Social Policy
Legislative Report - Week of 2/3

Social Policy Team
Coordinator: Jean Pierce
-
After-School Care and Children’s Service: Katie Riley
-
Behavioral Health: Karen Nibler, Stephany Aller
-
Education: Jean Pierce
-
Equal Rights for All: Jean Pierce, Kyra Aguon
-
Gun Safety and Gun Issues, Rights for Incarcerated People: Marge Easley
-
Hate and Bias Crimes: Claudia Keith, Becky Gladstone
-
Higher Education: Jean Pierce
-
Immigration/Refugee/Asylum: Claudia Keith
-
Health Care: Christa Danielsen,
-
M110 Public Safety, Justice Issues: Karen Nibler
-
School-Based Health Centers: Chloe Acosta, Anai Beng
-
Housing: Debbie Aiona, Nancy Donovan
-
Gender-Related Concerns, Reproductive Health, Age Discrimination: Trish Garner
Jump to topic:
After School and Child Care
By Katie Riley
The final report for the 2024's session report on HB 4082 includes a request of $50 million per year for the biennium ($100 million total). It is not clear how that fits with the Governor's budget proposal of $78.5 million for 2025 summer learning (summer school). The summer funding includes partnerships with community partners for care after summer school scheduled periods. No funding was recommended by the HB 4082 task force or the Governor for afterschool programs. SB 896 has been introduced to provide grants for afterschool and summer programs. It will be heard in the Senate Education Committee on Monday, February 3. It does not have a proposed budget amount attached to the bill.
Behavioral Health
By Stephanie Aller
SB 538 will have a public hearing before the Senate Committee on Health Care on
February 4. The bill would require the Oregon Department of Human Services to pay
parents for attendant care services for minor children with developmental disabilities who
have high behavioral health or medical needs.
HB 2596, the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact bill, will have a public
hearing before the House Committee on Education on February 3. Proponents of the bill
believe it would increase access to school psychological services by streamlining the
licensure process for school psychologists coming from other states.
Education
By Jean Pierce
Over 65% of the education budget comes from general funds. It represents 17% of the state’s total fund budget and 40% of their general fund/lottery fund budget. Approximately $2M for the biennium comes from federal funding. This includes block grants (e.g. for childcare development), title funds, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Every Student Succeeds Act funding, and specialty grants. The budget breakdown is as follows:
51% - State school fund
25% - Department of Education (includes student nutrition, special education, STEM programming, Career and Technical Education, etc.)
17% - Higher Education
7% - Department of Early Learning and Care
Less than 1% - Teacher Standards and Practices Commission
Pre-K – 12 Education
LWVOR submitted testimony in support of HB2811, which would provide funding for the Imagination Library of Oregon. The premise is that children from ages 0 to 5 receive an age- appropriate book each month at absolutely no cost to their parents. This program is made possible through the largesse of the Dolly Parton Foundation, which provides 50% of the funding.
Higher Education
The House higher education committee heard testimony that the number one concern of faculty and staff is the need for stable, dedicated public funding for higher education. Oregon ranks 44th in the nation in per Full Time Equivalency funding for four-year public institutions. Because of the low level of state funding for higher education, in-state tuition and fees for four-year institutions in Oregon are the 12th highest in the nation, and for 2-year institutions Oregon ranks 5th in the nation.
Related to the high cost of tuition and fees, is the fact that students need help meeting basic needs of food, housing, transportation, and child care. A 2023 survey of Portland Community College students revealed that 43% were facing food insecurity and 56% were dealing with housing insecurity. (See also the Housing Legislative Report) In addition, a single textbook can cost up to $600, so a 2018 survey of 21,000 students revealed that over 64% of them had not purchased at least one textbook because of the costs. LWVOR has submitted testimony for HB2550 which would make Oregon Promise Grants available to a broader range of community college students.
Another concern is that Oregon is the only west coast state where public records laws do not apply to public university foundations.
Finally, serious concerns were expressed that approximately 70% of all higher education classes in Oregon are taught by temporary and part-time faculty.
LWVOR has plans to submit testimony for
· HB3182, which would provide funding for grants to programs meeting students’ basic needs for housing (Hearing Feb. 13)
· HB3183, which would provide funding to the Open Education Resources program, which makes textbooks affordable. (Hearing Feb. 13)
Healthcare
By Christa Danielson
LWVOR is tracking HB 3225-This bill is the culmination of multiple work groups and work done within Representative Bowman’s office to ensure that decisions about patients’ medical care are not decided by corporations. The new bill specifies the qualifications for the MD who is among the majority of shareholders or directors of a professional corporation organized for the purpose of practicing medicine. The MD needs to live in Oregon, be actively involved in the corporation and licensed to practice medicine in the state of Oregon.
