Provides an exception to the prohibition against a public official using official position or office for financial gain or avoidance of financial detriment.

83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Enrolled
House Bill 2932
Introduced and printed pursuant to House Rule 12.00. Presession filed (at the request of Governor
Tina Kotek for Oregon Government Ethics Commission)
CHAPTER .................................................
AN ACT
Relating to exceptions to prohibited use of official position or office; amending ORS 244.040.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
ORS 244.040 is amended to read:
244.040. (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a public official may not use or
attempt to use official position or office to obtain financial gain or avoidance of financial detriment
for the public official, a relative or member of the household of the public official, or any business
with which the public official or a relative or member of the household of the public official is as-
sociated, if the financial gain or avoidance of financial detriment would not otherwise be available
but for the public official’s holding of the official position or office.
(2) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to:
(a) Any part of an official compensation package as determined by the public body that the
public official serves.
(b) The receipt by a public official or a relative or member of the household of the public official
of an honorarium or any other item allowed under ORS 244.042.
(c) Reimbursement of expenses.
(d) An unsolicited award for professional achievement.
(e) Gifts that do not exceed the limits specified in ORS 244.025 received by a public official or
a relative or member of the household of the public official from a source that could reasonably be
known to have a legislative or administrative interest.
(f) Gifts received by a public official or a relative or member of the household of the public of-
ficial from a source that could not reasonably be known to have a legislative or administrative in-
terest.
(g) The receipt by a public official or a relative or member of the household of the public official
of any item, regardless of value, that is expressly excluded from the definition of “gift” in ORS
244.020.
(h) Contributions made to a legal expense trust fund established under ORS 244.209 for the
benefit of the public official.
(i) Compensation received by the public official from any post-secondary institution paid
in exchange for the public official teaching one or more courses at the institution.
(3) A public official may not solicit or receive, either directly or indirectly, and a person may
not offer or give to any public official any pledge or promise of future employment, based on any
understanding that the vote, official action or judgment of the public official would be influenced
by the pledge or promise.
Enrolled House Bill 2932 (HB 2932-INTRO) Page 1
(4) A public official may not attempt to further or further the personal gain of the public official
through the use of confidential information gained in the course of or by reason of holding position
as a public official or activities of the public official.
(5) A former public official may not attempt to further or further the personal gain of any person
through the use of confidential information gained in the course of or by reason of holding position
as a public official or the activities of the person as a public official.
(6) A person may not attempt to represent or represent a client for a fee before the governing
body of a public body of which the person is a member. This subsection does not apply to the
person’s employer, business partner or other associate.
(7) A current or former public official may not solicit, receive or use public moneys from a
public body, as defined in ORS 174.109, to pay or make payments on a civil penalty imposed on the
current or former public official by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission in accordance with
ORS 171.992 or 244.350.
(8) The provisions of this section apply regardless of whether actual conflicts of interest or po-
tential conflicts of interest are announced or disclosed under ORS 244.120.
(9) As used in this section, the term “post-secondary institution” has the meaning given
the term “eligible post-secondary institution” in ORS 348.180.
Passed by House April 14, 2025
..................................................................................
Timothy G. Sekerak, Chief Clerk of House
..................................................................................
Julie Fahey, Speaker of House
Passed by Senate June 11, 2025
..................................................................................
Rob Wagner, President of Senate
Received by Governor:
........................M.,........................................................., 2025
Approved:
........................M.,........................................................., 2025
..................................................................................
Tina Kotek, Governor
Filed in Office of Secretary of State:
........................M.,........................................................., 2025
..................................................................................
Tobias Read, Secretary of State
Enrolled House Bill 2932 (HB 2932-INTRO) Page 2