State Revenue Forecast Shows Stability

Last week, economists gave Legislators the latest revenue forecast. This revenue forecast tells Legislators how much money they can allocate this Legislative Session. Revenue was higher than anticipated which shows that Oregon continues to have a stable economy. The Governor and Legislators have said the stable economy and increased revenue give a good opportunity to invest in their top priorities which are housing and additional supports. This OPB article goes into more detail.  

This forecast is good news as we continue to advocate for investments to stabilize Regional Family Networks, Case Management Entities, and Direct Support Professional Wages.

DD Coalition 2024-25 Funding Priorities

Regional Family Networks

$1.5M General Fund to support the expansion of Regional Family Networks while continuing to maintain current service level funding for existing networks for the full biennium.

Case Management Entities

$6M General Fund investment with federal Medicaid matching funds and the $4.8M ODDS Rebalance request will restore CDDPs and Brokerages to 95% of full funding for the second half of this biennium and will strengthen case management services for Oregonians with developmental disabilities.

Direct Support Professional Wages

$12M General Fund is needed to fully restore the intended 5% increase that was distributed unevenly resulting in a rate reduction for many. An additional 5% mid-biennium cost of living increase of $16.96M General Fund is needed to sustain the workforce ($20.35/hour average wage).

2024 DD Coalition's Funding Priorities Page Link

Oregon's 2024 Short Legislative Session

Oregon holds short sessions on even-numbered years to Rebalance or adjust the budget halfway through the biennium and tackle key policy bills. The legislators are facing a fast-moving session made only more intense by continued construction that is limiting space at the Capitol building.

We are now in the he second week of the current short session, and any bills that have not been scheduled for a work session in their originating chamber by Monday, February 12th will not move further.

Note that these deadlines do not apply to Ways and Means, Rules or other Joint Committees. 

The Legislative Policy & Research Office (LPRO) created a quick 2-minute video that provides a quick overview of the session, and a poster with helpful information about the 2024 Short Legislative Session, including a calendar and timeline we have shared below:

Policy Bill Updates

Here is an update on some policy bills we've submitted testimony on:

Senate Bill 1521 proposes several adjustments to ODHS programs, including a change to the implementation of sprinkler system requirements for residential service homes, and a set of changes to the DD service system, including the creation of a new Agency with Choice service provider type. The Agency with Choice portion of this bill had an informational hearing including a presentation by ODDS, as well as testimony on behalf of the DD Coalition. It is anticipated that there will be a hearing on these proposed system changes on February 12^th. The Senate Committee on Human Services meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00-4:30PM this session.

Senate Bill 1508 prohibits the use of quality-of-life measures in state medical assistance program decisions. The Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY) concept is based on the idea that some lives are worth more investment of the state's health care resources than others. SB 1508 would bar the use of these measures by OHA and the Health Evidence Review Committee. The Senate Committee on Health Care held a hearing on SB 1508 last week. Testimony was provided in support of this bill from several speakers including Disability Rights Oregon, who has championed this bill. You can read the DD Coalition’s testimony in support of this bill here. Following the hearing, Chair Patterson immediately opened a work session, and the committee moved SB 1508 forward with a unanimous do-pass recommendation to Human Services and subsequent referral to Ways and Means. 

The DD Coalition continues to monitor these and a number of other policy bills, including the "Culture of Yes" Senate Bill 1557 which is an effort to remove barriers and provide access to federal funding for essential services to children and families.

Please refer to our updated DD Coalition Bill Tracking Report here.

Advocacy Tools

If you are interested in specific legislative topics, this video goes through each step to help you find where bills are in the legislative process and how to sign up for email alerts to get updates directly.

For additional advocacy tools, visit the GO Project's You Tube Channel legislative advocacy videos created by our GO! Advocacy Team.