ORS 443.500: Investigation of registered facilities; access to facilities.

(1) The staff of the Oregon Health Authority or the Department of Human Services shall be permitted access to enter and investigate complaints of abuse in all facilities registered under ORS 443.480 to 443.500 and to ascertain a facility’s compliance with applicable rules, statutes, ordinances and regulations. If the authority has reasonable cause to believe any facility is operating without registration or is in violation of ORS 443.480 to 443.500, the authority or the department may apply to the circuit court for a search warrant. (2) Upon complaint of any person: (a) The state or local fire inspectors shall be permitted access to enter and inspect facilities registered under ORS 443.480 to 443.500 regarding fire safety. (b) The state or local health officers shall be permitted access to enter and inspect facilities registered under ORS 443.480 to 443.500 regarding health and sanitation. (3) The owner or operator of a facility may not retaliate against any individual who files a complaint or any witness or employee of a facility interviewed about the complaint, including but not limited to retaliation by restriction of a resident’s otherwise lawful access to the facility and, with respect to an employee, retaliation by dismissal or harassment. [1989 c.581 §4; 2015 c.740 §5; 2021 c.242 §4; 2023 c.267 §12]