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If you're having trouble viewing this message, please visit my legislative web page at http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/prozanski/, click on "News" in the lower left-hand column and scroll down.
Dear friends,
I don't need to tell you that wildfire season has kicked into gear. For the latest information on fires burning around our state, visit the Oregon Department of Forestry's Wildfire News page. The Douglas Forest Protective Association's website provides localized conditions. Please also be mindful of smoky air's effect on your health and take appropriate precautions, such as exercising inside instead of outside during smoke incursions.
It also goes painfully without saying that our nation's epidemic of gun violence continues. The Senate Republicans' first of two walkouts during the session led to the demise of enhanced gun safety legislation including safe storage of firearms and limiting possession of firearms in public buildings like the State Capitol, public schools and airport terminals. Despite that setback, I plan to work with colleagues to further bolster our state's firearm safety laws next session.
It is worth noting that Oregon has passed many of the gun safety bills other states and Congress are discussing in the aftermath of these senseless strategies. In 2017, we passed the Extreme Risk Protection Act, commonly referred to as a "red flag" law. It allows a judge to temporarily disinvest an individual of their firearms when it is shown that the person is a danger to themselves or others. Here's a link to that law: https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB719.
And a link to an article the Oregonian published about the success of Oregon’s red flag law: https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2018/06/shots_not_fired.html.
The Legislature is scheduled to hold its first legislative days for the 2019 interim the week of September 16. Committees will hold informational hearings and the Senate will also consider confirmations of the Governor's appointments to various boards and commissions.
On a lighter note, I once again served as "pooper scooper" in this year's Yoncalla Fourth of July Parade and Cottage Grove's Bohemia Mining Days Parade. I always enjoy showing off my shoveling skills … it's all in the wrist!
Photo credit: Greg Lee
Below you will find information on:
- 2019 Session Accomplishments: Education & Kids
- Veterans Behavioral Health Forums
- Scam Alert: Genetic Testing Scam
- Glide Awarded Business Oregon Loan for Water Infrastructure
- Oregon State Fair: August 23 - September 2
- Ways to Conserve Water in the Garden
I hope this information is helpful and informative for you or someone you know. As always, feel free to share your comments, questions or concerns with me by phone, mail or e-mail.
2019 Session Accomplishments: Education & Kids
Beginning with this e-bulletin, I'm sharing in-depth summaries of bills passed during the 2019 legislative session by subject area. Below is a comprehensive listing of accomplishments related to education and kids — by Senate/House bill and in numerical order:
Senate Bills
SB 3 - Community College Four-year Degrees: This legislation expands opportunities for Oregon students by allowing community colleges to offer applied bachelor's degree programs. Such programs will have to be approved by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission. SB 3 will greatly expand opportunities for students in Oregon's 17 community colleges — many of which operate in some of the most rural reaches of the state — by allowing them to obtain bachelor’s degrees.
SB 52 - Student Suicide Prevention: This legislation requires school districts to adopt policies and plans to prevent youth suicides. SB 52 requires that the State Board of Education adopt rules, in consultation with the Oregon Health Authority, to guide district plans. School districts can tap suicide prevention experts, as well as school employees, parents and others to help develop their suicide prevention plans.
SB 155 - Strengthening School Sexual Misconduct Investigations: In 2015, Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which contains provisions prohibiting school districts, state departments of education, school employees, contractors, or agents from assisting school employees, contractors, or agents investigated for sexual misconduct from obtaining new jobs unless certain reporting requirements are met. This legislation brings Oregon law into compliance with federal law by strengthening child abuse investigatory responsibilities at the Oregon Department of Education, the Teachers Standards and Practices Commission and at the Oregon Department of Human Services. SB 155 further allows school districts to immediately terminate contractors, agents, or volunteers accused of abuse or sexual misconduct.
SB 212 - Packaging Student Success Components: This legislation attaches the Student Success Corporate Activity Tax to the Fund for Student Success and other programs funded in the Student Success Act, HB 3427. The measure provides that Student Success programs contained in HB 3427 do not go into effect if the Corporate Activity Tax does not become law by March 1, 2020.
SB 278 - Foster Youth Housing Stability: This legislation extends eligibility to the Oregon Housing and Community Services Rent Guarantee Program to individuals between the ages of 16 and 27 who were wards of the juvenile court within the past 10 years. The program provides comprehensive tenant education to get individuals prepared to be successful as renters, as well as incentives for landlords who rent to program participants. It guarantees payments to landlords for unpaid rent in the case of eviction, as well as property damage costs, within the first 12 months of the rental or lease agreement.
SB 496 - Equal Access to Educational Facilities: Oregon law defines special education as specially designed instruction that is provided at no cost to parents to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities. This legislation requires school districts to provide special education students, alternative education students, or English language learners with the same access to specialized or common areas as traditional students.
