1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 3720
Sponsored by Representatives DIEHL, SKARLATOS, RESCHKE; Senators LINTHICUM, THATCHER
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 laws that would create open meeting requirements for certain labor ne-
gotiations. The Act would take effect when the Governor signs it. (Flesch Readability Score:64.2).
Requires labor negotiations conducted by or on behalf of public bodies to be conducted in open
meetings.
Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to open meetings on certain matters; amending ORS 192.660; and declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. ORS 192.660, as amended by section 6, chapter 14, Oregon Laws 2024, is amended
to read:
192.660. (1) ORS 192.610 to 192.705 do not prevent the governing body of a public body from
holding executive session during a regular, special or emergency meeting, after the presiding officer
has identified the authorization under ORS 192.610 to 192.705 for holding the executive session.
(2) The governing body of a public body may hold an executive session:
(a) To consider the employment of a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent.
(b) To consider the dismissal or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought
against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent who does not request an open
hearing.
(c) To consider matters pertaining to the function of the medical staff of a public hospital li-
censed pursuant to ORS 441.015 to 441.119 and 441.993 including, but not limited to, all clinical
committees, executive, credentials, utilization review, peer review committees and all other matters
relating to medical competency in the hospital.
(d) To conduct deliberations with persons designated by the governing body to carry on labor
negotiations.
(e) To conduct deliberations with persons designated by the governing body to negotiate real
propertytransactions.
(f) To consider information or records that are exempt by law from public inspection.
(g) To consider preliminary negotiations involving matters of trade or commerce in which the
governing body is in competition with governing bodies in other states or nations.
(h) To consult with counsel concerning the legal rights and duties of a public body with regard
to current litigation or litigation likely to be filed.
(i) To review and evaluate the employment-related performance of the chief executive officer of
any public body, a public officer, employee or staff member who does not request an open hearing.
(j) To carry on negotiations under ORS chapter 293 with private persons or businesses regarding
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 4006 HB3720
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
proposed acquisition, exchange or liquidation of public investments.
(k) To consider matters relating to school safety or a plan that responds to safety threats made
toward a school.
(L) If the governing body is a health professional regulatory board, to consider information ob-
tained as part of an investigation of licensee or applicant conduct.
(m) If the governing body is the State Landscape Architect Board, or an advisory committee to
the board, to consider information obtained as part of an investigation of registrant or applicant
conduct.
(n) To discuss information about review or approval of programs relating to the security of any
of the following:
(A) A nuclear-powered thermal power plant or nuclear installation.
(B) Transportation of radioactive material derived from or destined for a nuclear-fueled thermal
power plant or nuclear installation.
(C) Generation, storage or conveyance of:
(i) Electricity;
(ii) Gas in liquefied or gaseous form;
(iii) Hazardous substances as defined in ORS 453.005 (7)(a), (b) and (d);
(iv) Petroleum products;
(v) Sewage; or
(vi) Water.
(D) Telecommunication systems, including cellular, wireless or radio systems.
(E) Data transmissions by whatever means provided.
(o) To consider matters relating to the safety of the governing body and of public body staff and
volunteers and the security of public body facilities and meeting spaces.
(p) To consider matters relating to cyber security infrastructure and responses to cyber security
threats.
[(3) Labor negotiations shall be conducted in open meetings unless negotiators for both sides re-
quest that negotiations be conducted in executive session. Labor negotiations conducted in executive
session are not subject to the notification requirements of ORS 192.640.]
(3)(a) Labor negotiations conducted by or on behalf of a public body shall be conducted
in open meetings and shall be subject to the provisions of ORS 192.610 to 192.705, regardless
of whether:
(A) The negotiations are conducted by members of the governing body or employees of
the public body; and
(B) The negotiations involve deliberations or a decision for which a quorum of the gov-
erning body is required.
(b) The members of the governing body shall be responsible for ensuring that any person
conducting labor negotiations on behalf of the public body is in compliance with this sub-
section.
(4) Representatives of the news media shall be allowed to attend executive sessions other than
those held under subsection (2)(d) of this section relating to labor negotiations or executive session
held pursuant to ORS 332.061 (2) but the governing body may require that specified information be
undisclosed.
(5) When a governing body convenes an executive session under subsection (2)(h) of this section
relating to conferring with counsel on current litigation or litigation likely to be filed, the governing
[2] HB3720
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
body shall bar any member of the news media from attending the executive session if the member
of the news media is a party to the litigation or is an employee, agent or contractor of a news media
organization that is a party to the litigation.
(6) No executive session may be held for the purpose of taking any final action or making any
final decision.
(7) The exception granted by subsection (2)(a) of this section does not apply to:
(a) The filling of a vacancy in an elective office.
(b) The filling of a vacancy on any public committee, commission or other advisory group.
(c) The consideration of general employment policies.
(d) The employment of the chief executive officer, other public officers, employees and staff
members of a public body unless:
(A) The public body has advertised the vacancy;
(B) The public body has adopted regular hiring procedures;
(C) In the case of an officer, the public has had the opportunity to comment on the employment
of the officer; and
(D) In the case of a chief executive officer, the governing body has adopted hiring standards,
criteria and policy directives in meetings open to the public in which the public has had the op-
portunity to comment on the standards, criteria and policy directives.
(8) A governing body may not use an executive session for purposes of evaluating a chief exec-
utive officer or other officer, employee or staff member to conduct a general evaluation of an agency
goal, objective or operation or any directive to personnel concerning agency goals, objectives, op-
erations or programs.
(9) Notwithstanding subsections (2) and (6) of this section and ORS 192.650:
(a) ORS 676.175 governs the public disclosure of minutes, transcripts or recordings relating to
the substance and disposition of licensee or applicant conduct investigated by a health professional
regulatory board.
(b) ORS 671.338 governs the public disclosure of minutes, transcripts or recordings relating to
the substance and disposition of registrant or applicant conduct investigated by the State Landscape
Architect Board or an advisory committee to the board.
(10) Notwithstanding ORS 244.290, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission may not adopt
rules that establish what entities are considered representatives of the news media that are entitled
to attend executive sessions under subsection (4) of this section.
SECTION 2. 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.
[3]