HB 3357
Directs the Department of Education to implement a method to be used by school districts and education service districts to record school workplace safety incidents.
Take action
Record your position on this measure.
Sign in to record your position, submit testimony, or contact your legislator.
Sign in to take actionPublic sentiment
Support
92%
Oppose
8%
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill requires the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to create a system for school districts and education service districts to record workplace safety incidents involving school employees. The system must collect detailed information about the incidents, including the location, nature of injuries, involvement of students, and de-escalation training. The data will be accessible to the public and available in multiple formats and languages.
Key provisions
- The Department of Education will implement a system for recording school workplace safety incidents.
- The system must collect data on the school district, location, injuries, student involvement, and de-escalation training.
- The data will be accessible to the public in multiple formats and languages.
- The system must be user-friendly and easily accessible for staff.
- The system must ensure data consistency and minimize duplicative reporting.
- The system must include safeguards to address potential bias.
- The system will be developed in consultation with the Department of Consumer and Business Services.
Who is affected
- School districts
- Education service districts
- School employees
- Students
- Oregon Department of Education
Notable changes
- Establishes a new reporting requirement for school workplace safety incidents.
- Requires the collection of detailed incident data.
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsors
Rep Neron
Cosponsors
Arguments in favor
Reasons to support this legislation.
Supporters of the bill advocate for standardizing incident reporting statewide to bring data-driven accountability to school safety, emphasizing the need to include environmental hazards and near-miss scenarios in the definition of an 'incident'. They highlight concerns about inconsistent and unreliable current methods, which can deter employees from accurately reporting incidents. Advocates also share personal experiences of workplace injuries, citing the importance of proper documentation and improved safety protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future. A key point is the need for a centralized reporting system to reduce administrative burdens, increase transparency, and empower educators to report incidents without fear of retribution or bureaucratic hurdles. By establishing a standardized web-based safety reporting system, supporters aim to improve data collection, decision-making, and ultimately enhance school safety and protect staff from physical and emotional harm.
Source: Testimony Summaries
Arguments opposed
Reasons to oppose this legislation.
Opponents of House Bill 3357 express concerns that the legislation creates unclear and duplicative data collection requirements, which they argue are not adequately resourced or consolidated from existing staff injury data. They also contend that vague provisions in the bill could be used to justify punitive measures against students with disabilities, preferring instead behavioral supports as an alternative. Furthermore, critics warn that the lack of budget allocations and funding sources will lead to a massive bureaucracy and increase the risk of hacking, compromising the integrity of the system.