---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to employees at public institutions of higher education; and declaring an emergency."
description: "Provides that part-time faculty member at public institution of higher education <b>qualifies for employee-only health care benefits if part-time faculty member works at level equal to at least half of full-time equivalent employee during at least three of four previous academic terms.</b> <i>who qualifies for health care benefits will</i>]<b> Requires part-time faculty member to </b>pay 10 percent of insurance premiums for employee coverage."
jurisdiction: "us/states/or"
legislature: "Oregon Legislative Assembly"
session: "2021 Regular Session"
identifier: "SB 551"
citation: "Oregon SB 551 (2021 Regular Session)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Kate Lieber", "Michael Dembrow", "Rob Wagner", "Susan McLain"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 24
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2021-01-11T17:28:22+00:00"
last_action: "2021-08-20T17:10:35+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0d61ab39-d856-406c-8d25-e1220da13a5b"
source_url: "https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/SB551"
source_hash: "aa134a771709e1d43e40bfcb805cd07c244c6381d9f467e7efa86306fb19af53"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-or"]
---

# Oregon SB 551 (2021 Regular Session) — Relating to employees at public institutions of higher education; and declaring an emergency.

Provides that part-time faculty member at public institution of higher education <b>qualifies for employee-only health care benefits if part-time faculty member works at level equal to at least half of full-time equivalent employee during at least three of four previous academic terms.</b> <i>who qualifies for health care benefits will</i>]<b> Requires part-time faculty member to </b>pay 10 percent of insurance premiums for employee coverage.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB551/Introduced)
2. **Senate Amendments to Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB551/Senate%20Amendments%20to%20Introduced)
3. **A-Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB551/A-Engrossed)
4. **JWM Amendment -3** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Downloads/ProposedAmendment/21528)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB551/Enrolled)

## Votes

- Heard and Reported Out with Amendments — **38–6** (pass) · legislature
- Rules suspended. Third reading. Carried by Dembrow. Passed. — **20–9** (pass) · upper
- Heard and Reported Out — **3–2** (pass) · upper
- Rules suspended. Third reading. Carried by McLain. Passed. — **50–5** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Kate Lieber — primary (person)
- Michael Dembrow — primary (person)
- Rob Wagner — primary (person)
- Susan McLain — primary (person)
- Andrea Valderrama — cosponsor (person)
- Anna Williams — cosponsor (person)
- Bill Kennemer — cosponsor (person)
- Chris Gorsek — cosponsor (person)
- Christine Drazan — cosponsor (person)
- Courtney Neron — cosponsor (person)
- David Brock Smith — cosponsor (person)
- Janeen Sollman — cosponsor (person)
- Janelle Bynum — cosponsor (person)
- Jeff Reardon — cosponsor (person)
- Julie Fahey — cosponsor (person)
- Mark Meek — cosponsor (person)
- Pam Marsh — cosponsor (person)
- Paul Evans — cosponsor (person)
- Paul Holvey — cosponsor (person)
- Rob Nosse — cosponsor (person)
- Teresa Alonso Leon — cosponsor (person)
- Wlnsvey Campos — cosponsor (person)
- Zach Hudson — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-01-11T17:28:22+00:00** Introduction and first reading. Referred to President's desk. `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2021-01-19T19:35:42+00:00** Referred to Education. `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-22T23:16:00+00:00** Public Hearing held.
- **2021-03-01T23:17:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2021-03-04T20:45:24+00:00** Recommendation: Do Pass and be referred to Ways and Means.
- **2021-03-04T20:45:25+00:00** Referred to Ways and Means by order of the President. `referral-committee`
- **2021-06-05T14:17:00+00:00** Assigned to Subcommittee On Education. `referral-committee`
- **2021-06-17T20:18:00+00:00** Returned to Full Committee.
- **2021-06-17T20:17:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2021-06-21T21:02:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2021-06-23T18:52:23+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass with amendments. (Printed A-Eng.) `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-06-24T18:12:30+00:00** Second reading. `reading-2`
- **2021-06-24T20:02:42+00:00** Rules suspended. Third reading. Carried by Dembrow. Passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-06-24T22:18:47+00:00** Rules suspended. First reading. Referred to Speaker's desk. `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2021-06-24T23:36:54+00:00** Referred to Ways and Means. `referral-committee`
- **2021-06-25T20:40:53+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-06-25T21:26:13+00:00** Second reading. `reading-2`
- **2021-06-25T22:20:24+00:00** Rules suspended. Third reading. Carried by McLain. Passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-06-29T19:32:41+00:00** President signed. `passage`
- **2021-07-01T17:35:29+00:00** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2021-06-24T20:03:42+00:00** Vote explanation(s) filed by Heard.
- **2021-07-19T22:29:00+00:00** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2021-08-20T17:05:08+00:00** Chapter 583, 2021 Laws.
- **2021-08-20T17:10:35+00:00** Effective date, July 19, 2021.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/0d61ab39-d856-406c-8d25-e1220da13a5b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Oregon legislature records).