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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 3634
Sponsored by Representatives OWENS, HELM, MCLAIN; Representative MCDONALD, Senators ANDERSON,
WEBER
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 as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act makes new laws with respect to workforce development activities with respect
to the water workforce. The Act takes effect when the Governor signs it. (Flesch Readability Score:
63.4).
Establishes the Water Workforce Program in the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to
support workforce development initiatives within the water workforce.
Directs the commission to award grants to local workforce development boards to administer
the program. Requires the commission to disburse funds appropriated for the purpose of adminis-
tering the program to local workforce development boards within a certain timeline.
Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to the water workforce; and declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. (1) As used in this section:
(a) “Environmental justice communities” has the meaning given that term in ORS
182.535.
(b) “Nonprofit organization” means an organization that is described in section 501(c)(3)
of the Internal Revenue Code and that is exempt from income tax under section 501(a) of the
Internal Revenue Code.
(2) The Water Workforce Program is established in the Higher Education Coordinating
Commission to increase and diversify the supply of skilled water professionals within the
water workforce through workforce development initiatives that include, but are not limited
to, providing operator training and certification opportunities to individuals seeking entry
into the water and wastewater utilities sector and related industries.
(3) The commission shall operate and the local workforce development boards shall
manage the program. The commission shall provide grants to local workforce development
boards to administer the program for the following purposes:
(a) To identify and address solutions, at the state and regional level, for eliminating
barriers to and leveraging opportunities for developing and sustaining pathways that connect
individuals to career opportunities within the water and wastewater utilities sector by ex-
amining factors that include, but are not limited to:
(A) Current education and training pathways for individuals to enter the water and
wastewater utilities workforce;
(B) Opportunities for building partnerships and sharing resources between water and
wastewater utilities and related industries experiencing a shortage of skilled water profes-
sionals;and
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 3981 HB3634
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(C) Factors that impact the ability of water and wastewater utilities to attract, recruit,
retain and replace qualified water and wastewater utility operators.
(b) To develop regionally specific strategies for addressing the water workforce needs
with a focus on the water and wastewater utilities sector.
(c) To partner with nonprofit organizations that serve environmental justice communi-
ties to conduct targeted outreach to such communities, promoting awareness of career op-
portunities in the water and wastewater utilities sector. Priority shall be given to
organizations that have demonstrated knowledge and experience with and an established
connection to water and wastewater utilities.
(d) To identify and implement strategies to attract, recruit, retain and replace water and
wastewater utility operators and support succession planning in rural, coastal and remote
communities and communities with limited funding and workforce capacity.
(e) To coordinate with state workforce agencies and regional workforce development
partners to expand community-based partnerships that aim to support and sustain water
workforce development initiatives.
(f) To develop education and training pathways within the water workforce, including but
not limited to:
(A) Apprenticeship opportunities; and
(B) Opportunities that provide paid work experience, including stipends and wages.
(g) To provide wraparound supports and services necessary to facilitate engagement in
the water workforce, including but not limited to tuition assistance and fee assistance to
obtain industry-recognized certificates.
(h) To engage and coordinate with federally recognized tribal governments to assess and
address the water and wastewater utilities needs of federally recognized Indian tribes in
Oregon.
(i) To fund organizational investments, including but not limited to:
(A) Hiring staff;
(B) Purchasing equipment, technology and other training-related supplies; and
(C) Covering administrative costs.
(j) To work with community colleges and nonprofit organizations that provide water and
wastewater utilities training, education and apprenticeship programs to develop and operate
pilot programs that are designed to:
(A) Provide paid on-the-job career and education pathways for obtaining operator certif-
ications for water and wastewater systems;
(B) Engage with water and wastewater utilities to explore and identify potential options
to provide financial support to on-the-job career and education pathways for individuals to
obtain employment in the water and wastewater utilities sector;
(C) Facilitate partnerships with water and wastewater utilities experiencing skilled
workforce shortages to provide job placement services to program participants; and
(D) Identify potential sources for sustainable funding to support the programs.
(4) Prior to distributing any grant funds to a local workforce development board under
this section, the commission and the recipient shall enter into an agreement:
(a) Indicating the purposes for which the funds may be used; and
(b) Requiring the recipient to report on the use of funds in a manner described by the
commission.
[2] HB3634
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(5) A local workforce development board receiving a grant under this section may dis-
tribute grant funds to subgrantees that are:
(a) Nonprofit organizations that partner with the local workforce development board to
carry out the targeted outreach described in subsection (3)(c) of this section.
(b) Nonprofit organizations and community colleges that partner with the local workforce
development board to develop and operate pilot programs described in subsection (3)(j) of this
section.
(6) No later than September 15, 2026, and every two years thereafter, the Higher Educa-
tion Coordinating Commission shall submit a report to the interim committees of the Leg-
islative Assembly relating to labor and business, in the manner provided in ORS 192.254, on
the outcomes of the Water Workforce Program, including information reported by a grant
recipient, and any recommendations for legislation.
(7) The commission may adopt rules necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.
SECTION 2. Not later than 90 days following the effective date of this 2025 Act, the
Higher Education Coordinating Commission shall distribute the funds specifically appropri-
ated to the commission under section 3 of this 2025 Act to local workforce development
boards for the purposes described under section 1 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 3.In addition to and not in lieu of any other appropriation, there is appropri-
ated to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, for the biennium beginning July 1,
2025, out of the General Fund, the amount of $5,500,000, to be distributed to local workforce
development boards for the purposes described under section 1 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 4.This 2025 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2025 Act takes effect
on its passage.
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