Travis E. Nelson is an American politician and nurse serving as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 44th district. He assumed office on February 1,2022. He is the first openly LGBTQ+ man of color and the first openly LGBTQ+ African American to ever serve in the Oregon Legislature.[1]
Travis Nelson started his career as a nurse for PeaceHealth in the Portland,Oregon area,specializing in medical,surgical,cardiac,rehabilitation and emergency nursing. Nelson is currently a union representative and the former vice president of the Oregon Nurses Association.[4] Nelson was appointed to the Oregon House of Representatives in February 2022 by members of the Multnomah County Commission,succeeding Tina Kotek who went on to become governor.[5][6]
Oregon House of Representatives
In his first legislative session,he secured $15 million for a new aquatic complex in North Portland.[7] in 2022,he was appointed to serve on the state Reproductive Health and Access to Care Work Group in anticipation of the overturning of Roe Vs. Wade. This workgroup was charged with ensuring that Oregon closed gaps in reproductive health rights.[8]
In his second legislative session in 2023,Nelson championed the following laws
House Bill 2697 - Safe staffing legislation for hospital healthcare workers. This bill establishes nurse to patient ratios and establishes staffing committees for other healthcare workers. This makes Oregon the first state in the nation to put nurse to patient ratios in statute.[11]
House Bill 2921 - Requires hospitals to turn over employee gender and racial demographic data to the state for public posting. The stated goal is to increase the transparency of hospital workforce by job classification.[12]
House Bill 2922 - A consumer protection bill that increases contractor bonding amounts by $5,000 to better protect consumers taken advantage of by bad contractors.[13]
House Bill 2925 - Funds the work of creating policy proposals that address racism as a public health crisis.[14]
Senate Bill 851 - Requires Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries to prepare a model respectful workplace policy that addresses workplace bullying.[15]
Senate Bill 907 - Protects employees from retaliation if they refuse to work under dangerous conditions.[16]
Senate Bill 1089 - Establishes the Oregon Universal Healthcare Governance Board. The goal of this board is to create a plan for universal healthcare in Oregon.[17]
2024 legislative session
Nelson secured $750,000 in funding for improvements to George Park in North Portland. George Park lies in the St. Johns neighborhood.[18]
Nelson worked with other legislators to secure $25 million in funding for Albina Vision Trust,a nonprofit Organization aiming to revitalize and reconnect the historically Black Albina community. The funding is aimed at restoring the wrongs done to the community by urban renewal and the Interstate 5 project in the middle of the 20th century.[19]
Nelson carried HB4004 on the floor of the House of Representatives. This legislation removed a requirement for the Bureau of Labor and Industries to refund penalties to companies that violated child labor law if there was also federal penalties. Nelson added an amendment that increased the maximum penalty for from $1,000 to $10,000 for violating child labor laws.[20]
2025 legislative session
House Bill 2024 - Establishes a grant program designed to improve recruitment and retention of behavioral health workers. Also entitles a behavioral health worker to reinstatement with backpay if the employer unlawfully retaliates and added to regulations designed to improve behavioral worker safety.[21]
House Bill 2555 - Established the Family Sentencing Alternative Program. This bill allows certain parents or pregnant individuals facing at least one year of imprisonment to potentially receive alternative sentencing.[22]
House Bill 2741 - Directs the state of Oregon to maintain a state public health laboratory,administer a newborn bloodspot screening program and implement additional programs related to newborn bloodspot screening. Requires health care providers and health care facilities to ensure collection and delivery of specimens for newborn bloodspot screening and report certain test results.[23]
House Bill 2748 - Prohibits a non human entity (such as artificial intelligence) from using nursing titles.[24]
House Bill 2789 - Allows registered nurses to bill Medicaid for care management services.[25]
House Bill 2940 - Creates a program for providing emergency departments in real time,notifications that identify patients with hemoglobinopathies (such as sickle cell disease) and provide information on how to contact a hematologist.[26]
House Bill 2942 - Requires Medicaid to reimburse pharmacies and pharmacists in the same manner as other health care providers for pre-exposure and post-exposure HIV prevention treatment.[27]
House Bill 2944 - Permits a labor organization to file a civil action against a public employer for failing to provide information related to public employees in a timely manner.[28]
House Bill 2948 - Established that only a registered nurse may supervise a nurse in a school setting with respect to the practice of nursing. Also known as "Hannah's Law".[29]
House Bill 2957 - Prohibits employers from entering into agreements that shorten the statute of limitations with respect to discrimination and sexual harassment claims. Ensures that workers have five years to pursue discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuits.[30]
House Bill 3003 - Modifies the list of data that the Department of Human Services must include in its annual reports about foster children. Information in the report to be disaggregated by race.[31]
Senate Bill 450 - Established November 14 of each year as Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.[32]
Senate Bill 537 - Established new workplace violence prevention requirements for certain healthcare facilities.[33]
Senate Bill 1098 - Prohibits discrimination based on the protected class of the author or topic when selecting or retaining school library materials,textbooks or instructional materials or when developing and implementing a curriculum.[34]
Senate Bill 1168 - Prohibits per-visit compensation for home health care and home hospice care staff.[35]
Senate Bill 1175 - Established a task force designed to remove barriers to jury service.[36]
Senate Bill 1182 - Allows the Oregon Department of Transportation to gift,lease or sell surplus real property of the Interstate 5 Rose Quarter Project to Albina Vision Trust,Inc. for Black community restoration.[37]
House Resolution 3 - Recognizes and honors the history of Oregon's Black drag performers.[38]
Political views
Nelson is a staunch progressive and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.[39] He is known for his support of unions,workers' rights,single payer healthcare,climate activism,reproductive rights,LGBTQ+ rights and racial justice.[40]
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