2016 legislative session review
Major policy changes, but not in workers’ comp
Despite adjourning three days before the short-session constitution deadline, the Oregon legislature managed to pass several significant policy bills. These bills include legislation to increase Oregon's minimum wage, eliminate coal-generated power by 2030, provide affirmative defenses for public and nonprofit employees who share otherwise protected information, to end to the ban on inclusionary zoning, and to increase to BOLI's ability to investigate and enforce wage claims.
Only one insurance bill passed: Senate Bill 1591 allows the Insurance Commissioner to publically release previously confidential information about complaints filed by consumers. Three workers' comp-related bills did not pass. One would have increased MLAC terms from two to three years, another would have allowed employers to exclude sick leave pay from payroll reported for workers' comp premium calculations, and a proposal that would have required employers to discuss the workers' right to treat with the worker's provider of choice and obtain a signature documenting the conversation.