Chapter 145
AN ACT
HB 2073
Relating to the coordination of social service efforts; creating new
provisions; amending ORS 458.525, 458.530, 458.532 and 458.545; and
appropriating money.
Be It Enacted by the People of
the State of
SECTION 1.
ORS 458.525 is amended to read:
458.525. (1) The Housing
and Community Services Department shall serve as the lead [agency to coordinate state efforts in meeting the problem of hunger.]
public body on hunger and homelessness issues.
(2) The Interagency
Council on Hunger and Homelessness is established. The Director of the Housing and Community
Services Department shall [establish an
interagency coordinating council consisting of representatives of the Housing
and Community Services Department, the Department of Corrections, the Economic
and Community Development Department, the State Commission on Children and
Families, the Department of Education, the State Department of Agriculture and
the Department of Human Services.] chair the council. In addition to the
director, the council shall consist of 15 members as follows:
(a) One member
representing each of the following:
(A) The Housing and
Community Services Department.
(B) The Department of
Corrections.
(C) The Economic and
Community Development Department.
(D) The State Commission
on Children and Families.
(E) The Department of
Education.
(F) The State Department
of Agriculture.
(G) The Employment
Department.
(H) The Department of
Veterans’ Affairs.
(I) The Department of
Transportation.
(J) The
(K) The Department of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development.
(L) The Department of
Justice.
(b) Three members
representing the Department of Human Services. Of the three members
representing that department:
(A) One shall have
expertise on issues affecting services to adults and families.
(B) One shall have
expertise on issues affecting health services.
(C) One shall have
expertise on issues affecting services to seniors and to persons with
disabilities.
[(2) The administrative heads of the agencies listed in subsection (1)
of this section shall serve on the council or shall designate an agency
representative]
(3) Each council
member must be the administrative head of the listed agency or an employee of that
agency who is designated by the administrative head and who has an agency
policy-making role affecting hunger, food programs, nutrition [and related areas], homelessness or
related issues.
[(3) The council shall be responsible for:]
[(a) Implementing recommendations of the Hunger Relief Task Force;]
[(b) Ensuring that food and nutrition programs operate efficiently and
effectively;]
[(c) Monitoring federal programs;]
[(d) Encouraging coordination of state and local programs and of public
and private organizations engaged in food distribution programs; and]
[(e) Making recommendations to affected agencies and programs.]
(4) The Hunger Relief
Task Force shall adopt recommendations and proposals as the task force deems
appropriate. The council shall be responsible for receiving the recommendations
and proposals adopted by the task force and the recommendations of any state
body relating to the issue of homelessness, and for forwarding the
recommendations and proposals to state agencies or other public or private
organizations for action that the council deems appropriate:
(a) To ensure the
coordination of state agency hunger relief efforts and homelessness relief
efforts;
(b) To ensure that food
and nutrition programs, other hunger relief efforts and homelessness relief
efforts operate efficiently and effectively;
(c) To monitor the
utilization of federal hunger relief efforts and homelessness relief efforts
and provide outreach to expand underutilized programs; and
(d) To encourage the
coordination of state and local programs, public and private antipoverty
programs affecting food distribution and programs for assisting the homeless.
[(4)] (5) The Director of the Housing and Community Services
Department, in collaboration with the Director of Human Services, shall
convene council meetings at least quarterly.
(6) The Director of
the Housing and Community Services Department shall provide the council with
staff support the director deems appropriate, by using Housing and Community
Services Department employees or by contract. The director shall also provide
the council with supplies as the director deems appropriate.
SECTION 2.
ORS 458.530 is amended to read:
458.530. (1) The
Legislative Assembly finds and declares that it is the policy of this state
that:
(a) Hunger is defined as
the state of being unable to obtain a nutritionally adequate diet from
nonemergency food channels. Hunger is not one discrete event. Hunger is a
series of events that lead up to and follow a lack of adequate food intake. It
is the process in which people become at risk of hunger, attempt to cope with
the problem and suffer a variety of health and social consequences.
(b) All persons have the
right to be free from hunger.
(c) Freedom from hunger
means all persons have food security[,
that is, the means to obtain a nutritionally adequate diet through conventional
food sources at all times]. Persons lack food security if they are
uncertain of having, or being able to acquire in socially acceptable ways,
enough acceptable food at all times to meet basic needs because they have
insufficient money or other resources for food.
