ORS 36.220: Confidentiality of mediation communications and agreements; exceptions.
Edition: 2025 EditionEffective: 2026-01-01Last verified: 2026-09-07
(1) Except as provided in ORS 36.220 to 36.238: (a) Mediation communications are confidential and may not be disclosed to any other person. (b) The parties to a mediation may agree in writing that all or part of the mediation communications are not confidential. (2) Except as provided in ORS 36.220 to 36.238: (a) The terms of any mediation agreement are not confidential. (b) The parties to a mediation may agree that all or part of the terms of a mediation agreement are confidential. (3) Statements, memoranda, work products, documents and other materials, otherwise subject to discovery, that were not prepared specifically for use in a mediation, are not confidential. (4) Any document that, before its use in a mediation, was a public record as defined in ORS 192.311 remains subject to disclosure to the extent provided by ORS 192.311 to 192.478. (5) Any mediation communication relating to child abuse that is made to a person who is required to report child abuse under the provisions of ORS 419B.010 is not confidential to the extent that the person is required to report the communication under the provisions of ORS 419B.010. Any mediation communication relating to elder abuse that is made to a person who is required to report elder abuse under the provisions of ORS 124.050 to 124.095 is not confidential to the extent that the person is required to report the communication under the provisions of ORS 124.050 to 124.095. (6) A mediation communication is not confidential if the mediator or a party to the mediation reasonably believes that disclosing the communication is necessary to prevent a party from committing a crime that is likely to result in death or substantial bodily injury to a specific person. (7) A party to a mediation may disclose confidential mediation communications to a person if the party’s communication with that person is privileged under ORS 40.010 to 40.585 or other provision of law. A party may disclose confidential mediation communications to any other person for the purpose of obtaining advice concerning the subject matter of the mediation, if all parties to the mediation so agree. (8) The confidentiality of mediation communications and agreements in a mediation in which a public body is a party, or in which a state agency is mediating a dispute as to which the state agency has regulatory authority, is subject to ORS 36.224, 36.226 and 36.230. [1997 c.670 §1]
Administrative rules citing this section
- OAR 629-041-0200: Confidentiality and Inadmissibility of Mediation Communications — implements
- OAR 801-001-0050: Confidentiality and Inadmissibility of Mediation Communications — implements
- OAR 809-001-0035: Confidentiality and Inadmissibility of Mediation Communications — implements
- OAR 811-001-0070: Mediation Communications — implements
- OAR 847-006-0000: Confidentiality and Inadmissibility of Mediation Communications — implements
This rule cites
- ORS 36.220 — resolved
- 36.238 — resolved
- ORS 192.311 — resolved
- 192.478 — resolved
- ORS 124.050 — resolved
- 124.095 — resolved
- ORS 40.010 — resolved
- 40.585 — resolved
- ORS 36.224 — resolved
- 36.226 — resolved
- 36.230 — resolved
Cited by
- UTCR 12.040: MEDIATOR ETHICS
- ORS 31.268: Mediation.
- ORS 36.222: Admissibility and disclosure of mediation communications and agreements in subsequent adjudicatory proceedings.
- ORS 36.228: Mediations in which two or more public bodies are parties.
- ORS 36.232: Disclosures allowed for reporting, research, training and educational purposes.
- ORS 36.234: Parties to mediation.
- ORS 36.236: Effect on other laws.
- ORS 36.238: Application of ORS 36.210 and 36.220 to 36.238.
- ORS 36.283: Confidentiality of mediation communications and agreement.
- SLR 4-12.025: ALTERNATE MEDIATION PROCEDURE IN CIVIL AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS ACTIONS SUBJECT TO ors 36.400 TO ors 36.425
- ORS 135.957: Application of ORS 36.220 to 36.238 to mediation of criminal offenses; information to parties.
- ORS 192.472: Confidentiality of Public Records Advocate records.
- SLR 20-12.015: Privacy, Confidentiality and Records
- ORS 465.484: Unfair environmental claims settlement practices; environmental claim mediation; damages.
- OAR 137-005-0050: Confidentiality of Collaborative Dispute Resolution Communications
- OAR 180-001-0013: Confidentiality of facilitated dispute resolution communications and agreements
- OAR 413-120-0635: Cooperative Adoption Planning Through Legal Assistance Mediation Services
- OAR 736-140-0006: Confidentiality of Collaborative Dispute Resolution Communications
Official source: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors036.html