New resources designed to help schools navigate legal currents
Do you need assistance keeping up with all the changes to Oregon education legal issues? OSBA’s Litigation Services Department is continually tracking the latest developments and has compiled the following resources to help you stay up to date so you can navigate these legal currents. Check out the links below to find details about updated laws, new requirements or legal guides and contact information.
1. Public records law update
Under the new Oregon law, districts and colleges must respond more quickly to public records requests. This overviews the new mandates.
2. Citizenship information protection
The Oregon Legislature recently declared a state of emergency relating to state public bodies and federal immigration enforcement. Under this act, schools may not collect or disclose information about a person’s citizenship or immigration status unless required by law. Read more about what this means for districts.
3. Oregon Equal Pay Act
Under the Oregon Equal Pay Act of 2017, districts and community colleges may not discriminate against persons of a protected class in payment of compensation for work of comparable character. More details are outlined in this summary of the act.
4. Public charter school students
A recently amended law states that school districts may not exclude public charter school students from interscholastic activities solely because they attend charter schools. Learn more about what this means for your district.
5. Criminal background checks
Effective January 1, 2018, any public school, education service district or public charter school volunteer who will have direct, unsupervised contact with school children must undergo a criminal background check. District school boards and charter school governing bodies are responsible for developing and implementing a background check policy. Here is OSBA’s guidance on the policy.
6. Workplace injury records
Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, schools must record any work-related event that results in: death; days away from work; restricted work or transfer to another job; medical treatment beyond first aid; significant injury or illness diagnosed by a health care professional; or loss of consciousness. Records must meet Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards. Learn more about how to implement this record-keeping regimen.
7. FEMA emergency guide
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently released “Safer, Stronger, Smarter: A Guide to Improving School Natural Hazard Safety” to help schools be better prepared and better able to respond to, recover from and mitigate future natural hazards. Access this practical guide here.
8. Student medication protocol
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has proposed changes to an Oregon Administrative Rule that school personnel who are to administer medicine must complete annual training. Additionally, schools must have policies and procedures for the self-administration for students kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Contact OSBA’s Litigation Services Department with any additional questions: 503-588-2800 or info@osba.org.