[(d) All persons in
(d)
(2) The Legislative
Assembly declares that the policy of this state is to provide and encourage
activities and programs necessary to fulfill the commitment stated in
subsection (1) of this section and that the purpose of policies stated in this
section is to provide a guide for the establishment, implementation and
operation of activities and programs designed to alleviate or eradicate hunger
in this state. It further declares that the activities and programs shall be
initiated, promoted and developed through:
(a) Volunteers and
volunteer groups;
(b) Public and private
not-for-profit organizations;
(c) Partnership with
local governmental agencies;
(d) Coordinated efforts
of state agencies;
(e) Coordination and
cooperation with federal programs;
(f) Partnership with
private health and social service agencies; and
(g) [A designated state agency that will
encourage and work with the hungry and organizations working with the hungry,
that will coordinate state, local and private programs, that will encourage and
monitor federal programs and that will act as an advocate for the hungry in
Oregon.] The Interagency Council on Hunger and Homelessness, the Hunger
Relief Task Force and other state bodies created to address the issue of
homelessness.
SECTION 3.
ORS 458.532 is amended to read:
458.532. (1) The Hunger
Relief Task Force is established in the Housing and Community Services
Department. The task force shall consist of [24] not more than 28 members appointed as follows:
[(a) Two Senators, one each appointed by the President of the Senate and
the Minority Leader of the Senate;]
[(b) Two Representatives, one each appointed by the Speaker of the House
of Representatives and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; and]
(a) The President of
the Senate shall appoint one member from among members of the Senate.
(b) The Senate Minority
Leader shall appoint one member from among members of the Senate.
(c) The Speaker of the
House of Representatives shall appoint one member from among members of the
House of Representatives.
(d) The House Minority
Leader shall appoint one member from among members of the House of
Representatives.
[(c)] (e) The Director of the Housing and Community Services
Department, with the advice of the Director of Human Services, shall
appoint [one member, unless otherwise
indicated, from each of] the following:
[(A) The Department of Education Child Nutrition Program;]
[(B) The Department of Human Services Food Stamp Program;]
[(C) The Department of Human Services Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
Program;]
[(D) The State Department of Agriculture;]
[(E) Oregon Food Bank;]
[(F) United Way of the Columbia-Willamette;]
[(G) The Human Rights Coalition;]
[(H) A student from an institution of higher education;]
[(I) The Community Action Directors of
[(J) The retail food industry;]
[(K) The grower and processor food industry;]
[(L) A direct service provider;]
[(M) The Association of Oregon Counties;]
[(N) The migrant community;]
(A) One member
representing the Department of Education who has experience in child nutrition
programs.
(B) One member
representing the Department of Human Services who has experience in food stamp
programs.
(C) One member
representing the Department of Human Services who has experience in the Women,
Infants and Children program.
(D) One member
representing the State Department of Agriculture.
(E) One member
representing the
(F) One member
representing
(G) One member
representing an
(H) One member who is a
student at an institution of higher education.
(I) One member
representing the Community Action Directors of
(J) One member
representing the food retailing industry.
(K) One member
representing the food growing and processing industries.
(L) One member who is a
direct service provider.
(M) One member
representing county government.
(N) One member
representing the migrant community.
(O) Three members [from] representing the religious
community.[; and]
(P) One member
representing the Housing and Community Services Department.
[(P)] (Q) No more than six additional [persons] members having qualifications other than those of
members described in subparagraphs (A) to (P) of this paragraph.
[(2) Of the members described in subsection (1)(c) of this section, at
least one member shall be a member of a minority ethnic group and at least two
members shall be representatives of rural areas and areas of eastern
[(3)] (2) A member serves for a three-year term. A member may
be reappointed.
[(4)] (3) If there is a vacancy for any cause, the appointing
authority shall make an appointment to become immediately effective for the
unexpired term. The appointing authority may appoint a replacement for any
member of the task force who misses more than two consecutive meetings of the
task force.
[(5) The task force shall select one member as chairperson and one
member as vice chairperson, for such terms and with duties and powers as the
task force determines necessary for the performance of the functions of such
offices.]
[(6)] (4) [Twelve
members shall constitute] One-half of the task force membership
constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.
[(7) The task force shall meet at least once each month at a place, day
and hour determined by the task force. The task force also shall meet at other
times and places specified by the call of the chairperson or of a majority of
the members of the task force.]
[(8) The task force may appoint a director to serve at the pleasure of
the task force and with duties determined by the task force.]
[(9) In addition to other funds made available for the work of the task
force, the task force may accept gifts and grants from public and private
sources to be used to carry out the purposes for which the task force exists
and to alleviate hunger in the state.]
[(10) The moneys received under subsection (9) of this section shall be
deposited in a special account, separate and distinct from the General Fund, to
be named the Hunger Relief Account which account is established. All moneys in
the account and all earnings thereon are continuously appropriated to the
Hunger Relief Task Force to be used together with any federal funds that may be
available to carry out the work of the task force and to alleviate hunger in
the state.]
