Note:  Education reports after January, 2024, are included in Social policy reports. Education reports prior to February, 2024, can be found HERE.

Please see the Legislation Tracker for 2025 Social Policy bills.

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• Child Care and Summer Learning

• Age Discrimination

• Education

• Gun Policy

• Housing Legislation

• Immigration

Age Discrimination

By Trish Garner

HB 3187A passed the House and was referred to the Senate Labor and Business Committee. A Public Hearing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 29th, and a Work Session is scheduled for Wednesday, May 1st. 

This is a workplace age discrimination bill but has been amended so that the only surviving language relates to prospective employers and employment agencies not being able to request or require disclosure of an applicant’s date of birth or graduation dates, unless a conditional offer of employment has been made or age is a job requirement.

Child Care and Summer Learning

By Katie Riley

Summer school

HB 2007 which modifies requirements for the summer learning program to emphasize literacy and accountability was passed and signed into law by Governor Kotek.The League submitted testimony commenting on the bill.   The accompanying funding bill HB 5047 provides $35 million for summer 2025 and $47 million in 2026 and 27.  It also moves the funds into a special summer learning grant fund in the Treasurer’s office outside the general fund; thereby, establishing a sustainable funding source that allows for advance planning.  

ODE has issued information about eligibility and grant application procedures.   

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

The  CASA program operates with a combination of federal and state funds to receive training and coordination to advocate for foster children.  With the possible termination of federal funds, the state is being asked to backfill the gap:

HB 5002 – provides funding for the Department of Administrative Services (DAS), including $7 million in state funding for the Oregon CASA Network and Oregon’s 19

local CASA programs. The bill is currently in the Joint Committee on Ways and Means subcommittee on General Government. It bill has had informational hearings but has not yet been referred out to the full Ways and Means committee.

HB 3196A (copy not available yet)– would provide $3 million in backfill funding for the anticipated shortfall in federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants, which provide vital support to CASA and other victim services. It has been referred to Ways and Means.

Education

By Jean Pierce

K-12

Most of the Education bills for which LWVOR has submitted testimony this session have been referred to Ways and Means or Revenue committees. We do not expect to see movement on them until after the May 14th revenue update. SB 1098, opposing book bans based on discrimination in schools, passed the Senate and has been referred to the House Education Committee.  HB 2550, the Oregon Promise Grant, was not considered in a work session. Hopefully that funding will be part of a “Christmas Tree” omnibus funding  bill.

Higher Education

The League is submitting testimony for HB 2586  which is in the Senate Education Committee. The bill would permit an asylum seeker who is a student at a public university in this state or Oregon Health and Science University to receive an exemption from nonresident tuition and fees.

Impact of federal actions on schools in Oregon

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 23 aimed at bringing artificial intelligence into K-12 schools in hopes of building a U.S. workforce equipped to use and advance the rapidly growing technology.

The University of Illinois discussed pros and cons of AI in education. The Oregon Department of Education has issued this guidance on the use of AI in K-12 classrooms.  

LWVOR has provided testimony in support of SB 1098, which would promote access to books which do not discriminate.. This is timely, since, as of April 22, the Supreme Court appears to be poised to rule in favor of  a group of Maryland parents who want to be able to opt their elementary-school-aged children out of instruction that includes LGBTQ+ themes.

According to KOIN as of April 25, at least nine institutions of higher education in Oregon have signed the American Association of Colleges and University(AACU) Call for Constructive Engagement: Chemeketa Community College, Lewis and Clark, Linfield University, Pacific University, Portland State University, Reed College, University of Oregon, University of Portland, and WIllamette University. This alliance was inspired by Harvard’s resistance to administrative overreach.  

In addition, Reed College has signed onto an amicus brief supporting a federal case challenging recent student visa revocations, detentions and deportations.

According to the Oregon Capital Chronicle, visas for international students have been abruptly revoked at Portland State University, the University of Oregon and Oregon State University. In some cases, students have alleged they were targeted for participating in pro-Palestinian protests.

On April 21,a federal judge in Oregon  ordered the government to reinstate visas for two Oregon students and blocked Immigration and Customs Enforcement from deporting them.

Gun Policy

By Marge Easley

SB 243 A, which mandates a 72-hour wait before the purchase of a firearm and places a ban on rapid-fire devices, was moved to Senate Rules. This allows the bill to bypass legislative deadlines and gives supporters additional time to lobby for support. A LWVOR Action Alert on SB 243 A was sent to members on April 16. If you have not yet done so, we urge you to contact your legislators to urge passage of this important gun safety bill. LWVOR submitted testimony on the parts of the bill: SB 429, SB 696, and SB 698

Three other gun policy bills are sitting in Ways and Means:  SB 1015 (grant program for community violence prevention), HB 3076 A (gun dealer licensing program), and HB 3075 A (Measure 114 implementation details). On April 15, Measure 114 was appealed on constitutional grounds to the Oregon Supreme Court, and it is hoped that a favorable ruling will soon allow the measure to go into effect.  

On the federal level there was news on April 21 that may impact the 30 states that have laws placing age restrictions for firearms. The US Supreme Court declined to review an appeals court’s decision that Minnesota’s law violates the Second Amendment rights of 18-to-20-year-olds. SB 697 was the Oregon bill to set a prohibition on the purchase and possession of firearms to those under 21, but it failed to pass out of committee.  The League submitted testimony for SB 697.

Housing

By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona

HB 3054 A – Limits annual rent increases in home parks or marinas

LWVOR continues to focus on housing challenges experienced by people with the lowest incomes. Affordable homes in Oregon are in short supply, making it important to strengthen resident protections, as proposed in HB 3054 A. The bill seeks to limit rent increases for homeowners in home parks and marinas that are experiencing escalating rents and curtail landlord practices that may threaten residents’ ability to stay in their homes. 

This bill with the -2 amendment establishes the maximum annual rent increase percentage for homeowners in a home park or marina with more than 30 spaces to 6% from the current level of 7% plus changes in the consumer price index (CPI).

It also prohibits a landlord from requiring that a selling tenant or prospective home purchaser make aesthetic improvements or allow internal housing inspections. Only maintenance or repairs carried out by the homeowner would be required under this bill.

Parks and marinas with 30 or fewer spaces are exempt and covered by the current rent cap of 7% plus changes in the CPI, capped at 10%.

The House Committee on Housing and Homelessness passed HB 3054 A on 4/16. It is scheduled for a public hearing on May 7 by the Senate Committee on Housing and Development. The League submitted testimony.

Oregon has more than 140,000 manufactured homes, with 62,000 located in more than 1,000 privately owned parks across the state. Manufactured housing is one of the largest sources of naturally occurring affordable housing. Residents on fixed or limited incomes have few options when costs escalate and far exceed what they can afford. HB 3054 A would help ensure continued affordability of this critical housing supply. 

SB 814 A: On April 26, the House Committee on Homelessness and Housing held a public hearing on SB 814 A and scheduled an April 30 work session. LWVOR provided testimony in support. The bill would modify eligibility criteria for the Oregon Housing and Community Services long-term rent assistance program by adding youth exiting Oregon Youth Authority custody or child care centers.

Immigration

By Becky Gladstone and Claudia Keith

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