects a deficit in the
state budget of at least $100 million.
(2) The Governor may exercise the authority granted under ORS 401.165 to declare an
economic emergency. If an economic emergency has been declared, the Governor may au-
thorize state agencies to adjust staffing levels among management service employees by re-
classifying management service employees to at-will employment status for the duration of
the economic emergency.
(3) Notwithstanding ORS 240.570, if the Governor declares an economic emergency and
authorizes reclassification of management service employees under subsection (2) of this
section, a state agency may reclassify a management service employee to at-will employment
status and may adjust staffing levels among management service employees.
(4) Management service employees reclassified to at-will employment status as author-
ized in this section may not exercise any right to replace another employee on any basis,
including seniority.
(5)(a) Not more than six months after the economic emergency declared by the Governor
has been declared over, each state agency that reclassified management service employees
to at-will employment status shall review the personnel adjustments made as a result of the
declaration of economic emergency. The review shall evaluate the value of the functions of
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 1710
HB 2903
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adjusted positions without regard to the specific personnel that have been reclassified,
transferred or terminated during the period of economic emergency.
(b) After conducting the review required by this subsection, the state agency shall submit
a report to the Governor and to the Legislative Assembly in the manner specified in ORS
192.245.
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