Senate Bill 337

Establishes Oregon Public Defense Commission within judicial branch. Specifies appointment process for and qualification of commission members and duties of executive director and commission. Abolishes Public Defense Services Commission and transfers duties, functions and powers of commission to Oregon Public Defense Commission. Transfers Oregon Public Defense Commission to executive branch effective January 1, 2025. Provides that Governor appoints executive director of commission, and executive director and commission members serve at pleasure of Governor until July 1, 2027. Directs Oregon Department of Administrative Services to issue state public defense population forecasts. Directs Oregon Public Defense Commission to conduct survey and economic analysis to calculate minimum hourly pay for appointed counsel who are not employed by commission for contracts entered beginning July 1, 2027. Specifies required percentage of trial-level appointed counsel who must be employees of commission by January 1, 2031, and January 1, 2035. Effective July 1, 2025, directs commission to establish panel of qualified counsel who may be directly assigned to cases. Specifies types of contracts commission may enter into for purposes of providing public defense services. Provides that commission members appoint executive director of commission beginning July 1, 2027. Directs Oregon Public Defense Commission to provide, to interim committees of Legislative Assembly related to judiciary, no later than May 15, 2024, comprehensive report on plan for providing public defense services. Directs commission to provide updated report on December 1, 2025, December 1, 2026, and December 1, 2027, and biennially thereafter until January 2, 2036. <b>Directs presiding judge of each judicial district to develop and implement coordinated public safety unrepresented defendant crisis plan, and submit plan to Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, by September 1, 2023. Directs presiding judge of judicial district of certain population to convene crisis team to assist in developing and implementing plan. Directs Public Defense Services Commission to promulgate and disseminate guidance on crisis plans by August 15, 2023, develop training plan concerning unrepresented defendant crisis by September 1, 2023, and report to committees of Legislative Assembly by October 1, 2023. Directs Oregon Criminal Justice Commission to report to committees of Legislative Assembly on crisis plan findings by October 1, 2023. Appropriates moneys to Public Defense Services Commission and Judicial Department to carry out provisions of Act.</b> Declares emergency, effective on passage.

• Senate, third reading17–8

  Passed · Jun 20 · 5 present

• House of Representatives, third reading34–16

  Passed · Jun 21 · 10 present

• Senate committee amendmentAdopted

  Adopted Apr 14

• Senate committee amendmentAdopted

  Adopted Jun 2

• Senate committee amendmentAdopted

  Adopted Jun 12

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In the Senate Jan 9 – Jun 20

1. Jan 9Introduced
2. Jan 12Sent to Judiciary
3. Mar 30Heard in Judiciary
4. Apr 3Heard in Judiciary
5. Apr 14Judiciary recommended it as amended
6. Sent to Rules
7. May 11Heard in Rules
8. May 23Heard in Rules
9. May 30Heard in Rules
10. Jun 2Rules recommended it as amended
11. Sent to Ways and Means
12. Jun 5Sent to Public Safety Subcommittee
13. Jun 6Heard in Public Safety Subcommittee
14. Returned to Ways and Means
15. Jun 9Heard in Ways and Means
16. Jun 12Ways and Means recommended it as amended
17. Jun 15Read a second time
18. Jun 20Passed the Senate, 17 to 8

In the House of Representatives Jun 20 – Jun 21

1. Jun 20Arrived in the House of Representatives
2. Sent to Ways and Means
3. Jun 21Ways and Means recommended it
4. Read a second time
5. Passed the House of Representatives, 34 to 16

To the Governor Jun 23 – Jul 21

1. Jun 23Signed in the Senate
2. Signed in the House of Representatives
3. Jul 13Signed by the Governor
4. Jul 21Became chapter 281 of Oregon Laws 2023
5. In force from July 13, 2023