The Legislative Assembly declares that it is the purpose of ORS § 36.100 to 36.238 to:

(1) Foster the development of community-based programs that will assist citizens in resolving disputes and developing skills in conflict resolution;

(2) Allow flexible and diverse programs to be developed in this state, to meet specific needs in local areas and to benefit this state as a whole through experiments using a variety of models of peaceful dispute resolution;

(3) Find alternative methods for addressing the needs of crime victims in criminal cases when those cases are either not prosecuted for lack of funds or can be more efficiently handled outside the courts;

(4) Provide a method to evaluate the effect of dispute resolution programs on communities, local governments, the justice system and state agencies;

(5) Encourage the development and use of mediation panels for resolution of civil litigation disputes;

(6) Foster the development or expansion of integrated, flexible and diverse state agency programs that involve state and local agencies and the public and that provide for use of alternative means of dispute resolution pursuant to ORS § 183.502; and

(7) Foster efforts to integrate community, judicial and state agency dispute resolution programs. [1989 c.718 § 2; 1997 c.706 § 3; 2003 c.791 § 10]