2023 OREGON LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Overview
The 2023 Legislative Session lasted 160 days (about 5 and a half months) and was filled with many highs and lows. Our team was busy meeting with coalitions, legislators, and various tables that helped shape decisions on key bills.The Oregon Legislature convened on Tuesday, January 17th and adjourned Sine Die Sunday, June 25, 2023.
Despite our strategic efforts, the Oregon Seante Republicans walked out over HB 2002, gender affirming care. Theydidn’t show up to work for over six weeks, creating the longest walkout in Oregon history. This unfortunate event created one of the most difficult sessions for lobbyists and legislators alike.
Legislative Action
During the session, 2,970 measures were introduced, more than any other session in the last decade. Of the measures,653 passed, roughly 22%, according to Mahonia Public Affairs. We adopted and lobbied for over 29 legislative items. We are proud of the efforts we undertook but there is still much work to be done. We were successful in passing five of our top ten priorities, and out of 37 endorsed, 15 passed.
>> 2023 LEGISLATIVE DAY OF ACTION <<
We held our annual Legislative Day of Action on Thursday, March 2, 2023. Due to the continuing barriers of thepandemic, NAYA chose to support our community by switching our in-person meetings at the capitol, to hosting avirtual Legislative Day of Action. We kicked off our day with a meeting with Governor Kotek, congratulating her on her new role and speaking about NAYA’s campus request and push for funding relating to issues that disproportionally affect American Indian/Alaska communities.
Together with the community, we lobbied Representative Dexter,Representative Hartman, and Representative Nelson all on issues that were vital to the success of our community,alongside our NAYA Campus request of $1.15M in campus upgrades. In between our lobby meetings, community members had the opportunity to learn more about NAYA’s legislative agenda, connect on why the topics were important, gain information on how to lobby, and how towrite testimony. We look forward to continuing our in person Legislative Day of Action next year!
2023 Legislative Day of Action + Meeting with Governor Tina Kotek
>> LEGISLATIVE AGENDA <<
On June 25, 2023, the Oregon State Legislature adjourned sine die the 2023 legislative session, concluding a long and turbulent 160-day legislative session. In partnership with NAYA Action Fund, the NAYA Family Center adopted a comprehensive legislative agenda. Alongside our coalition partners, we successfully secured programs and funding for our community's health, safety, growth, and prosperity.
>> DISCUSSIONS WITH LEGISLATORS <<
The Advocacy and Policy Team had many conversations with elected officials in the Oregon House of Representatives and the Oregon Senate. Given the state of the pandemic, and due to construction at the state capitol, our team was able to lobby hybrid this year, combining strategic efforts to make sure that our voices were present and prevalent throughout the session.
There were a few big pushes on several key pieces of legislation, particularly for our top 10 priorities:
SB 606 Non-Profit Modernization Act
SB 612 - Indigenous Languages
SB 603 - Housing Assistance Fund
HB 2456 - Emergency Housing Assistance
HB 3235 - Oregon Kids Credit
HB 3010 - Mortgage Interest Deduction Reform
HB 2918 - Mobile Health Units
SB 5506 - NAYA Campus Request
POP 117 - Individual Development Accounts
POP 104 - Permanent Supportive Housing Funds
>> ENGAGEMENT WITH LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES <<
Our team was deeply involved in many House and Senate committees. We actively monitored and tracked the following committees:
House Legislative Committee Meetings
House Committee on Education
House Committee on Rules
House Committee on Judiciary
House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services
House Committee on Health Care
Senate Legislative Committee Meetings
Senate Committee on Labor and Business
Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue
Senate Committee on Housing and Development
Joint Legislative Committee Meetings
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Joint Subcommittee on Education
Joint Subcommittee on Capital Construction
Joint Subcommittee on Human Services
Key Pieces of Legislation Passed
Although this session was difficult to navigate, we wanted to highlight key pieces of legislation passed that NAYA helped move either through direct or indirect coalition efforts. Through the help and strong relationships with our community partners, we can continue to make efforts towards creating a better community for the next seven generations and throughout our BIPOC communities.
