SB 3007, the part-time faculty healthcare bill, has been scheduled for a hearing session on February 18, allowing more time for college and university faculty to write and to submit testimony. SB 551, the Senate version of the bill, has been scheduled for a hearing session on February 22.
HB 2973, the HECC voting rights bill, has been scheduled for hearing session on February 18 as well. SB 712, the Senate version of the bill, will be schedule for a hearing session in late February or early March.
SB 713, which would prohibit public or private post-secondary institution of education from requiring prospective student to disclose whether prospective student has criminal conviction before institution makes final determination on whether to admit student, has the support of the Oregon Student Association. The bill will likely pass. In fact, universities and community colleges have policies in place to admit students who have criminal conviction. What this bill does is to make it state law.
SB 233, which would require Higher Education Coordinating Commission to establish common course numbering system for all introductory and lower level courses offered at public post-secondary institutions of education, has the support of OEA, AFT, and AAUP Oregon. Sen. Dembrow also supports the bill. There is still some discussion about how community colleges would implement this.
LC 2230, the textbook affordability legislative concept sponsored by Rep. Reardon, has yet to be introduced as a bill. It would require each public university and community college to prominently display total costs of all required course materials and fees for no less than 75 percent of total courses offered by public university or community college. The question that remains answered is which courses would be exempt from this law if passed. One suggestion would be to exclude courses with late hires.
HB 2876 would require each community college and public university to have at least 65 percent of total number of credit hours offered taught by full-time employee during 2022-2023 academic year and at least 75 percent of total number of credit hours offered taught by full-time employee every academic year thereafter. The bill will likely not pass this legislative session because of the projected $1.7 billion state budget shortfall.
SB 412, which would require issue subject to collective bargaining during term of collective bargaining agreement that is not resolved through negotiation or mediation to be resolved through binding arbitration, is still under review. The Oregon Education Association, which also represents a number of community colleges, has taker a neutral position on this bill.
LC 2496, a legislative concept drafted by University of Oregon, would provide that if administrative or academic public university employee fails to make election to participate in Public Employees Retirement System or Optional Retirement Plan, employee is deemed to have elected to participate in Optional Retirement Plan. There is support for this bill, but it is still under review.