GO! Bulletin
Week 3 of Oregon's 2020 Legislative Session
Last Thursday, February 13, we passed the second deadline for bills to have a work session and move out of their “Chamber of Origin” committee. This deadline does not apply to bills in the Revenue, Rules and Ways and Means committees. Our bill tracker list has been updated to reflect only bills that have passed this deadline.

Budget Updates in Ways and Means Human Services
Last Wednesday, February 12, Lilia Teninty, the Director of the Office of Developmental Disability Services at the Department of Human Services, updated the Human Services Ways and Means Committee on Rate Increase Implementation and rate increase implementation challenges . Legislative Fiscal Office also provided a summary and analysis on these subjects.
 
This update was required by a 2019 budget note and was not intended to be a full summary of the IDD system budget requests this session.
 
The 2019 budget note that led to the update for Ways and Means included:
  • $30.0 million General Fund for provider rate increases to bring Direct Support Professional (DSP) wages as close as possible to $15/hour by the end of 2019-21
  • Limit rate increases under the old models by no more than 4%
  • Prioritize supporting individuals with highest need
  • Involve stakeholders to determine how to use the remaining funding with new rates
  • HB 5050 – Adult Foster Care timeline
 
The Rate Increase Implementation presentation detailed the “Compass Project”. This is a project to improve four parts of Oregon’s Intellectual and Developmental Disability Service system:
  • Oregon Needs Assessment;
  • Develop service level groups based on age and level of need that tie to in-home hours and provider rates;
  • Implement new, improved rate models; and
  • Improve the Individual Support Plan (ISP) process.
 
The Rate Increase Funding Challenges presentation summarized the contractor error resulting in the $12.2 million general fund request to honor the stakeholder process and agreement to:
  • Increase current rates by 7% as of July 1, 2020, and
  • Implement new service groups and new rate models as of January 1, 2021.

Note: Even with the additional $12.2 million, DSP wages would only be at $14.38/hour average. An additional $2.7 million is required on top of the $12.2 million to get DSP wages to an average of $15/hour.

We appreciate Lilia’s efforts to make these complex topics clear and for keeping key legislators updated on issues impacting our system.
DD Advocacy at the Capitol
Thank you to all those who participated in our February 12th Advocacy Day at the Capitol. We were impressed by how many of you wore yellow and joined in our statewide DD Advocacy event!

More than 85 advocates from across the state visited our DD advocacy headquarters to get fact sheets, attend our legislative advocacy training and practice talking points before meeting with their legislators about the importance of investing resources in Direct Support Professionals, Case Management Entities and Statewide Data Systems.

We are excited to report that we are hearing positive responses from legislators about our three priority areas since the positive revenue forecast.

If you were not able to join us at the Advocacy Day, it's not too late to make a difference! Learn who your State Senator and State Representative are by visiting www.oregonlegislature.gov/ then send a quick email asking that they support funding for DD Services.

Let's GO!
DD Coalition Fact Sheets
Bills & Hearings to Watch
For information about bills the DD Coalition has selected that may impact the lives of people experiencing intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families, please see the attached report . There are several bills of note that have hearings this week, including:
 
Monday, February 17
 
3:00 PM / HR D House Committee on Human Services and Housing
  • SB 1518 Directs Department of Human Services to submit documents necessary to finalize certain pending adoptions on or before June 30, 2020. Public Hearing.
  • SB 1519 Modifies provisions relating to criminal records checks performed by Department of Human Services and Oregon Health Authority. Public Hearing.
 
Tuesday, February 18
 
8:00 AM / HR F House Committee on Rules
HB 4001 Defines "emergency shelter." Requires local governments to allow siting of qualifying emergency shelters notwithstanding land use laws and regulations. Public Hearing. This is Speaker Kotek’s proposal to address our housing emergency, including land use changes and resources for shelter. In her testimony last week, the Speaker indicated that given the positive revenue forecast she will increase her request from $120 million to $140 million. There will be an additional amendment discussed during this public hearing. 
 
11:00 AM / House Floor
HB 4065 Repeals driving privilege suspension and eliminates imposition of driving privilege restrictions for failure to pay fine. Third Reading.


INTERESTED IN TRACKING BILLS OR 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. 
About the Oregon DD Coalition
The Oregon DD Coalition advocates for DD services on behalf of and with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and support organizations in Oregon.

We influence DD service and community support systems and legislation by communicating with a common, consistent voice – creating better opportunities for Oregonians with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Interested in signing up for the GO! Bulletin or
becoming a member of the Oregon DD Coalition?
 1775 32nd Place, Suite F, Salem OR 97301