SB 5006 – End of Session Omnibus Package: This year's end of the session, "Christmas Tree Bill," was swarmed with last-minute requests as many attempted last minute to push their asks that were unfortunately blocked by the walkouts. Within the bill, we saw key requests funded, such as Local Innovative Fast Track (LIFT) funded, Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) funded, affordable housing preservation funded, and Affordable Homeownership Development Program, alongside many other key pieces of legislation.
House Bill 2001 – OHCS Housing Package Passed: OHCS Housing Package passed this session, allocating funding to many bills pushed into one. This bill allocated funding towards resources to support youth experiencing homelessness (originally House Bill 2456), eviction reduction and reform (originally Senate Bill 799), modular housing funding, redevelopment loans, including the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis (originally House Bill 2889), and agriculture workforce housing.
NAYA Campus Request – $1.15M Funded: NAYA requested $1.15 million for campus upgrades. The request would fund redoing the entrance of the building to upgrade the structure for safety and install a PA system and elevator to make NAYA ADA compliant. Paul Lumley, NAYA's former CEO, gave a wonderful testimony at the Ways and Means Roadshow advocating for full funding of NAYA's Campus Request.
House Bill 2002 – Gender Affirming Care Passed: House Bill 2001 passed after many hours of debate, numerous public testimonies, and multiple public rallies from all perspectives gathered at Salem to ensure their voices were heard. The Gender Affirming Care Bill also covered reproductive rights and many other issues surrounding health and adequate care. House Bill 2002 will allow a person of any age to get an abortion without the consent or notification of their parent or guardian. It will also further expand providers' coverage of gendering affirming care within the state.
House Bill 3235 – Oregon Kids Credit Passed: Oregon Kids Credit creates a child tax credit to help low-income families afford necessities such as food and rent. The credit applies to families making $30,000 or less with children six years or younger. The tax credit will disproportionately help BIPOC community members and children in rural areas.
Legislative Outcomes
Of the 37 pieces of legislation that NAYA adopted, 15 pieces of legislation passed, were funded, or signed into law. The bills in GREEN have been passed by the Oregon House of Representatives and the Oregon Senate and signed into law by Oregon Governor Tina Kotek. The bills listed in RED have failed.
| STATE OF OREGON 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| EDUCATION | |||
| SB 612 – Indigenous Languages | Establishes the Indigenous Languages Representation Fund. Requires nonprofit organizations to serve as the fiscal agent to receive disbursement of money for reasons related to supporting Indigenous language interpretation in Oregon. | Failed | |
| HJR 4 – Allows for Same Day Voter Registration | Requires a vote of the people. The bill would amend the Oregon constitution to allow for same-day voter registration in Oregon. | Passed | |
| ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY | |||
| SB 579 – Guaranteeing Right to Vote | Allows anyone convicted of a felony to register to vote and allows them to update their voter registration and vote in elections while incarcerated. Specifies that a person’s residence is where the person resided prior to incarceration. | Failed | |
| HB 2920 – Car Insurance Eligibility | Prohibits car insurers from considering credit scores when determining eligibility, rates, or premiums for motor vehicle liability insurance policies. | Failed | |
| HB 2801 – Car Financing | Fixes the issue of delivering a car to a consumer while the financing is still contingent on the dealership being able to sell the loan. | Failed | |
| SB 606 - Non-Profit Modernizatio n Act | Creates changes to government contracting practices that can be implemented immediately, creates a Nonprofit Task Force to explore streamlining and simplifying contracting, improving payment delivery, and reducing burdensome reporting requirements while raising nonprofit living wages to improve employee retention. Creates a Workforce Retention Fund. | Passed | |
| HB 2699 – Minimum Wage Rates | Directs Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) to establish formula for setting minimum wage rate in Oregon. | Failed | |
| Individual Development Account - $35M (POP 117) | Allocates $35M to the Oregon Individual Development Account, match savings program. | Failed | |
| SB 603 – Housing Assistance Fund | Provides 12 monthly payments of $1,000 to individuals who experience homelessness, who are at risk of homelessness, who are severely rent burdened or earn at or below 60% area median income. | Failed | |
