Friends:

The Oregon Legislature adjourned its first annual session on Monday, March 5th at 8:48 p.m. The Legislature accomplished a great deal during the month of February and I have highlighted some of the important issues below. I look forward to discussing these and other topics with constituents this Thursday, March 15th, at my town hall with Representative Doherty, at Tigard City Hall starting at 7pm. I hope to see you there.

-Ginny

Policy Highlights – February 2012 Session

SB 1552 – Foreclosure Mediation

Allows Oregonians struggling to keep their homes to meet with their lender with a neutral mediator present to work out an agreement to avoid foreclosure. Under Senate Bill 1552, banks are required to meet with homeowners if the homeowner meets with a housing counselor first. The bill also prohibits a lender from changing the date of a foreclosure sale without notifying the homeowner and ends the ‘dual track’ process in which a lender is negotiating with a homeowner while simultaneously preparing to foreclose on the home.

SB 1580 – Health Care transformation

Develops a first-in-the-nation integrated health care system for Oregon Health Plan participants. Senate Bill 1580 builds on legislation from 2011 to establish a better coordinated health care delivery system using “Coordinated Care Organizations” to drive down health care costs and produce better outcomes for Oregon’s 600,000 Medicaid beneficiaries with far-reaching benefits for all health care consumers in the future. Under the health-focused system outlined in Senate Bill 1580, vulnerable seniors and families will have increased access to physicians, nurses, and specialized health care practitioners working together to better serve patients.

HB 4164 – Health Insurance Exchange for Better Health Insurance Options

Builds on and further implements 2011 legislation creating the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange. Once operational in 2014, the Exchange will give consumers and small businesses more health care options – a greater number of affordable plans, and better information about which plan will best meet their needs. House Bill 4164 allows the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange Corporation to take the next steps toward the launch of the Exchange.

HB 4039 – Help for struggling senior homeowners

Provides some vulnerable seniors and disabled homeowners more time to remain on the Senior and Disabled Property Tax Deferral program. Changes were made to the program in 2011 to protect its solvency that suddenly disqualified some homeowners. House Bill 4039 allows individuals who reapplied to the program and were disqualified solely because of a reverse mortgage to continue to participate in the program for two years.

SB 1581 – Oregon Education Investment Board

Takes the next steps to better connect Oregon’s higher education, K-12, and early learning services. This bill requires school districts, universities, and community colleges to adopt an “achievement compact” with the Oregon Education Investment Board each year, designed to set goals and track progress toward student achievement targets. The compacts will be developed with input from educators, parents, students, and community members, and will help determine where Oregon’s education investments are making the greatest difference. This bill is a major step toward Oregon’s application for a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

HB 4150 – Expanding the Credit Enhancement Fund to Help Small Business Grow

Supports Oregon small businesses by expanding eligibility for Oregon’s Credit Enhancement Fund – thereby helping businesses access capital needed to grow and expand by guaranteeing loans. House Bill 4150 allows non-traded sector businesses, such as retail and service businesses, to apply for loan guarantees through this program until July 1, 2015, helping to leverage $16.5 million Oregon received last summer in federal funds that are designed to support small business credit. Supports Oregon small businesses by expanding eligibility for Oregon’s Credit Enhancement Fund – thereby helping businesses access capital needed to grow and expand by guaranteeing loans. House Bill 4150 allows non-traded sector businesses, such as retail and service businesses, to apply for loan guarantees through this program until July 1, 2015, helping to leverage $16.5 million Oregon received last summer in federal funds that are designed to support small business credit.

HB 4093 – Enterprise Zones to Attract Business Investment

Helps to create jobs and spur economic activity by expanding the use of enterprise zones in Oregon. Enterprise zones are designed to encourage business investment in specific areas through property tax relief. In addition to other changes, the bill allows the designation of up to eight additional enterprise zones, five in rural or urban areas and three in rural areas only, while also allowing an increase in the size of enterprise zones from 12 square miles to 15 square miles.

