2003 Legislative Bill Descriptions
Nursing Homes
HB 2747 Health Care Provider Tax The bill, which allows skilled nursing facilities to tax themselves at a higher rate in order to
receive a greater Federal Medicaid match, was amended into HB 2152 which was the final legislative revenue package. With looming
threats of HB 2152’s referral to the ballot, the bill was once more passed as part of a larger health care bill relating to the taxation of
various medical providers. By passing the bill a second time (and therefore repealing it from the initial bill), the threat of referral was
nullified. PASSED. RIGHT VOTE: YES
Initiative Reform/Elections
SB 102-A - Curbs Ballot Title Shopping This bill would have established a more reasonable signature threshold for launching the
expensive and time-consuming process of providing final ballot titles for prospective initiatives. FAILED. RIGHT VOTE: YES
SB 678 - Requires Signature Gatherers to Witness Signatures This bill would have required petition circulators to directly witness
and certify the signatures they collect. FAILED. RIGHT VOTE: YES
SB 706-A - Prohibits Writers From Filling in Petitions This bill would have prohibited the use of third parties to fill in the required
information from petition signers. FAILED. RIGHT VOTE: YES
HB 2825-A - Reduce Days to Vote The original bill would have reduced from 18 to 10 days the period of time allowed for vote-by-mail
elections. It also would have restricted carrying ballots to ballot drop-off sites. This bill number was later used to pass an unrelated elections
issue (not counted). Reducing days to vote FAILED. RIGHT VOTE: NO
Privatization
HB 3023 Collections privatization This bill is an attempt to enable private collection agencies to take over work currently being done
by our members. We were able to get the bill amended to provide an exemption for the Revenue and Employment Departments. That
version was passed in the House and Senate and signed by the Governor. PASSED. RIGHT VOTE: NO
Collective Bargaining
SB 444 and 446 Collective Bargaining Bills SEIU worked in coalition with the Firefighters Union and AFSCME on these two
proposals. SB 446 would have expanded collective bargaining rights by making staffing in public safety units a mandatory subject of
bargaining. Currently management can choose whether to bargain these issues or not.
SB 444 would have changed the language and criteria that arbitrators must use when evaluating bargaining proposals in a way that is more
favorable to working people. FAILED. RIGHT VOTE: YES
Injured Workers
SB 757-A - Increase Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) Benefits This bill increases PPD benefits based on the loss of bodily
functions and earnings capacity. It also provides future increases in PPD benefits based on the average weekly wage in Oregon. PASSED.
RIGHT VOTE: YES
SB 932 - Extends Workers’ Comp Claims Filing Deadline This bill allows Workers Comp claims to be filed from 90 days to up to
one year for good cause. PASSED. RIGHT VOTE: YES
HB 3622 - Exemption From Workers’ Comp This bill would have set a harmful precedent by excluding from the state s Workers Comp
requirement a low-wage employer who threatened to move his business to China. FAILED. RIGHT VOTE. NO
HB 3669-A - Authority of Nurse Practitioners This bill allows Nurse Practitioners to treat injured workers for up to 90 days. This will
give injured workers more options for treatment and reduce costs for employers. PASSED. RIGHT VOTE. YES
7