(5) The Director of
the Housing and Community Services Department shall provide the task force with
staff support the director deems appropriate, by using Housing and Community
Services Department employees or by contract. The director shall also provide
for the payment of appropriate task force operating expenses.
SECTION 4. Nothing
in the amendments to ORS 458.532 by section 3 of this 2007 Act affects the term
of office of any member of the Hunger Relief Task Force appointed prior to and
serving on the effective date of this 2007 Act. However, as vacancies occur,
replacement appointments shall be made in accordance with the qualifications
specified in ORS 458.532, as amended by section 3 of this 2007 Act.
SECTION 5. Section
6 of this 2007 Act is added to and made a part of ORS 458.530 to 458.545.
SECTION 6. (1)
The Hunger Relief Account is established in the State Treasury separate and
distinct from the General Fund. Interest earned by the account shall be
credited to the account.
(2) Moneys in the
account are continuously appropriated to the Housing and Community Services
Department to carry out the purposes of ORS 458.530 to 458.545.
(3) The department may
apply for and accept gifts, grants and donations for deposit to the account.
SECTION 7. (1)
The Hunger Relief Account established by section 6 of this 2007 Act is a
continuation of the Hunger Relief Account established by ORS 458.532 as set
forth in the 2005 Edition of Oregon Revised Statutes. The unexpended balance of
the Hunger Relief Account existing on the effective date of this 2007 Act shall
continue to be credited to the account and is available for expenditure by the
Housing and Community Services Department as described in section 6 of this
2007 Act.
(2) Notwithstanding
section 6 of this 2007 Act, any liability, debt or obligation of the Hunger
Relief Task Force legally incurred prior to the effective date of section 6 of
this 2007 Act and the amendments to ORS 458.532 by section 3 of this 2007 Act
shall be a liability, debt or obligation of the Housing and Community Services
Department payable from the Hunger Relief Account.
SECTION 8.
ORS 458.545 is amended to read:
458.545. The Hunger Relief
Task Force shall:
[(1) Function as the designated state unit on hunger.]
[(2)] (1) Serve within government and in the state at large
as an advocate for hungry persons.
[(3)] (2) Participate in coordinating the effective and
efficient provision of services to hungry citizens so that the services will be
readily available to the greatest number over the widest geographic area;
assure that information on these services is available in each locality,
utilizing whenever possible existing information services; and assure that each
new service receives maximum publicity at the time it is initiated.
[(4)] (3) Have authority to study programs and budgets of [all public agencies and those private
agencies willing to cooperate which] those public bodies or private
entities willing to cooperate, and all state agencies, that provide
services or funding directed at the alleviation or eradication of
hunger. [After such study, the task force
shall make recommendations to]
(4) Have authority to
study any concepts regarding the alleviation or eradication of hunger within
this state.
(5) Make any
recommendations or proposals the task force deems appropriate to the
Interagency Council on Hunger and Homelessness, the Governor, the Legislative Assembly
[and the agencies involved] or
others. Such recommendations shall be designed to provide coordination of
programs for hungry persons, to avoid unnecessary duplication in provision of
services, to point out gaps in provision of services and to recommend ways of
filling gaps in services. The task force also shall recommend development of a
comprehensive plan for delivery of services to hungry persons. In carrying out
these tasks, the task force shall coordinate its efforts with other advisory
groups or entities with similar or related responsibilities to avoid
duplication of effort.
[(5)] (6) Encourage, by expansion of existing activities and
programs for the hungry, by school programs, by meals-on-wheels, by counseling
or by other means, public and private development of nutrition programs for
hungry citizens that prevent or minimize hunger and illness which is related to
hunger or nutritional deficiencies.
[(6)] (7) Conduct research and other appropriate activities
to determine:
(a) The dimensions of
hunger in the state;
(b) The availability and
accessibility of emergency food in all areas of the state;
(c) The opportunities
for public and private partnerships in the areas of food and nutrition;
(d) The participation
rates of eligible persons in all federal food programs, especially food stamps;
(e) The identification
of persons needing food and nutrition services who are not eligible under
existing programs;
(f) Barriers to the
participation of eligible persons in food and nutrition programs; and
(g) The impact of economic
changes on food and nutrition programs.
[(7) Develop specific proposals and recommendations for action for
presentation to the Governor and the Legislative Assembly.]
(8) Prepare and
disseminate an annual report on the status of hunger in the state, efforts
being made to alleviate and eradicate hunger, and proposals and recommendations
for strengthening progress toward the eradication of hunger.
Approved by the Governor May 21, 2007
Filed in the office of Secretary of State May 21, 2007
Effective date January 1, 2008
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