HB 4084 – Protecting vulnerable seniors from abuse

Makes major changes to Oregon law with respect to elder abuse, creating critical new protections for Oregon’s most vulnerable seniors. House Bill 4084 integrates several recommendations from a work group on elder abuse created in 2011 to help prevent physical, emotional, and financial abuse of seniors who rely on caretakers and other assistance.

HB 4116 – Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse

Helps protect children from abuse by expanding the list of people who are required to report child abuse, commonly known as “mandatory reporters.” House Bill 4016 will help protect children attending extracurricular activities hosted at universities and colleges, sports organizations, and other youth-based organizations.

SB 1518 – Fairness in State Contracting

Shines a light on the state’s public contracting process by addressing several concerns regarding how public contracts are awarded and what information is collected regarding public contracts. Senate Bill 1518 also prohibits a contractor from writing the specifications of a project and then turning around and competing for that contract.

SB 1548 – The Fair Employment Opportunity Act

Ensures that job applicants can’t be prohibited from applying for a job opening solely because they do not currently have a job. With Oregon’s long term unemployment rate stubbornly high, Senate Bill 1548 helps eliminate unnecessary barriers to employment. Once signed by the Governor, Oregon will be the second state in the nation to have such legislation.

SB 1555 – Fighting Cyber Bullying

Encourages a safe learning environment for Oregon kids by requiring school employees to act as mandatory reporters of harassment for bullying through electronic means, also known as cyber bullying. It also allows a student to report bullying anonymously to a mandatory reporter, and requires schools to implement proactive school policies regarding bullying and cyber bullying.

HB 4165 – Streamlining Early Learning Services

Improves coordination across services for Oregon’s youngest children, ages 0-6, to ensure that kids start kindergarten ready to learn. House Bill 4165 establishes a new model for coordinating state services for at-risk kids, consolidates several boards and commissions, and requires the Governor’s Early Learning Council to report to the Legislature on ways to improve Oregon’s early childhood system.

SB 1566 – Seismic ratings for Oregon schools

Makes sure parents can easily get information about the safety of their children’s school by adding seismic ratings to a report parents already receive. School districts must include as part of their annual district and school performance reports a web link to the existing database on seismic readiness of Oregon.

SB 1575 – Protecting the Dignity of Funerals and Burials

Shields funeral proceedings from disruptions by increasing the penalty for disorderly conduct if it is within 200 feet of a funeral. If a person makes unreasonable noise, engages in threatening behavior, or other behavior to disrupt the funeral, they can be charged with a Class A Misdemeanor, which is punishable by a maximum $6,250 fine, one year in prison, or both.

HB 4063 – Helping veterans find jobs

This bill will help Oregon’s veterans use the skills they learn serving their country once they’ve returned home. Many veterans today find it costly and time-consuming to qualify for licenses that merely reaffirm professional abilities they have been practicing for years in the military. House Bill 4063 will make it easier for Oregon’s veterans to make a living with the skills they already possess.

HB 4131 – Protecting Front Line Workers with Staff Management Ratios

Helps protect positions in state agencies that provide front line services while improving efficiency in state government. House Bill 4131 requires agencies to reduce middle managers, building on successful legislation passed in 2011.

SB 1556 – Buy America preference for transit vehicles

Allows transit agencies to give greater preference to American products when making orders for transit vehicles. This gives Oregon’s communities the opportunity to invest more of their public transit funds in American jobs as they see fit.

SB 1512 – Reducing Mercury Content in Lighting

Reduces contamination and exposure to Mercury, an element that is toxic to humans and the environment, by lowering the mercury content allowed in lighting and establishing state standards for purchasing such lighting. Senate Bill 1512 lowers the mercury content standard for commonly used lighting, like compact fluorescent light bulbs, while also establishing state procurement guidelines that favor lower-mercury content bulbs.

SB 1510 – New Marine Reserves to Protect Ocean Resources

Establishes three new marine reserves off Oregon’s coast. Fishing, mining, and other potentially disruptive activities are prohibited in a marine reserve to protect ocean habitats, promote research opportunities, and rebuild fish stocks. The new reserves join two already in effect.