PORTLAND — Oregon lawmakers enacted more than 600 bills in the 2015 legislation session. About half of them take effect today. Here are a few of the most consequential new laws that will greet Oregonians in 2016:
• PAID SICK LEAVE: Workers will be entitled to at least a week of sick leave each year. If their employer has at least 10 workers, the leave must be paid. Smaller employers must provide unpaid leave. The bill was backed exclusively by Democrats, who said people shouldn’t feel forced to choose between caring for their health and maintaining their paycheck. The bill’s critics said it would make it harder for businesses to succeed and hire more workers.
• BAN THE BOX: Employers can no longer ask about criminal records on job applications. They can still ask during a job interview, but the bill’s proponents hope people with convictions will get a chance to build a fuller picture of themselves for a potential employer. They say it’s extremely difficult for people with a criminal record to find work because they’re automatically excluded at an early stage. Critics worry the measure will put businesses at risk of lawsuits.
• BIRTH CONTROL: Oregon becomes the easiest place in the nation to get birth control under two new laws that vastly expanded access to contraception. One measure allows pharmacists to write women a prescription for birth control after they complete a risk-screening assessment, eliminating the need to see a doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant. Another new law requires insurance companies to cover up to 12 months of birth control at a time.