Oregon Revised Statutes Public Health and Safety § 441.165

(1) For purposes of this subsection, “epidemic” means the occurrence of a group of similar conditions of public health importance in a community or region that are in excess of normal expectancy and that are from a common or propagated source.

(2) Notwithstanding ORS 441.155 and 441.156, a hospital is not required to follow a written hospital-wide staffing plan developed and approved by the hospital nurse staffing committee under ORS 441.154 upon the occurrence of a national or state emergency requiring the implementation of a facility disaster plan, or upon the occurrence of sudden unforeseen adverse weather conditions or an infectious disease epidemic suffered by hospital staff.

(3) Upon the occurrence of an emergency circumstance not described in subsection (2) of this section, either cochair of the hospital nurse staffing committee may require the hospital nurse staffing committee to meet to review and potentially modify the staffing plan in response to the emergency circumstance.