Policy Updates
Here is an update on some of the policy issues that the DD Coalition is tracking.
Testify Today on Generating Revenue by Disconnecting from Federal Tax Code
On February 16th, the Oregon Senate passed SB 1507A that proposes a partial disconnect from the federal tax code. The bill is now in the House for consideration. In its current form, the proposed bill would raise $310 million, which would provide the legislature more resources to plug the hole in the budget created by federal House Resolution 1 (July 2025). SB 1507A would help protect funding for critical services like human services, education, childcare, and healthcare for children, seniors, low-income families, and people with IDD.
The House Committee on Revenue is holding a public hearing today, February 18th, at 3 PM in Hearing Room A at which it will be receiving testimony on the bill. The DD Coalition urges you to submit testimony in support. The agenda for the public hearing and links to register for testimony or submit written testimony can be found HERE.
HCBS Workforce Standards Board (SB 1505)
Senate Bill 1505 is a committee bill put forward by the Senate Committee on Rules, which is chaired by Senator Kayse Jama. It would create a Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Workforce Standards Board.
The DD Coalition has provided both oral testimony and written testimony in opposition to the bill, as did several other individual members of the Coalition. There is no Work Session currently scheduled for the bill. We encourage you to contact Committee members directly who are listed HERE to voice your opposition to the bill.
The IDD Community opposes this bill because:
- It will lead to loss of individual choice for people with IDD.
- It cannot adequately represent the interests of either persons with IDD or the workforce that supports them.
- It gives sweeping authority to an unelected Board.
- The administrative costs are too great.
Accessible Housing (SB 1576A)
A proposal to improve accessible housing sponsored by Senator Deb Patterson had a work session on Tuesday, February 10th at 3 PM. The Senate Committee on Housing and Development voted it out of committee with a “do pass” recommendation. It is scheduled for its third reading in the Senate Chamber on Wednesday, February 18th.
The Committee also voted to adopt an amendment to the bill that removes provisions related to expanding the number of wheelchair-accessible units in private housing. As amended, the bill now focuses primarily on state-subsidized housing. It will require all housing developments that receive state funds to comply with federal accessibility standards, including 5% of units being wheelchair accessible and/or 2% of units being accessible for those with deafness or blindness. It also gives the Building Codes Division the authority to exceed federal fair housing standards related to accessibility.
The DD Coalition voted to support the bill and will continue to support it as amended.
Health Care Omnibus Bill (HB 4040A)
The House Committee on Health Care voted to move its large health-care related omnibus bill out of Committee with a “do pass” recommendation on Thursday, February 12th. It has now been referred to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.
The DD Coalition provided written testimony in opposition to the concept around “Paying Parents as Personal Support Workers” and testified previously against that provision in a pre-session informational hearing. The Housing Committee on Health Care did adopt an amendment to remove a confusing requirement around “pay parity” that required paid parent PSWs to be paid at the same rate as Direct Support Professionals (DSPs).
Members of Ways and Means will have to decide whether it should take a chance on a concept the cost of which “is indeterminate but may be significant.” They do know that updating ODHS’ express payment and reporting system to add PSW as an option to pay parents has a one-time cost of $247,845. That cost also includes unrelated updates to the psylocibin information system, which are not accounted for separately in the “Fiscal Impact” statement.
As noted above, the DD Coalition has previously shared concerns about:
- Less training and accountability
- Reduced choice and self-determination for children
- Challenges when children transition to adulthood
- Difficulty moving to outside providers if caregiving becomes the family’s main income
Taking on the role of a paid provider in addition to the role of parent is tricky. New challenges arise from developmental stage to developmental stage. The DD Coalition believes that CEN providers and kids with IDD alike benefit from the supervision and support structure of an agency provider.
Assistive Technology Right to Repair
Another proposal that would have removed prior authorization requirements for electronic wheelchair and other “complex rehabilitation technology” repairs up to $1,500 for Medicaid recipients has sadly been taken out of the bill.
Workplace Disability Discrimination (HB 4093A)
A proposal sponsored by Representative Travis Nelson that would address physical work requirements in job descriptions and reasonable accommodation in the workplace had a work session on Wednesday, February 11th. The House Committee on Labor and Workforce Development voted it out of the Committee, and it has been referred to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.
Before voting it out of the Committee, legislators adopted an amendment that made several key changes to the bill wording. Wording that said that physical job requirements cannot be used to "screen out" job applicants with disabilities has been amended to remove the phrase “screen out.” However, it still requires that a physical job requirement must be tied to an essential function of the job.
Also, whereas previous wording permitted employees to have a union representative or legal representative with them during discussions concerning reasonable accommodations, that wording has been changed to “support person.” Those support persons are also only permitted to join the discussion if they do not “disrupt or inhibit” it.
Based on the discussion during the public hearing held on February 2nd, the intent behind the wording change is to limit support to only social workers and other support people, and to exclude union representatives and attorneys. That does undermine the ability of employees to have proper technical assistance during sensitive discussions around reasonable accommodation.
Abuse Prevention (HB 4059A)
Despite opposition testimony from the DD Coalition, the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services voted to pass House Bill 4059 out of committee with a “do pass” recommendation. It has been referred to the House Committee on Rules.
The DD Coalition’s objections to the bill are in response to an outpouring of opposition from other members of the IDD community with concerns that the modified definition of “threatened harm” and heightened evidentiary standard of “preponderance of the evidence” puts children with IDD at greater risk of abuse.
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