Housing
By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona
The PSU Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative presented information to the Senate Committee on Housing and Development in January. They reported that the estimated number of people experiencing homelessness, including sheltered, unsheltered, and doubled-up, was 43,670 in 2022. People of color often experience disproportionately higher rates of homelessness than their percentage in the general population.
In 2023–24, 22,072 students across Oregon experienced some form of homelessness (unsheltered, sheltered, or doubled-up). At four percent of the student population, it is the highest recorded rate in Oregon to date. Of those, 2,980 were unsheltered and 2,438 were sheltered. (See also the Higher Education Legislative Report)
The House Committee on Housing and Homelessness heard an agency overview from Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS). Homelessness in 2023 is the worst it has been since the Great Depression. Eviction filings in 2023 are at the highest level since 2011. The OHCS plans for preservation of existing affordable housing include financing the purchase of publicly-supported housing with expiring affordability contracts and acquisition and rehab of manufactured home parks that will be owned by non-profits and resident-owned cooperatives.
Between Jan. 1, 2023, and Oct. 31, 2024, OHCS funding rehoused 3,257 households, prevented 17,569 households from becoming homeless, and funded 6,147 beds across 136 shelters.
LWVOR is a member of the Oregon Housing Alliance that includes nearly 100 organizations across the state. We take action to shape policy, submit testimony for upcoming hearings on bills that promote affordable housing, prevent homelessness, and expand homeownership opportunities for all Oregonians. The Housing Alliance, with member input, recently issued its priorities for the 2025 legislative session. Here are the highlights:
Build and preserve affordable housing
· New production of affordable rental homes: LIFT program plus permanent supportive housing, $685M in general obligation bonds
· Preservation and operations support for existing affordable rental housing: $260M in lottery-backed and/or general obligation bonds
· Manufactured housing park preservation: $25M in lottery-backed bonds
· Permanent supportive housing operations and resident services: $11M in general funds
· Governor’s housing infrastructure program: $100M in lottery bonds
Homelessness prevention and response
· Emergency rent assistance: $109M in general funds
· Homelessness prevention services: $63.5M in general funds
· Shelter operations and housing navigation: $217M in general funds
· Strengthen notice requirements and supports for residents of expiring affordable housing
· SB 722: Reduce the new-construction exemption from rent stabilization from 15 years to 7 years; prohibit landlords’ use of price-fixing algorithms to set rents
Expand access to affordable homeownership
· Improve access to fair-market mortgages for immigrant Oregonians
Unlocking Homeownership Agenda
· Build new homes for homeownership (LIFT program): $100M in general obligation bonds
· Homeownership Development Incubator Program: $50M in general funds
· Down payment assistance: $45M in general funds
· Individual Development Accounts (IDAs): $20M
Reproductive Rights
By Trish Garner
Abortion-related bills which are being proposed this term in the legislature reflect a change in approach from straight-out abortion bans to more complex models. There are nearly identical House and Senate “Born-Alive Infants Protection Act” bills (HB 2372, SB 384) which essentially require practitioners to exercise the same degree of care to any child born of the same gestational age and if this standard is not met, a health care practitioner present at the time of the birth or a health clinic employee shall “immediately” report it to law enforcement. There are a number of additional provisions which contain some rather nuanced differences between the bills, including, for example, different provisions regarding civil liability. The Senate bill says a violation of the act can't be charged against a person whose pregnancy was terminated, but the House bill does not provide this protection. HB 2381 doesn’t technically ban or limit abortions but rather requires OHA to set up a Pregnancy Launch Program and accompanying staffed hotline that will encourage “healthy” childbirth, support childbirth as an alternative to abortion, promote family formation, and more. All persons seeking abortion services will be automatically connected to services provided through the Pregnancy Launch Program. HB 3249 and SB 66 are identical and are directly aimed at abortions. At the same time they also adopt a different approach than in times past and impose a duty on health care providers to determine gestational age. Unless it’s a medical emergency, abortion is prohibited unless the provider determines the unborn child is less than 15 weeks, the pregnant person presents a medical emergency or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. Interestingly, providers must supply OHA with detailed data regarding an abortion procedure, and if they fail to do so can be sued by the pregnant person or the person responsible for fertilization. HB 3330 not only deals with abortion but also gender-affirming treatment. It prohibits employers from discriminating against employees who object to abortion, fetal transplants, gender-affirming treatment or assisted suicide.
In a related vein- SB 918 provides that school curricula would be required to include information about human development from conception to birth.
DEIJ
HB 2439 seeks to remove the word “gender identity” from statutes.