(1) As used in this section:

(a) ‘Board’ means the:

(A) State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology;

(B) State Board of Chiropractic Examiners;

(C) State Board of Licensed Social Workers;

(D) Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists;

(E) Oregon Board of Dentistry;

(F) Board of Licensed Dietitians;

(G) State Board of Massage Therapists;

(H) Oregon Board of Naturopathic Medicine;

(I) Oregon State Board of Nursing;

(J) Long Term Care Administrators Board;

(K) Oregon Board of Optometry;

(L) State Board of Pharmacy;

(M) Oregon Medical Board;

(N) Occupational Therapy Licensing Board;

(O) Oregon Board of Physical Therapy;

(P) Oregon Board of Psychology;

(Q) Board of Medical Imaging;

(R) State Board of Direct Entry Midwifery;

(S) State Board of Denture Technology;

(T) Respiratory Therapist and Polysomnographic Technologist Licensing Board;

(U) Oregon Health Authority, to the extent that the authority licenses emergency medical services providers;

(V) Oregon State Veterinary Medical Examining Board;

(W) State Mortuary and Cemetery Board; or

(X) Behavior Analysis Regulatory Board.

(b) ‘Licensee’ means a health professional licensed or certified by or registered with a board.

(c) ‘Prohibited conduct’ means conduct by a licensee that:

(A) Constitutes a criminal act against a patient or client; or

(B) Constitutes a criminal act that creates a risk of harm to a patient or client.

(d) ‘Unprofessional conduct’ means conduct unbecoming a licensee or detrimental to the best interests of the public, including conduct contrary to recognized standards of ethics of the licensee’s profession or conduct that endangers the health, safety or welfare of a patient or client.

(2) Unless state or federal laws relating to confidentiality or the protection of health information prohibit disclosure, a licensee who has reasonable cause to believe that another licensee has engaged in prohibited or unprofessional conduct shall report the conduct to the board responsible for the licensee who is believed to have engaged in the conduct. The reporting licensee shall report the conduct without undue delay, but in no event later than 10 working days after the reporting licensee learns of the conduct.

(3) A licensee who is convicted of a misdemeanor or felony or who is arrested for a felony crime shall report the conviction or arrest to the licensee’s board within 10 days after the conviction or arrest.

(4) The board responsible for a licensee who is reported to have engaged in prohibited or unprofessional conduct shall investigate in accordance with the board’s rules. If the board has reasonable cause to believe that the licensee has engaged in prohibited conduct, the board shall present the facts to an appropriate law enforcement agency without undue delay, but in no event later than 10 working days after the board finds reasonable cause to believe that the licensee engaged in prohibited conduct.

(5) A licensee who fails to report prohibited or unprofessional conduct as required by subsection (2) of this section or the licensee’s conviction or arrest as required by subsection (3) of this section is subject to discipline by the board responsible for the licensee.

(6) A licensee who fails to report prohibited conduct as required by subsection (2) of this section commits a Class A violation.

(7)(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a report under subsection (2) or (3) of this section is confidential under ORS § 676.175.

(b) A board may disclose a report as provided in ORS § 676.177.

(c) If the Health Licensing Office receives a report described in this subsection, the report is confidential and the office may only disclose the report pursuant to ORS § 676.595 and 676.599.

(8) Except as part of an application for a license or for renewal of a license and except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, a board may not require a licensee to report the licensee’s criminal conduct.

(9) The obligations imposed by this section are in addition to and not in lieu of other obligations to report unprofessional conduct as provided by statute.

(10) A licensee who reports to a board in good faith as required by subsection (2) of this section is immune from civil liability for making the report.

(11) A board and the members, employees and contractors of the board are immune from civil liability for actions taken in good faith as a result of a report received under subsection (2) or (3) of this section. [2009 c.536 § 1; 2011 c.630 § 21; 2011 c.703 § 44; 2011 c.715 § 19; 2011 c.720 § 213; 2017 c.6 § 22; 2018 c.61 § 19; 2019 c.43 § 5; 2019 c.456 § 13; 2023 c.500 § 11]

PROCESSING OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST HEALTH PROFESSIONALS