Authorizes the Oregon Department of Emergency Management to issue temporary professional licenses during states of emergency to individuals formerly licensed by certain professional licensing boards.

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 3279
Sponsored by Representative EVANS
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 that ODEM can give short-term licenses during emergencies to people who
used to do certain health care jobs. (Flesch Readability Score: 60.6).
Authorizes the Oregon Department of Emergency Management to issue temporary professional
licenses during states of emergency to individuals formerly licensed by certain professional licensing
boards.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to professional licensing during emergencies.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) “Licensing board” means:
(A) The Board of Medical Imaging;
(B) The Oregon Board of Dentistry;
(C) The Oregon Board of Naturopathic Medicine;
(D) The Oregon Board of Optometry;
(E) The Oregon Medical Board;
(F) The Oregon State Board of Nursing; and
(G) The State Board of Pharmacy.
(b) “Professional service” means a service that may be provided only by individuals li-
censed by a licensing board.
(2) During a state of emergency declared under ORS 401.165, an individual may provide
a professional service if:
(a) The individual holds a temporary license issued under subsection (3) of this section;
(b) The professional service is within the scope of the temporary license held by the in-
dividual; and
(c) The provision of the professional service is related to, or reasonably necessitated by,
the state of emergency.
(3) During a state of emergency declared under ORS 401.165, the Oregon Department of
Emergency Management may issue temporary licenses to individuals who were formerly li-
censed by a licensing board. The temporary license authorizes the individual to perform
professional services that the individual was formerly licensed to perform, except that the
department may limit the types or scope of professional services authorized by the tempo-
rarylicense.
(4) The department may issue a temporary license to an individual under this section
only if:
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 3144
HB 3279
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(a) The individual held an active license from a licensing board within 10 years of the
provision of the temporary license; and
(b) The individual’s former active license was not revoked, suspended, canceled or oth-
erwise removed by a licensing board as a disciplinary measure.
(5) Unless an earlier expiration date is specified by the department, a temporary license
issued under this section expires 180 days from the issuance of the temporary license. The
department may renew temporary licenses upon expiration.
(6) Temporary licenses issued under this section are not valid after the termination of
the state of emergency during which they were issued.
(7) The department and licensing boards may adopt rules necessary to carry out the
provisions of this section.
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