By BRYCE DOLE/Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon is on the cusp of making it illegal for employers to ask for a person’s age in the beginning stages of applying for a job.

Lawmakers in both legislative chambers have passed House Bill 3187, which proponents say will help curb age discrimination. The bill passed through the Oregon Senate Tuesday on a vote of 20-9, with three Republicans voting yes, including Senate Minority Leader Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles. Sen. Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City voted against it.

It’s illegal for employers to reject a prospective employee because of their age, but the legislation forbids employers or apprentices from requesting a person’s date of birth or graduation until after an initial interview.

Employers may ask an applicant to disclose their age if it is part of the job qualifications or required by state or federal law, Patterson noted. Other states have similar rules, the lawmaker said.

“This is a modest but important first step in ensuring that older workers have a fair shake and are not pre-judged based solely on their age,” said Patterson.

The bill was backed by some of Oregon’s largest unions, such as the Oregon Nurses Association and the Oregon School Employees Association, which said that older employees are a critical part of the state’s workforce.

Some business leaders voiced concerns over the bill, saying it added complexity and confusion to state regulations. Opponents included the Oregon Farm Bureau, the state’s largest agricultural advocacy and lobbying organization.

Oregon businesses “already have it hard enough with inflation, economic uncertainty, and workforce shortages,” the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce said in a letter opposing the bill. “HB 3187 is yet one more costly challenge that would only add more complexity and more avenues for lawsuits.”

The bill now heads to Gov. Tina Kotek’s desk.