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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I
hope this newsletter finds you and your family well this holiday season. As
2016 comes to an end, many of us are taking a moment to reflect on the past
year’s accomplishments and thinking of the challenges and opportunities ahead.
The same is true in the Legislature, and this time of year I can’t help but
reflect on the good things we’ve accomplished.
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Re-Election as Majority Leader:
There have been some exciting developments for the Senate Democratic Caucus during the past month. I am humbled to announce my reelection as Oregon Senate Majority Leader. It is a great honor to represent Senate District 18 and all Oregonians as I continue in this role. I look forward to working hard with my Senate colleagues, the Oregon House of Representatives and Governor Brown to continue growing our state economy and protecting critical social services in the 2017 Legislative Session.
Please join me in congratulating the 2017 Senate Democratic leadership team:
During the 2016 Session, Senate Democrats took bold action to put the needs of families and small businesses from across Oregon first. We got the job done, but there’s more work to do. As Majority Leader, I look forward to continuing to focus on Oregon’s priorities and building on these accomplishments in the 2017 Legislative Session.
New Year & New
Laws 2017:
While many
bills passed during the 2016 Legislative Session already have become law, there are some important new laws that will
take effect on January, 1:
SB 1503 Access to Affordable
Primary and Mental Health Care
Oregon’s Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants
fill critical roles in our state’s delivery of primary care and mental health
services, especially in rural Oregon. In 2013, the Legislature enacted a law to
ensure that these providers are reimbursed at the same rate as physicians for
providing the same services. Senate Bill 1503 ensures that these essential
providers can continue to deliver quality, cost-effective care in underserved
areas by making this law permanent.
SB 1600 Eliminating the Statute of
Limitations for First-Degree Sex Crimes with New Evidence
Senate Bill 1600
authorizes the prosecution of first-degree sex crimes at any time after the
crime is committed, if the prosecuting attorney obtains additional,
corroborating evidence such as non-DNA physical evidence, such as a video or
audio recording; confession by the defendant to that particular crime;
statements by the victim made close in time to the alleged crime; or when
multiple victims come forward alleging crimes similar enough to be on the same
list of charges.
SB
1524 Improving Ease of Access to Medical Marijuana for Veterans
Under current
law, individuals with valid medical marijuana cards are required to see a
physician annually to maintain their eligibility. Senate Bill 1524 creates an
exception to this requirement for 100 percent permanently disabled veterans,
removing an unnecessary barrier by ensuring that these former service members
don’t have to complete this process annually.
SB
1527 Ensuring Efficiency and Accountability for Transit Riders
Senate Bill 1527
makes changes benefitting public transit riders throughout Oregon by ensuring
that funds placed on an eFare card will remain in the account and available to
the rider in perpetuity, regardless of length of inactivity.
SB
1554 Guidelines for Managing an Individual’s “Digital Assets”
In today’s day
and age, many of us have online lives consisting of electronic information such
as photographs, correspondence and important business records or other
documents with significant financial value. When an individual dies or becomes
disabled, they often leave behind this digital legacy for friends, family
members and other designees to manage. Senate Bill 1554 enacts the Revised
Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, a national policy standard. The
Act lays out clear guidelines, responsibilities and directives for account
users to make clear their wishes for designees who are acting on the wishes of
the person they represent, and for online providers who are often the
custodians of these important digital assets.
SB
1567 Criminal Impersonation
Senate Bill 1567
closes a loophole in existing law by making it clear that it is a crime to
impersonate someone with the intent to humiliate, harm or harass a person. SB
1567 provides an important mechanism to hold offenders, particularly those who
use technology for violence or other harm, accountable for these kinds of
abusive tactics. SB 1567 builds upon the necessary work the Legislature has
undertaken in previous sessions to ensure that victims are protected in a
fast-paced digital age.
HB
4046 Enhancing Penalties for Poaching
House Bill 4046 cracks down on
poachers by increasing penalties for unlawfully taking or killing certain game
wildlife. The bill increases the maximum fine amount for illegally taking
certain species and requires the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to revoke
all licenses, tags and permits issued to those convicted of a first poaching
offense. Upon an individual’s second conviction within a 10-year period, the
bill prohibits the individual from applying for or obtaining a license, tag or
permit. Upon a third poaching conviction within 10 years, all guns, boats,
vehicles, traps and other implements used in committing the offense are subject
to civil forfeiture. This bill is designed to address a key problem for rural
Oregon communities.
HB
4082 Preventing Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
House Bill 4082
closes a loophole in Oregon’s laws to better protect victims of sex
trafficking. The bill expands the crime of promoting prostitution to include
bartering goods, services or anything of value in exchange for prostitution
services, rather than strictly an exchange of money, as is in current statute.
The bill comes at the recommendation of the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of
Children Work Group, which meets regularly with stakeholders to address the
needs of sex trafficking victims, many of whom are minors.
HB
4128 Preventing “Notario” Fraud
In Oregon, only
attorneys and federally authorized individuals can provide legal advice on
immigration matters. However, some unqualified individuals advertising their
services as a “notario” -- a misleading term because, in many countries,
“notario” refers to someone with the same training and authority as an attorney
-- deceive consumers and provide illegitimate services. House Bill 4128 cracks
down on “notario” fraud by strengthening penalties, tightening standards for
becoming a notary public and providing law enforcement and other agencies with
more effective tools to protect consumers and hold fraudulent practitioners accountable.
Holiday Giving:
The holidays are a time of thanks and giving back to your
community. While there are many great charities in our community that do
tireless work for those in need, there are also organizations that take
advantage of this same generosity. To make sense of it all, the Oregon Department
of Justice provides helpful “Tips for
Charitable Giving.” I hope you can share the gift of giving this year with
one of the many nonprofit organizations that play a pivotal role in supporting
educational, religious, artistic, health and welfare services across our state.
Stay in Touch:
During the 2016 Legislative Session, Senate Democrats went
to Salem with a plan for bold action that put the needs of families and small
businesses from across Oregon first. We got the job done, but there’s more work
to do. As Majority Leader, I look forward to building on these accomplishments
in the 2017 Session, by continuing to focus on Oregon's priorities.
For an overview of my work as Majority Leader, our Senate
Democratic Caucus, and Agenda in the 2016 Session, click here. For periodic
updates, I also encourage you to follow my work on Facebook and Twitter.
As always, please feel free to contact me or my office with
your concerns. We can be reached at 503-986-1718 or by emailing sen.ginnyburdick@oregonlegislature.gov.
Wishing you and your family happy holidays!
All the best,
Senator
Ginny Burdick
Senate
Majority Leader
Senate
District 18
sen.ginnyburdick@oregonlegislature.gov
503-986-1718
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