Advocacy Update
    
At most, there are six weeks left in the legislative session, and Oregon legislators are still hard at work in Salem. 
 
We are so proud of all the advocacy work done by the developmental disability community so far this session!  Your participation in advocacy days events, testimony at legislative hearings, emails, phone calls and visits with legislators continues to make a difference! While l egislators understand our concerns and are doing what they can to ensure adequate funding for developmental disability services, it is important that we keep up the momentum as c ritical budget decisions are still being made!

Please continue to share your story about impact that developmental disabilities programs and services make in your life  with your two state legislators and the legislators leading these budget discussions:
Join Our Photo Rally
    
It's not too late to join our photo rally this session before we gather all the rally photos to create a mini poster to show our appreciation to legislators for their support this session. 

Here's How:
  • Use this link to download and print your very own rally sign 
  • Take a picture of yourself, along with family and friends, holding the rally sign
  • Post the photo on our Facebook page or email them to us at oregoniddcoalition@gmail.com this week

Final Advocacy Day of Oregon's 2017 Legislative Session
    
Our final DD Advocacy Day of the session is coming up on Monday, June 12th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.  Please make plans to join us as we thank legislators for supporting Oregonians with developmental disabilities and their families.  

This is a great opportunity for anyone who has wanted to get involved but hasn't yet been to the Capitol to see what it is all about!  It's easy to participate:
  • Add this DD Advocacy Day at the Capitol to your June calendar 
  • Schedule visits with your State Senator and Representative 
  • Stop by the DD Advocacy Headquarters in Room 257 before and after your visits - We will be there to provide you with advocacy training, support and materials! 
Policy Bill Deadlines 
    
This week will mark the passing of another key legislative deadline that tells us we're getting closer to the end of the 2017 legislative session. 
 
Bills that aren't considered in the "second chamber" (e.g., for a bill that started in the House, the second chamber would be the Senate) and moved out of committee by June 2nd will die in committee.*  Most of the policy committees will close after June 2nd, and efforts will shift to considering the numerous policy bills that remain in joint, revenue and rule committees.  The majority of effort, however, will be directed towards producing a balanced budget for the next biennium, which needs to happen before legislators can go home.
 
*Note: These deadlines do not apply to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, other joint committees, the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue, House Committee on Revenue, and the Senate and House Committees on Rules.  Bills that are assigned to these committees can be acted on until the end of the session.

Scheduled Hearings 
    
Listed below are some of the bills we are tracking with hearings coming up this week.  You can review a current report of the Priority 1 and 2 bills the Coalition is tracking here

May 29th - Monday

MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY

May 30th - Tuesday

8:00 AM / HR E:  House Committee on Human Services and Housing - Work session on SB 101B (authorizes child abuse investigation on school premises if investigation involves interview of suspected victim or witnesses but not person suspected of committing abuse). 

3:00 PM / HR C:  Senate Committee on Education -
  • Work session on HB 2013 (modifies requirements for preschool program administered by Early Learning Division).
  • Work session on HB 3029A (allows parent or legal guardian of child whose sixth birthday occurred on or before September 1 immediately preceding beginning of current school year to delay enrolling child in public full-time school for one year for purpose of better meeting child's needs for cognitive, social or physical development).
  • Work session on HB 3289A (competency-based education).
  • Work session on HB 3318A (establishes procedures for conducting functional behavior analysis and for developing, reviewing and revising behavior intervention plans for students with individualized education programs or 504 Plans). 
  • Work session on HB 3340A (requires Department of Education to develop and provide to public high schools written materials regarding apprenticeship opportunities)
May 31st - Wednesday
 
8:30 AM / H-170:  Joint Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Education -
  • Informational Meeting on "Medicaid Billing Opportunities for Education"
  • Public Hearing and Work Session on HB 2845A (relating to statewide social studies standards)
8:30 AM / HR F:  Joint Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Human Services -
  • Public Hearing and Work Session on SB 5543, Department of Human Services and Oregon Health Authority, 2015-17 Budget 
  • Informational Meeting, Department of Human Services and Oregon Health Authority, 2017-19 Caseload Changes
1:00 PM / HR D:  Senate Committee on Human ServicesWork session on HB 3262A (requires Department of Human Services, in collaboration with other agencies, to adopt rules related to prescription of psychotropic medications to elderly persons and persons with disabilities) 

3:00 PM / HR F:  House Committee on EducationInformational meeting on HB 3444 (relating to complaint procedures for school districts). 
   
3:00 PM / HR E:  House Committee on Health Care Work session on SB 275A (relating to access to individually identifiable health information for person who is appealing denial of social Security disability benefits). 
 
June 1st - Thursday
 
1:00 PM / HR B:  Senate Committee on Health CareInformational hearing on Oregon Health Plan  Eligibility and Enrollment.   Oregon Health Authority Speakers:  BethAnne Darby, Director, External Relations; Jon Collins, Director, Office of Health Analytics.

4:30 PM / HR F:  Joint Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Human ServicesPublic hearing on HB 2391 (requires Oregon Health Authority to submit blueprint for basic health plan to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services by December 31, 2017).
 
Interested in tracking bills and hearings?

Use the Oregon Legislature's Capitol e-Subscribe service to receive bill alerts for individual bills as they move through the legislative process, receive committee agendas, news from members of the legislative body and more.

You can also watch or listen to live or archived video and audio of Oregon Senate and House chamber sessions and Committee hearings.

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