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Legislative Affairs

Oregon Capitol  

What We Do

The Legislative Affairs team serves as the agency's primary conduit of information on the administration of our programs for legislators, committee staff, other legislative staff, external advocacy groups, and other state agencies. We facilitate the Employment Department's legislative efforts in support of the agency's mission and guiding principles to provide economic stability and success for all Oregonians.
Contact Us If you need support with an unemployment claim, you are welcome to visit our contact us page and submit a request for assistance.


Please contact a member of our team below if you have a question about the information provided on this page, or are seeking to engage with our office as a member of or staff member to Oregon's congressional delegation or legislative body, an employee of a sibling agency, or one of our external stakeholders.

James Barta | Legislative and Policy Director
James.Barta@employ.oregon.gov | 503-507-4454


Links to recent testimony and written information on agency initiatives provided by department representatives to Oregon's Legislature:

​February 18, 2026
House Committee on Labor and Workforce Development​
​
Work Session: Senate Bill 1520

February 16, 2026

February 4, 2026

Senate Committee on Labor and Business
​
Public Hearing and Work Session: Senate Bill 1520

February 2, 2026

Senate Committee on Labor and Business

​​Informational Meeting: Senate Bill 1520

​January 14, 2026
Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee On Transportation and Economic Development
Work Session: Item # 28. Employment Department - Paid Leave Oregon Support and System Enhancements


January 13, 2026
Senate Interim Committee on Labor and Business
​Informational Meeting: Overview of 2026 Committee Legislative Concept 220: Relating to the administration of moneys within the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund


November 18, 2025
House Interim Committee on Labor and Workforce Development
​Informational Meeting: IRS Rule related to Taxability of Paid Leave Contributions and Benefits

​November 17, 2025
Senate Interim Committee on Labor and Business
​Informational Meeting: Overview of IRS Rule related to Taxability of Paid Leave Contributions and Benefits

​September 30, 2025
Senate Interim Committee on Labor and Business
​Informational Meeting: Oregon Employment Department Update and Paid Leave Oregon Update

September 30, 2025
House Interim Committee on Labor and Workforce Development
​Informational Meeting: Update from Oregon Employment Department


June 10, 2025
House Committee on Revenue
Public Hearing and Work Session on SB 143

​

June 6, 2025
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Work Session on HB 5007


May 15, 2025
Senate Committee on Labor and Business
Public Hearing on HB 3024


May 5, 2025
Joint Legislative Audits Committee
Informational Meeting for Audit Follow-Up on Report 2022-21 “Need to Modernize Oregon's Unemployment Insurance Program"

 

April 28, 2025
House Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards
Work Sessions on SB 858 and SB 859


April 21, 2025
House Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards
Public Hearing on SB 858 and SB 859


April 17, 2025
Senate Committee on Labor and Business
Work Session on HB 3021


April 15, 2025
Senate Committee on Labor and Business
Public Hearing on HB 3021 and Work Session on HB 3022


April 10, 2025
Senate Committee on Labor and Business
Public Hearing on HB 3022


March 20, 2025
House Committee on Revenue
Informational Presentation on Supplemental Employment Department Administrative Fund (SEDAF)


February 24, 2025
House Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards
Work Session on HB 3024


February 12, 2025
Informational Meeting on HB 5007


January 30, 2025
Public Hearing and Work Session on SB 858


Public Hearing on SB 858 and SB 859​ and Work S​ession on SB 859


January 27, 2025
Public Hearing on HB 3021, 3022, and 3024
​

January 21, 2025
​Senate Committee on Labor and Business​
Public Hearing on SB 859​

​

December 10, 2024 
Informational Meeting: Update on SB 489 and Paid Leave Oregon​

 

December 10, 2024 
Informational Meeting: Updates from the Oregon Employment Department

September 25, 2024 
House Interim Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards 
Informational Meeting: Update on Oregon Employment Departments’ (OED) Customer Service Strategies and Caseload Management 
September 23, 2024 
Senate Interim Committee on Labor and Business
​Informational​ Meeting: Updates from the Oregon Employment Department  
2024 Paid Leave Reports

​

​May 31, 2024 
House Interim Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards
Informational Meeting: Oregon Employment Department updates about Technology (Frances Online), Unemployment Insurance, and Paid Leave Oregon 

May 29, 2024 
Senate Interim Committee on Labor and Business 
Informational Meeting: Oregon Employment Department updates about Frances Online, Unemployment Insurance, and Paid Leave Oregon 

March 5, 2024
Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue​
Work Session on House Bill 4035
  • Agenda
  • Follow-up Information

March 4, 2024
Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue
Public Hearing on House Bill 4035

February 26, 2024
House Committee on Revenue
Informational Meeting on House Bill 4038
  • Agenda

February 21, 2024
House Committee on Business and Labor
Public Hearing and Work Session on Senate Bills 1514 and 1515

February 14, 2024
House Committee on Revenue
Work Session on House Bill 4035
  • Agenda

February 12, 2024
House Committee on Business and Labor
Public Hearing on House Bill 4005
  • Agenda

February 12, 2024
House Committee on Revenue
Public Hearing on House Bill 4038
  • Agenda

February 7, 2024
Senate Committee on Labor and Business
Public Hearing and Work Session on Senate Bills 1514 and 1515
  • Agenda
  • SB 1514 Presentation

February 6, 2024
House Committee on Revenue
Public Hearing on House Bill 4035
  • Agenda

February 5, 2024
Senate Committee on Labor and Business
Public Hearing on Senate Bills 1514 and 1515


January 11, 2024
House Interim Committee on Revenue
Informational Meeting on Supplemental Employment Department Administrative Fund (LC 290)
Senate Interim Committee on Labor and Business​
Information Meeting on Paid Leave Oregon Technical Fixes and Alignment with Oregon Family Leave Act, Paid Leave Oregon Sustainability, and Presentation on Oregon’s Aging Workforce 

​November 7, 2023​​

Informational Meeting on Employment and Labor Force Trends in Oregon and Overview and Discussion of Possible Committee Bills for 2024 Legislative Session​

November 6, 2023​​
House Interim Committee on Business and Labor
Informational Meeting on Overview and Update on Implementation of Paid Leave Oregon​

​September 29, 2023

Work Session on UI Modernization Grant

September 28, 2023

Informational Meeting on Employment Department Updates

September 27, 2023​​

House Interim Committee on Business and Labor​

​Informational Meeting on Professional Employer Organizations


​​April 27, 2023​
April 12, 2023​
​House Committee on Business and Labor 
Public Hearings on Senate Bills​ 912 and 913​
April 4, 2023
March 16, 2023
Work Session on Senate Bills 912 and 913
March 9, 2023
Public Hearing on Senate Bills 912 and 913​
March 6, 2023
Public Hearing on House Bill 3331​​​​
February 22, 2023
​​Public Hearing on Senate Bill 5507
February 21, 2023​
​Informational Meeting on Senate Bill 5507
February 20, 2023
​Informational Meeting on Senate Bill 5507
January 30, 2023​
Work Session on House Bill 2290
January 24, 2023​​
Informational Meeting on Paid Leave Oregon Implementation Update
​​January 19, 2023​
​Informational Meeting on Paid Leave Oregon Update​
​January 18, 2023​​
​Public Hearing on House Bill 2290