ORS 441.792 Disposition of complaints

Following the receipt of a complaint and completion of an investigation described in ORS 441.791, for a violation described in subsection (2) of this section, the Oregon Health Authority shall:

Issue a warning for the first violation in a four-year period;

Impose a civil penalty of $1,750 for the second violation of the same provision in a four-year period;

Impose a civil penalty of $2,500 for the third violation of the same provision in a four-year period; and

Impose a civil penalty of $5,000 for the fourth and subsequent violations of the same provision in a four-year period.

The authority shall take the actions described in subsection (1) of this section for the following violations by a hospital of ORS 441.761 to 441.795:

Failure to establish a hospital professional and technical staffing committee or a hospital service staffing committee;

Failure to create a professional and technical staffing plan or a hospital service staffing plan;

Failure to adopt a hospital-wide nurse staffing plan. Each day in which there is a failure to adopt a hospital-wide nurse staffing plan shall be considered a single violation;

Failure to comply with the staffing level in a nurse staffing plan for a unit that has been adopted under ORS 441.762, including the nurse-to-patient staffing ratios prescribed in ORS 441.765, if applicable, if the failure to comply is not an allowed deviation described in ORS 441.765 (6);

If a hospital nurse staffing committee has not adopted a nurse staffing plan for a unit under ORS 441.762, failure to comply with the direct care registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratios applicable to the unit under ORS 441.765, if the failure to comply is not an allowed deviation described in ORS 441.765 (6). Under this paragraph, failure to comply with the direct care registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratios under ORS 441.765 for a single direct care registered nurse during the nurse’s shift shall be considered a single violation;

Failure to comply with the staffing level in the professional and technical staffing plan or the hospital service staffing plan, if the failure to comply is not an allowed deviation as described in ORS 441.775 (12) or 441.776 (12);

Failure to comply with the staffing requirements for certified nursing assistants in ORS 441.768, if the failure is not an allowed deviation under ORS 441.776 (12); or

Requiring a nursing staff, except as allowed by ORS 441.770, to work:

Beyond an agreed-upon prearranged shift regardless of the length of the shift;

More than 48 hours in any hospital-defined work week;

More than 12 hours in a 24-hour period; or

During the 10-hour period immediately following the 12th hour worked during a 24-hour period.

If a staff person at a hospital is unable to attend a staffing committee meeting because the staff person was not released from other hospital duties to attend the meeting, in violation of ORS 441.762 (9), 441.775 (10) or 441.776 (10), the authority shall:

Issue a warning for the first violation; and

Impose a civil penalty of $500 for a second and each subsequent violation.

A direct care staff person, a hospital professional or technical staff person or a hospital service staff person, or an exclusive representative of a direct care staff person, a hospital professional or technical staff person or a hospital service staff person, may elect to enforce meal break and rest break violations under ORS 653.261 by filing a complaint with the authority in accordance with ORS 441.791. [2023 c.507 §20; 2025 c.506 §6]

Sec. 8. (2) The amendments to ORS 441.792 and 441.793 by sections 6 and 7 of this 2025 Act apply to violations that occur on or after June 1, 2025.