(1) The governing board of a public university listed in ORS § 352.002 may undertake the construction of any building or structure for higher education when the governing board conservatively estimates that the public university will have sufficient revenues to pay the operating costs and any indebtedness for the building or structure. For purposes of this section, ‘revenues’ includes all funds available to the governing board except amounts appropriated by the Legislative Assembly from the General Fund. The governing board may enter into contracts for the acquisition, erection, improvement, repair, equipping and furnishing of buildings and structures for dormitories, housing, boarding, off-street motor vehicle parking facilities and other purposes for higher education pursuant to Article XI-F(1) of the Oregon Constitution and ORS § 352.157 to 352.171.

(2) The governing board may also undertake the acquisition or construction of those buildings and structures that the Legislative Assembly has determined will benefit higher education institutions or activities, and may enter into contracts with persons, firms or corporations for the acquisition, erection, improvement, repair, equipping and furnishing of such buildings and structures pursuant to Article XI-G of the Oregon Constitution. [Formerly 351.160]

(Temporary provisions relating to requirements for qualified capital construction projects)

Section 11, chapter 596, Oregon Laws 2023, provides:

(1) A public university that is carrying out a qualified project shall require each contractor in a contract with an estimated cost of $200,000 or greater to:

(a) Employ apprentices to perform 15 percent of the work hours that workers in apprenticeable occupations perform under the contract, in a manner consistent with the apprentices’ respective apprenticeship training programs;

(b) Establish and execute a plan for outreach, recruitment and retention of women, minority individuals and veterans to perform work under the contract, with the aspirational target of having at least 15 percent of total work hours performed by individuals in one or more of those groups;

(c) Provide health insurance and retirement benefits to workers; and

(d) Require any subcontractor engaged by the contractor to abide by the requirements set forth in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this subsection, if the work to be performed under the subcontract has an estimated cost of $200,000 or greater.

(2) On or before February 1 of each year, each public university that is carrying out a qualified project shall report to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means or Joint Interim Committee on Ways and Means, as part of the report required under ORS § 350.379, on:

(a) The amount of work performed on qualified projects by apprentices;

(b) The amount of work performed on qualified projects by women, minority individuals and veterans; and

(c) The types and costs of health insurance and retirement benefits provided to workers by contractors and subcontractors.

(3) The requirements of this section are in addition to, and not in lieu of, the requirements imposed under ORS § 350.379.

(4) As used in this section:

(a) ‘Apprentice’ has the meaning given that term in ORS § 660.010.

(b) ‘Apprenticeable occupation’ has the meaning given that term in ORS § 660.010.

(c) ‘Apprenticeship training program’ means the total system of apprenticeship that a particular local joint committee, as defined in ORS § 660.010, operates, including the local joint committee’s registered standards and all other terms and conditions for qualifying, recruiting, selecting, employing and training apprentices in an apprenticeable occupation.

(d) ‘Minority individual’ has the meaning given that term in ORS § 200.005.

(e) ‘Qualified project’ means the following capital construction projects:

(A) The University of Oregon Friendly Hall renovation referenced in section 1 (1)(L) of this 2023 Act;

(B) The Oregon State University Collaborative Innovation Complex referenced in section 1 (1)(m) of this 2023 Act;

(C) The Portland State University Vernier Science Center and Gateway Art and Design project completions referenced in section 1 (1)(n) of this 2023 Act; and

(D) The Oregon Institute of Technology geothermal system emergency renovation referenced in section 1 (6)(i)(E) of this 2023 Act.

(f) ‘Veteran’ has the meaning given that term in ORS § 408.225.

(g) ‘Woman’ has the meaning given that term in ORS § 200.005. [2023 c.596 § 11]

[Repealed by 1961 c.238 § 1]