SB 526 - Voluntary In-Home Nurse Visits for Newborns: This legislation directs the Oregon Health Authority to design, implement, and maintain a voluntary statewide program to provide universal newborn nurse home visiting services to all families with newborns residing in Oregon. Health insurance programs would be required to reimburse for these services.
SB 664 - Holocaust/Genocide Education: This legislation requires school districts to provide instruction about the Holocaust and genocide. It also directs the Oregon Department of Education to provide technical assistance to school districts on implementing the curriculum.
SB 731 - Campus Political Activity: This legislation authorizes student governments to issue statements or resolutions that promote or oppose referendums or ballot measures. The measure otherwise prohibits student governments from promoting or opposing initiatives, referendums or ballot measures by any means other than issuing a statement, or resolution. Additionally, SB 731 explicitly limits student government authority to promote or oppose any political committee, the nomination or election of a political candidate, or the recall of a public office holder.
SB 859 - Graduate Student Tuition Equity: The Legislature first permitted undergraduate students who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents to pay in-state tuition and fees at public universities in 2013 when it passed House Bill 2787. This is commonly referred to as "tuition equity." This legislation permits students who qualify for tuition equity for undergraduate programs in Oregon’s public universities to also be eligible for in-state tuition in their graduate studies.
SB 963 - Clarifying the Use of Restraints in School: In 2011, the legislature passed HB 2939 limiting the use of physical restraint and seclusion for students in Oregon schools and youth services. This legislation modifies permissible use of restraint in schools. The measure adds supine restraints and other actions to the list of prohibited restraints, and also clarifies when physical intervention may be appropriate.
House Bills
HB 2023 - Statewide Inclusive Curriculum Standards: Current law requires the State Board of Education to review and revise its Common Curriculum Goals, performance indicators and diploma requirements to include rigorous academic content standards. This legislation directs the State Board of Education to ensure that content standards for history, geography, economics, and civics include instruction on the histories, contributions, and perspectives of historically underrepresented groups.
HB 2024 - Accessing Infant and Toddler Care: A 2018 study by the Oregon Child Care Research Partnership (OCCRP) at Oregon State University found that 12 percent of infants and toddlers in Oregon have access to a regulated child care slot. This legislation directs the Early Learning Division to administer a program to improve access to high quality infant and toddler care for families with income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.
HB 2025 - Preschool Promise Program: Oregon's Preschool Promise program is a publicly funded preschool system available to children living at 200 percent of the poverty level or below. HB 2025 modifies the Oregon prekindergarten program to serve children from 3 and 4 years of age, to prenatal through 5 years of age. The measure further requires that Early Learning Hubs complete a community plan to identify populations of children and families for enrollment in and access to preschool programs once every two years. The measure also establishes a scholarship and grant program to ensure there are highly qualified early childhood care and education professionals in Oregon.
HB 2191 - Mental Health Excused Absences: Oregon law requires enrolled students to regularly attend their public school. Oregon law permits a principal or teacher to excuse an absence for sickness of the student, sickness of a family member, emergency, or other reasons if advanced arrangements are made. This legislation adds mental or behavioral health issues to the list of reasons for excused absences.
HB 2213 - Textbook Affordability Planning: College textbook costs can be a significant financial burden for students, especially low-income and first-generation students. Many states, colleges, and universities are developing low- or no-cost teaching, learning, and research resources. This legislation requires community colleges and public universities to establish a textbook affordability plan.
HB 2444 - Future Farmers of America: The Future Farmers of America (FFA) was founded nationally by a group of young farmers in 1928. It exists in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands with 8,630 chapters. Students in FFA participate in development opportunities that encourage leadership, professional growth, and career success through agricultural education. This legislation requires Oregon Department of Education to coordinate with Oregon FFA to increase student achievement and improve graduation rates, college preparation, and career placement for students enrolled in agricultural courses.
HB 2512 - State Board of Education Composition: Current law requires the State Board of Education to consist of seven members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, with the Secretary of State and the State Treasurer, or their designees, serving as ex-officio, non-voting members. This legislation requires the Governor to appoint one member from the state at large who is engaged in teaching as a licensed teacher in the state.
HB 2556 - Excused Absences for Military Children: Oregon law requires enrolled students to regularly attend public schools. Irregular attendance is considered as eight unexcused, half-day absences in any four-week school period. This legislation provides up to seven additional days of excused absences for children of active-duty members of U.S. Armed Forces.
HB 2571 - Tuition Waivers for Foster Youth: In 2018, 11,445 children in Oregon spent at least one day in foster care, including family foster care, professional treatment programs, psychiatric residential treatment, pre-adoptive placements, developmental disability placements and independent living. Current law requires tuition and fees to be waived for an eligible former foster child who "enrolls in" an institution of higher education, but the statute does not define enrollment. This legislation specifies that former foster children enrolled in one or more credit hours are eligible to receive tuition waivers.
