Our hearts are with FACT Oregon and the Autism Society of Oregon as our community mourns the loss of their beloved family members.

Start of the 2023 Legislative Session

We prepared for the start of the legislative session with two online GO! Advocacy Day events last week. In the first event, advocates learned how the legislative process works, why their voice and lived experience are important to legislators and how they can access tools like the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS). At the request of advocates, we held an advanced advocacy workshop in the afternoon that took a deeper dive into statewide data, how DD system funding flows, and the role of various legislative committees. We invite you to join us at the upcoming advocacy events we have scheduled throughout the session - details are listed in the flyer at the end of the GO Bulletin!

Welcome New & Returning Legislators!

More than 1/3 of the legislators in the building are new this session. That means we have many new Senators and Representatives to educate about our developmental disability system and why policy that impacts people with DD matters. If you have not yet had an opportunity to reach out to your legislators, now is the time to do it. You can identify who your State Senator and State Representative are by visiting the official state legislative website at www.oregonlegislature.gov.

Capitol Building Construction

The Capitol is only partially in use this session because major areas of the building remain closed due to construction. Hallways are expected to be extremely crowded as legislators and lobbyists between hearing rooms and their offices. Most bathrooms as well as the cafeteria are closed. The legislature is prepared for a hybrid (in-person and online) session and online engagement is encouraged as it will most likely be the easiest way to participate this year.

Bill Tracking

In total, this session, there are about 2,000 bills that have been introduced to date. Of those bills, the GO Project is currently tracking 221 bills and closely following 61 bills. The number of bills being monitored will continue to change as the session moves forward.

Spotlight on Senate Bill 571

ABLE Savings Account Contributions

This week SB 571 had a hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor and Business. This bill would require employers to offer employees the option of using their ABLE account for retirement contributions instead of other retirement accounts. There was broad support for this bill from verbal and written testimony.

Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS) Improvements Planned

Complete this survey to provide important insight on how the Oregon Legislative Website and Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS) can be more user-friendly and accessible.

TRYING SOMETHING NEW!!!

The Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS) is changing and evolving and so are we! We are streamlining the GO! Bulletin to focus on updates and specific bills and topics of importance to the DD Community so we can get it out to you sooner. Then at the start of each week we will upload a revised bill tracking report that lists the upcoming hearings and work sessions for the week to our website and Facebook page. Follow us!

If you are interested in getting information about specific bills or 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.

DD Coalition Priorities This Session

Establish DSP Wage Standards with House Bill 2457

Finally resolve the DSP wage inequities by setting the average wage for Direct Support Professionals to 150% of the Portland Metro minimum wage and cover the cost of Paid Family Leave to stabilize this essential workforce and reduce turnover that places people with I/DD at higher risk. Long-term solution to a long-term issue. Link

Fully Fund DD Case Management with Policy Option Package 130 & House Bill 2448

DD Case Management funding has not kept pace with increased workload and complexity of the work over the past several years. Full funding of the DD Workload Model and periodic administrative reviews are needed to ensure case managers who are a vital lifeline to Oregonians with I/DD are adequately compensated for their work. Link 

Support Regional Family to Family Networks with $1.5M/Biennium.

Regional Family Networks support more than 13,500 families experiencing disability, many who have barriers accessing the formal developmental disability service system. Regional Family Networks work in partnership with thousands of other community-based organizations to reduce inequities for marginalized families.

Support Healthier Oregon - Policy Option Package 105

Provides access to DD Services for everyone who meets disability criteria for DD Services and Medicaid regardless of their immigration status.

Registration Link

Visit the GO Project's You Tube Channel legislative advocacy videos created by our GO! Advocacy Team.