(2) The Legislative Equity Office is established as a nonpartisan office of the Legislative Assembly that is independent of any other nonpartisan office.

(3) By concurrent resolution, the Legislative Assembly shall select a Legislative Equity Officer, to serve as the executive officer of the Legislative Equity Office.

(4) The committee may recruit, conduct interviews and make recommendations for the appointment of the Legislative Equity Officer by the Legislative Assembly. The committee shall consult with the Capitol Leadership Team established under ORS 173.927 in the performance of the committee’s duties under this section.

(5) Subject to the limitations otherwise provided by law for expenses of state officers, the Legislative Equity Officer shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred or paid by the officer in the performance of duties of the officer.

(6) The Legislative Equity Officer serves for a four-year term and is eligible for reappointment to succeeding terms. An officer may be removed for cause by the committee upon a finding by the committee that supports a for-cause removal of the officer.

(7) The committee shall:

(a) Receive from the Legislative Equity Officer annual reports described in ORS 173.909 and any other reports the committee or officer determines are warranted;

(b) Provide office facilities for the officer that are sufficiently independent to ensure that the officer operates independently of any other legislative branch organization, including but not limited to authorizing the officer to maintain facilities that are located near but outside of the State Capitol;

(c) Ensure that the officer possesses all possible indicia of independence from the other parts of the legislative branch;

(d) Provide ongoing direction and oversight for continual updating of the training described in ORS 173.915;

(e) Develop and maintain a respectful workplace policy to be administered by the Legislative Administrator and that is designed to address conduct that is inconsistent with a respectful workplace in the State Capitol and that does not rise to the level of creating a hostile work environment or violating public accommodation law;

(f) Provide policy direction and oversight to the officer; and

(g) Perform other duties as assigned by joint rules of the Legislative Assembly.

(8) The Joint Committee on Conduct shall be composed of those members of the Senate Committee on Conduct formed to perform delegated and assigned functions described in Article IV, section 15, of the Oregon Constitution, for the Senate and the House Committee on Conduct formed to perform delegated and assigned functions described in Article IV, section 15, of the Oregon Constitution, for the House of Representatives.

(9) In any hearing to perform a function described in Article IV, section 15, of the Oregon Constitution, Joint Committee on Conduct members of the other legislative chamber may attend and be seated at the dais as nonvoting observers.

(10) Notwithstanding subsection (8) of this section, a member of the Joint Committee on Conduct shall be recused from service on a committee on conduct performing functions under Article IV, section 15, of the Oregon Constitution, if the facts and circumstances at issue could impair the member’s ability to act impartially and without bias. In the event of a recusal, the appointing authority shall appoint an acting member until the functions performed under Article IV, section 15, of the Oregon Constitution, have been resolved. [2019 c.604 §1]