HB 3427 - The Student Success Act: In January 2018, legislative leadership charged the Joint Committee on Student Success with improving Oregon’s statewide K-12 education system. The charge focused on five key elements including attention to early childhood supports, instruction time, career readiness, budget accountability, and stable funding. This legislation establishes a new Corporate Activity Tax, which will raise more than $1 billion per year in dedicated K-12 education funding, while reducing all Personal Income taxes. Schools across Oregon are confronted by a diversity of challenges; HB 3427 sets up various grant programs that will allow for local communities to best respond to their own needs.
HB 5047 - Student Success Funding: This legislation provides budget authority for programs funded through the Corporate Activity Tax contained in HB 3427. The measure provides resources to the Oregon Department of Education for implementing new educational initiatives and to the Oregon Department of Revenue for administering the new revenue stream. Some student supports funded through HB 5047 include various early learning programs, career technical education programs, nutritional programs, and resources for individual school districts.
HJM 3 - Individuals with Disabilities Education Full Funding Act: This memorial urges Congress to enact the Individuals with Disabilities Education Full Funding Act to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This important federal program helps ensure that children with disabilities all over the country can have access to educational opportunities.
Veteran Behavioral Health Forums
Over the next several months, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA) are teaming up to solicit input from communities across Oregon regarding veterans behavioral health needs and services.
OHA and ODVA will seek feedback from local veterans, service providers and policymakers across Oregon communities — rural, urban and frontier — to:
One in four Oregon veterans experience frustration in seeking care for mental health or substance use issues, according to a survey completed by more than 4,000 veterans. Oregon is committed to helping veterans access the tools and support they need to thrive. The Legislature invested $3.1 million over two biennia toward veterans behavioral health.
The forum in Senate District 4 will take place in Eugene on August 29 from 6-9 p.m. at the Eugene Garden Club. For more details and to register, click here.
Scam Alert: Genetic Testing Scam
The Attorney General is warning Oregonians about a fraud involving obtaining a cheek swab to conduct genetic testing. Oregon's Department of Justice has received reports of fraudsters targeting Medicare beneficiaries through telemarketing calls, booths at public events, health fairs, and door-to-door visits. These scammers offer cheek swabs for genetic testing in order to obtain their victims' Medicare information to steal their identity or for fraudulent billing purposes. The scammers falsely promise that Medicare will pay for the test; some may even ask for your doctor's name, implying they will send the results to your doctor. Unfortunately, when you turn over this information you may be giving the scammers your health plan or Medicare number, and they can now bill Medicare thousands of dollars for medically unnecessary tests or even services that you never received. They also end up with personal genetic information about you regarding your health.
Before agreeing to genetic testing, be sure the test is: (1) ordered by your doctor, (2) medically necessary, and (3) covered by your plan. In addition, never give out your Social Security, Medicare or health plan numbers or banking information to someone you don't know.
If you think you have been a victim of Medicare fraud, contact the DHS Fraud Hotline online at https://tinyurl.com/y2shcu8o or by phone at 1-888-372-8301. If you think you have fallen victim to another type of fraud, contact the Oregon Department of Justice online at www.oregonconsumer.gov or call 1-877-877-9392.
Glide Awarded Business Oregon Loan for Water Infrastructure
Following on the City of Sutherlin and Row Valley Water District's successful applications, the Glide Water Association has been awarded a Business Oregon Loan for enhanced facility security and signage. Congratulations!
Oregon State Fair: August 23 - September 2
The Oregon State Fair will take place from Friday, August 23, until Labor Day, September 4, at the State Fairgrounds in Salem. For general information and details on this year's attractions, visit: https://oregonstatefair.org/.
Ways to Conserve Water in the Garden
The Oregon State University Extension Service offers the following tips to conserve water in gardens and yards during dry summer months:
- Water your lawn more deeply and less frequently. If you typically water three to four times per week, it's okay to cut that to one to two times per week.
- Plant drought-tolerant turf grass. Tall fescue is hardy, wide-bladed and deep-rooted. Perennial ryegrass and creeping fescue can also tolerate some dryness.
- Choose drought-tolerant plants such as creeping zinnia and sea poppy for your landscape. Native plants such as the Oregon iris and Pacific wax myrtle tolerate dry summers well.
- For most plants, watering deeply and close to the roots is more important than frequency. Study each plant's watering requirements. For vegetables, soak soil about six inches deep. Water to a depth of about a foot and a half for shrubs. Trees need water about two feet deep.
- Mulching is critical because it improves soil structure, helps retain water in the ground and reduces weeds. Use compost-based mulches for vegetables and woody mulches for ornamental plants. Spread the mulch about two to three inches thick on the soil around your garden.
- Water early in the morning before the day heats up.
- Use an efficient irrigation system, such as soaker hoses or drip irrigation. If you choose a sprinkler system, select a low-pressure, in-ground system that does not shoot up in the air.
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