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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 449
Sponsored by Senators PATTERSON, GORSEK (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 makes a task force on health care training partnerships. Tells the task force
to make a report. The Act takes effect 91 days following sine die. (Flesch Readability Score: 88.5).
Establishes the Task Force on Health Care Training Partnerships and directs the task force to
report to an interim committee of the Legislative Assembly related to health care no later than
December 15, 2026.
Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to the Task Force on Health Care Training Partnerships; and prescribing an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
(1) The Task Force on Health Care Training Partnerships is established.
(2) The task force consists of nine members appointed by the Governor as follows:
(a) A representative of a labor organization that represents service and technical work-
ers in acute care hospital settings.
(b) A representative of a labor organization that represents workers in skilled nursing
facilities, as defined in ORS 442.015.
(c) A representative of a labor organization that represents behavioral health workers.
(d) A representative of the Medicaid Advisory Committee established under ORS 414.211.
(e) A representative of the Health Care Workforce Committee established under ORS
413.017.
(f) A representative of acute care hospital employers.
(g) A representative of employers at skilled nursing facilities, as defined in ORS 442.015.
(h) A representative of employers of residential behavioral health providers.
(i) A representative of primary care facilities.
(3) The task force shall study the following issues related to establishing a permanent
workforce development infrastructure to address persistent workforce shortages in health
care:
(a) How to maximize the use of federal matching funds through qualified directed pay-
ment mechanisms, prioritizing services with higher matching rates, making rate adjustments
in the state plan or any other means.
(b) How to establish training partnerships between health care employers, labor organ-
izations, education providers and relevant state agencies in order to meet targeted workforce
development needs in the health care sector.
(4) In addition to studying the issues specified under subsection (3) of this section, the
task force shall consider, review and recommend an entity to be designated as the responsi-
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 1618
SB 449
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ble entity for facilitating the training partnerships described in this section. The task force
shall consider only those entities that meet the following criteria:
(a) The entity is a nonprofit organization operating in this state with demonstrated ex-
perience in the development and implementation of workforce training initiatives that are
cost-effective and have resulted in measurable positive outcomes.
(b) The entity has capacity to:
(A) Provide wrap-around support services and benefits, including but not limited to ca-
reer counseling, wage replacement and offerings to assist nontraditional learners seeking
career advancement in the health care sector;
(B) Offer on-the-job training programs, including apprenticeships, in the health care
sector;
(C) Provide professional development opportunities for incumbent workers in the health
care sector; and
(D) Have a demonstrated connection to employers in the health care sector, labor or-
ganizations, training providers and community organizations.
(5) A majority of the members of the task force constitutes a quorum for the transaction
of business.
(6) Official action by the task force requires the approval of a majority of the members
of the task force.
(7) The task force shall elect one of its members to serve as chairperson.
(8) If there is a vacancy for any cause, the Governor shall make an appointment to be-
come immediately effective.
(9) The task force shall meet at times and places specified by the call of the chairperson
or of a majority of the members of the task force.
(10) The task force may adopt rules necessary for the operation of the task force.
(11) The task force shall submit a report in the manner provided by ORS 192.245, and
may include recommendations for legislation, to an interim committee of the Legislative
Assembly related to health care no later than December 15, 2026.
(12) The Oregon Health Authority shall provide staff support to the task force.
(13) Members of the task force are not entitled to compensation or reimbursement for
expenses and serve as volunteers on the task force.
(14) All agencies of state government, as defined in ORS 174.111, are directed to assist
the task force in the performance of the duties of the task force and, to the extent permitted
by laws relating to confidentiality, to furnish information and advice the members of the task
force consider necessary to perform their duties.
SECTION 2.
Section 1 of this 2025 Act is repealed on December 31, 2026.
SECTION 3. This 2025 Act takes effect on the 91st day after the date on which the 2025
regular session of the Eighty-third Legislative Assembly adjourns sine die.
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