| HB 3235 – Oregon Kids' Credit | Creates refundable child tax credit. The bill would direct the Department of Revenue, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services, to make installment payments to personal income taxpayers for the Oregon childcare credit. | Passed | |
| SB 786 – Legislator Pay | Establishes annual salary of members of Legislative Assembly equal to annual average wage for all covered employment in Oregon for prior year. | Failed | |
| HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS | |||
| SB 611 – Related to Rental Limitations | Increases amount residential landlord owes tenant for landlord-cause termination of tenancy. Limits annual rent increases. | SB 611 Passed | |
| (HB 2733 – Companion Bill) | HB 2733 Failed | ||
| LIFT (POP 105) - $200M in Bonds | Allocates $200M in bonds to the Local Innovation Fast Track (LIFT) program to support rental and homeownership. | Passed | |
| Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) - POP 104 | Allocates $1.75M in general funds and $75M in bonds for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). | Passed | |
| Affordable Housing Preservation Package – POP 107 | Allocates $175M (lottery bonds and general funds) to Affordable Housing Preservation. | Passed | |
| Co-Location of Early Learning and Housing - POP 114 (SB 599) | Allocates $20M to Co-Location of Early Learning and Housing. Requires landlords to allow units to be used as family childcare facilities. | Passed | |
| Affordable Homeowners hip Development Program – POP 109 | Allocates $25M in general funds toward Affordable Homeownership Development. | Passed | |
| HB 2456 – Emergency Housing Assistance | Provides additional emergency shelters, transitional housing, and supportive services and assistance to school-aged children experiencing or at risk of homelessness. | Passed Folded into HB 2001. | |
| HB 2454 – Appropriation s for Youth Homelessness | Provides appropriations in the amount of $12,500,000 for programs related to youth experiencing homelessness. | Failed | |
| HB 2680 – Rental Screening Fees | Provides applicant the opportunity to receive a refund of rental application screening fee, under certain reasons. | Passed | |
| HB 3010 – Mortgage Interest Deduction Reform | Allows first-time homebuyers the opportunity to claim the Mortgage Interest Deduction. | Failed | |
| FAMILY WELFARE | |||
| HB 2458 – Conversion Therapy | Prohibits practice of conversion therapy by certain professionals if the recipient of the conversation therapy is under 18 years old. | Failed | |
| HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT | |||
| NAYA Campus Request - $1.25M | General fund request of $1.25M to address the health and safety of the NAYA Family Center campus through construction upgrades. | Passed | |
| HB 2925 – Affinity Group Taskforces | Extends deadlines for affinity group taskforces to complete their work with respect to allocation of resources to address communities’ needs and health inequities and to report recommendations to the Legislative Assembly by November 1, 2023. | Passed | |
| HB 2918 – Mobile Health Units | Provides money to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to continue pilot program by providing grants to entities to operate mobile health units. | Failed | |
| SB 60 – Emergency Medical Services | Prohibits Oregon Health Authority from requiring associate degree or higher for eligibility to receive a license as an emergency medical services provider. | Failed | |
| HB 2286 – Medical Services for AI/AN | Requires Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to maintain process to identify claims eligible for enhanced federal match for services provided to American Indians or Alaska Natives by nontribal providers, secures enhanced federal match from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and returns a portion of the match to tribes. | Passed | |
| HB 2993 – Community Education Workers | Requires the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to adopt qualification criteria for Community Education Workers as an additional category of Traditional Health Workers. | Failed | |
| SB 704 – Universal Health Care | Establishes Universal Health Plan Governance Board and directs the board to create a comprehensive plan for the implementation of the plan. | Failed | |
Expenses
The allocated expenses from staff actively advocating on behalf of these policies. In total, salaries allocated to lobbying totaled $3,113.24 from January 1, 2021 – June 25, 2021, totaling 134 hours advocating on behalf of NAYA’s 37 legislative priorities. The dollar figure in the paragraph was reached by calculating three FTE staff salaries and the number of hours spent advocating in Salem.
