OREGON HOUSE REPUBLICANS

Research Briefing

February 26, 2009

Jobs and Economy

Elderly Rental Assistance Program (HARRP Suspense Account)

Elderly Rental Assistance program (ERA) benefits low-income senior citizens with household income of less than $10,000. Elderly Rental Assistance program benefits low-income senior citizens with household income of less than $10,000. ORS 610.692 establishes the suspense account enabling the Department of Revenue to carry out the assistance program.

$74,470

Wage Security Fund

The Wage Security Fund protects Oregon workers from wage loss by paying the final wages of employees when a plant or company closes without sufficient funds to pay final wages. Oregon employees of a company that closes and does not have sufficient funds to pay final wages are eligible to apply for benefits.

$3,000,000

Oregon Counties- Economic Development Fund

Oregon counties receive 2.5 percent of video poker proceeds through the Administrative Services Economic Development Fund.

$2,000,000

JOBS Plus Unemployment Wage Fund

The fund supports the JOBS Plus Program, which offers wage subsidies to participating employers who hire unemployed individuals and provide on-the-job training.

$319,310

Oregon Credit Enhancement Fund

Fund provides guarantees for working capital or fixed asset bank loans. Available for manufacturing, production and processing companies with less than 200 employees. Assists businesses in a distressed area and a business that uses proceeds to clean up a brownfield site. Funds can be used for real property, buildings, machinery and equipment, working capital and export financing.

$3,300,000

Trust for Cultural Development

The Trust for Cultural Development Account serves as a repository for both public and private moneys designated to fund specific arts, heritage and humanities programs.

$1,800,000

Strategic Reserve Fund

The fund is continuously appropriated to the Economic and Community Development Department to be used to implement statewide strategies for economic development. The fund is used to assist economic and community development projects of public entities, industry groups or businesses with significant long-term, regional or statewide economic impacts, to provide interim financing mechanisms to augment existing public or private sector programs or to analyze statewide, long-term economic issues and opportunities.

$75,000

Oregon Community Development Fund

The fund is created to provide a flexible funding source for financing those programs and projects that are determined by the Oregon Economic and Community Development Commission to further economic and community development across the state.

$93,296

Education

Connecting Oregon Communities/Public Access Account

The purpose of the Public Access Account is to improve access to advanced telecommunications services for community colleges, universities, public libraries and rural health care providers.

$264,850

Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development Account

The account supports workforce development efforts through Oregon’s community colleges.

$500,000

School Improvement Fund- Interest Earnings

Interest earnings from deposits made to the School Improvement Fund to support student achievement programs.

$2,976,114

Youth Corrections Educational Program/Education Cash Account

The fund supports educational services are provided to children in the state’s close custody facilities, including Hillcrest and MacLaren, and transition programs.

$1,000,000

Hospital/Long-Term Care/Education Cash Account

The fund supports the delivery of education services to children in day and residential mental health programs as well as hospital programs, which provide educational services to students with severe, low-incidence types of disabling conditions such as burns, head injuries, and other acute or chronic medical conditions.

$2,000,000

Health and Addiction Services

Oregon Public Health

“Various account balances.”

$1,248,777

Gambling Addiction

Lottery funds used to provide gambling addiction services to Oregonians.

$1,200,000

Dammasch Housing Trust Fund

The Housing Trust Fund includes earnings from the sale of the Dammasch property. The interest from the money in the Trust Fund is used to develop housing around the state for persons with mental illness.

$447,430

Environment and Natural Resources

Solid Waste Disposal Sites Action Fund/Orphan Site Account

The fund is be used to pay the costs of removal or remedial action of hazardous substances at solid waste disposal sites.

$4,100,000

Oregon Low Emission Vehicles

Oregon’s Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) program was adopted in December 2005 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. The LEV program is based on California’s vehicle emission requirements.

$400,000

Vehicle Inspection Program/DEQ Motor Vehicle Pollution Account

The fund supports state programs to monitor compliance of motor vehicle pollution control systems and to study traffic patterns and to inspect, regulate and control the emission of pollutants from motor vehicles in this state.

$2,000,000

Waste Tire Recycling

The fund was established to reimburse users for the costs waste tire storage, removal or disposal.

$18,824

Underground Storage Tank Insurance Fund

The fund helps mitigate the costs of cleaning up hazardous materials from faulty underground storage tanks.

$47,854

Weights and Measures Service Fund

The fund supports the costs of enforcing Oregon’s agricultural weights and measures laws.

$500,000

Pesticides Service Fund

The fund supports the costs of enforcing Oregon’s pesticide regulatory programs.

$750,000

Water Development Loan Program

The fund supports the construction, operation and maintenance of eligible water development programs.

$1,600,000

Public Safety and Consumer Protection

Consumer Protection and Education Fund

The fund helps cover the costs incurred by the Department of Justice in preparing, commencing and prosecuting actions and suits under the state and federal antitrust laws.

$2,000,000

Crime Victims Services/Child Abuse Multidisciplinary Intervention

The sole source of state funding for a multidisciplinary approach (specialized assessment and advocacy centers) to the assessment, investigation, and prosecution of child abuse cases.

$900,000

911 Fund (Enhanced 911 Subaccount)

The subaccount supports the development of enhanced 911 systems in Oregon.

$3,112,497

911 Fund (Equipment Replacement Subaccount)

The subaccount supports the replacement of 911 emergency services equipment.

$500,000

Fire Insurance Premium Tax

The Fire Insurance Tax, paid by property and casualty insurers, finances the Office of State Fire Marshal,

$2,000,000