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82nd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2024 Regular Session
A-Engrossed
Senate Bill 1503
Ordered by the Senate February 16
Including Senate Amendments dated February 16
Sponsored by Senator WAGNER, Representative RAYFIELD, Senators HANSELL, MANNING JR; Senator
PATTERSON (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. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability standards.
Digest: The Act makes a task force on community safety and suicide prevention. The
Act provides money for research on those topics. (Flesch Readability Score: 63.2).
[Digest: The Act makes a task force to stop gun violence and suicide. The Act provides money for
research on gun violence and suicide. (Flesch Readability Score: 77.4).]
Establishes the Task Force on [Gun Violence and Suicide Prevention] Community Safety and
Firearm Suicide Prevention and requires the task force to report to the interim committees of the
Legislative Assembly related to health care.
Appropriates money for research on gun violence and suicide prevention ordered by the task
force.
Sunsets on December 31, 2026.
Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to public health; and prescribing an effective date.
Whereas Oregonians saw a 40 percent increase in deaths related to firearms in the last decade,
the vast majority of which are suicide; and
Whereas firearm violence has increased by 21 percent and suicide has increased by four percent
since before the COVID-19 pandemic; and
Whereas the suicide rate for juveniles has increased since before the COVID-19 pandemic; now,
therefore,
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. (1) The Task Force on Community Safety and Firearm Suicide Prevention
isestablished.
(2) The task force consists of 17 members appointed as follows:
(a) The President of the Senate shall appoint two members from among members of the
Senate, one from the majority party and one from the minority party.
(b) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint two members from among
members of the House of Representatives, one from the majority party and one from the
minorityparty.
(c) The Governor shall appoint 13 members, with consideration of geographic diversity,
asfollows:
(A) A representative of a state public health agency;
(B) A public safety policy advisor to the Governor;
(C) A representative of a nonprofit organization focused on suicide prevention with ex-
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 49 A-Eng. SB 1503
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perience in lethal means safety;
(D) A representative of a community-based firearm safety and protocols program;
(E) A representative of the public health research field;
(F) A behavioral health professional or provider;
(G) An adult behavioral health provider;
(H) A medical provider who has worked with firearm violence victims;
(I) A psychologist who works with youth;
(J) A tribal representative from a suicide prevention program;
(K) A person with lived experience with community safety threats or suicidal ideation;
(L) A representative of law enforcement; and
(M) A professional who works in veterans’ mental health.
(3) The task force shall coordinate with the Department of Justice, the Oregon Health
Authority, sheriff departments that provide for voluntary storage of firearms, federally re-
cognized Indian tribes in this state, faith-based groups in this state and the Oregon Alliance
to Prevent Suicide to study the following issues related to public health best practices for
reducing deaths from community safety threats and for suicide prevention:
(a) How to better support youth experiencing suicidal ideation.
(b) How to better support rural Oregonians experiencing suicidal ideation.
(c) How to reduce stigma on suicidal ideation.
(d) Barriers to suicide prevention support.
(e) Current community safety protocol across this state, including at hospitals and be-
havioral health facilities, and recommendations for improvement of the protocol.
(f) Locations and events most targeted in community safety threats.
(g) Rates of success for extreme risk protection orders and barriers to implementation
and capacity for police stations or other entities to implement voluntary surrender or hold-
ing of firearms.
(h) Barriers to implementing best practices for community safety and suicide prevention.
(i) How domestic violence is a risk factor for community safety threats and suicide.
(j) Risks to first responders.
(4) The task force may engage a third party to research the issues listed in subsection
(3) of this section.
(5) A majority of the voting 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 voting
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 appointing authority shall make an appoint-
ment to become 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 voting 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 reports in the manner provided by ORS 192.245, and may
include recommendations for legislation, to the interim committees of the Legislative As-
sembly related to health care no later than September 15, 2024, and September 15, 2025.
(12) The Department of Justice shall provide staff support to the task force.
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(13) Members of the Legislative Assembly appointed to the task force are nonvoting
members of the task force and may act in an advisory capacity only.
(14) Members of the task force who are not members of the Legislative Assembly are not
entitled to compensation or reimbursement for expenses and serve as volunteers on the task
force.
(15) 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. In addition to and not in lieu of any other appropriation, there is appropri-
ated to the Department of Justice, for the biennium ending June 30, 2025, out of the General
Fund, the amount of $400,000, which may be expended for the purpose of paying a third party
for research ordered by the Task Force on Community Safety and Firearm Suicide Pre-
vention, as authorized under section 1 of this 2024 Act.
SECTION 3.Section 1 of this 2024 Act is repealed on December 31, 2026.
SECTION 4.This 2024 Act takes effect on the 91st day after the date on which the 2024
regular session of the Eighty-second Legislative Assembly adjourns sine die.
[3]