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Friends and Neighbors,
 Governor Updates
Governor Kate Brown Extends COVID-19 State of Emergency for Sixty Days
Governor Kate Brown has extended her declaration of a state of emergency regarding COVID-19 for an additional 60 days, until September 4, and issued the following statement:
“When I first declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus, there were 14 cases of COVID-19 in Oregon. Today, there have been over 8,600 cases, with over a quarter of those cases identified in the previous two weeks of June. While hospitalizations remain relatively low, we have seen how rapidly those numbers can climb. And, sadly, 207 Oregonians have lost their lives to this disease. Without a doubt, COVID-19 continues to pose a real and present threat to Oregonians in communities across the state, from Malheur County to Umatilla to Lincoln.
“In the months since those first cases were discovered, we have shored up our supplies of personal protective equipment, worked with counties to hire contact tracers, and––despite the failures of the federal government to supply Oregon with an equitable amount of testing materials––we have expanded our statewide testing capability. And, thanks to the tremendous sacrifices Oregonians made by staying home in the spring, we prevented 1,500 hospitalizations and over 70,000 COVID-19 infections.
“Now, we again find ourselves at a crossroads as a state. The individual choices each of us makes will decide whether Oregon either flattens the curve of new COVID-19 infections, or sees a devastating spike in cases that overwhelms our hospital capacity in the next month.
“If we all follow the advice of doctors––if you wear a face covering in public, if you wash your hands, if you cover your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze, if you stay home when you are sick––together, we can keep our friends and loved ones healthy and safe.
“If too many Oregonians continue to ignore these precautions, we could see an exponential growth in cases, and newly reopened communities and businesses could close again. We have a chance, now, before the Fourth of July weekend, to make sure that Oregon’s COVID-19 numbers don’t follow the same skyrocketing trajectory of states like Texas or Florida or Arizona.
“Oregon, you have a choice. You can help to save lives again. What happens next is up to all of us.”
The state of emergency declaration is the legal underpinning for the executive orders the Governor has issued to keep Oregonians healthy and safe throughout this crisis, including her orders on reopening Oregon while maintaining essential health and safety protections, as well as orders around childcare, schools, and higher education operations. Extending the state of emergency declaration allows those orders to stay in effect.
Moving forward, the Governor will review and reevaluate each of her emergency orders every 60 days, to determine whether those orders should be continued, modified, or rescinded.
Masks Now Required Statewide
Face coverings are required for indoor public spaces in every county effective July 1st. Children under 12 years of age, as well as people with a disability or a medical condition that prevent them from wearing a face covering, are not required to wear one.
 1st Special Session Wrap-up
Please watch this short video with my recap of the 1st Special Session of 2020.
 Public Safety Updates and Information
Police Accountability Bills
I was proud to support the work that my BIPOC colleagues did to bring the following six bills on police accountability forward for the legislature for us to vote on. All six bills passed with broad bipartisan and bicameral support.
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HB 4201: Establishes Joint Committee on Transparent Policing and Use of Force Reform.
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HB 4203: Provides that peace officer may not use force that impedes normal breathing or circulation of blood of another person by applying pressure on throat or neck, unless peace officer may use deadly physical force.
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HB 4205: Requires police officer or reserve officer to intervene to prevent or stop another officer engaged in certain misconduct, unless intervening officer cannot intervene safely.
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HB 4207: Directs Department of Public Safety Standards and Training to establish public statewide online database of suspensions and revocations of certifications of police officers.
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HB 4208: Prohibits law enforcement agencies from using tear gas for purposes of crowd control except in circumstances constituting riot.
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SB 1604: Restricts arbitration award from ordering disciplinary action that differs from disciplinary action imposed by law enforcement agency if arbitrator makes finding that misconduct occurred consistent with agency's finding of misconduct, and disciplinary action imposed by agency is consistent with provisions of discipline guide or discipline matrix adopted by agency as result of collective bargaining and incorporated into agency's disciplinary policies.
Follow this link to read my Vote Explanation on HB 4208.
Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST)
The Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training has shared video links to presentations of Oregon Basic Police Training, DPSST Use of Force Training, and DPSST Professional Standards. Watch these presentations here.
DPSST’s new and improved webpage now includes the content of the 16-week DPSST Basic Police Course. This link will take you to the accordion where the information can be found.
Under the Basic Police tab you will find the following files:
- Table of Contents – If the user is searching for a specific topic, this provides guidance on which file to download.
State Takes Special Session Action to Provide Financial Relief to Oregonians
The omnibus House Bill 4212 covers a variety of areas to support public health, individuals, local governments, courts and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The legislation included a number of measures. They were:
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Emergency shelter siting - Temporarily waives all siting, design, and zoning regulations for local governments to develop low-barrier shelters and navigation centers to provide support for Oregonians experiencing unsheltered homelessness, who are at high-risk of virus transmission. Siting provisions are limited to 90 days.
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Remote notary provisions - Authorizes a pilot program to allow notaries to perform work using electronic technology to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect public health.
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Enterprise zone deadline extension - Delays the expiration date of enterprise zones in the state by six months, preventing a June 30 expiration.
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Individual development account funds for pandemic relief - Provides flexibility for individual development accounts to be used for necessary medical expenses, to avoid eviction and for living expenses after the loss of a job during the pandemic.
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COVID-19 race and ethnicity data - Requires health care providers to collect data on race, ethnicity, preferred spoken and written languages, English proficiency, interpreter needs and disability status (REALD) during the provision of health services related to COVID-19. Directs OHA to adopt rules requiring providers to collect and report data, specifies timelines for data collection, and allows OHA to provide incentives to health care providers to comply with requirements. Data is confidential and used for public health purposes.
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Safe public meetings - Allows local governments and other public bodies to hold virtual meetings so they can continue to provide essential services and make decisions in a public and transparent manner, while preventing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting public health. The language specifies notice, quorum, social distancing, and recording requirements.
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CARES Act payment protection - Protects vulnerable Oregonians who receive CARES Act Recovery Rebate payments having portions of those payments withheld, so all relief money can be used to pay for essential needs like housing, food and medical needs. Payments are protected until September 30, 2020.
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Safe court proceedings - Gives the Chief Justice the authority in certain circumstances to extend statutory deadlines for court appearances if the COVID-19 pandemic results in delay of court processes. Allows for up to a 60-day extension of the time to conduct a trial of a defendant accused of a person crime, beyond the current 180-day limit, should the court find 1) circumstances caused by the pandemic establish a good-cause delay of the trial; 2) clear and convincing evidence of the substantial and specific danger of physical injury or sexual victimization to the victim or members of the public should release occur; and 3) no release conditions could sufficiently mitigate that danger.
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Temporary Physician Assistant Authorization - Physician Assistants (PA) are given flexibility during the emergency period to practice at the top of their scope
Unemployment Insurance Updates
My office has been working diligently to help constituents that have been waiting to hear from the Employment Department on their Unemployment Insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims. Most Oregonians have had their claims processed, but others have been waiting 12-14 weeks with no resolution and this is unacceptable. It is best to connect to your legislator directly to have them contact the Employment Department on your behalf. Use this link to find your legislator. If you reside in House District 30, please send us the following information to help us move your claim to the Employment Department more effectively and efficiently.
- Name
- Phone Number
- Email Address
- Mailing Address
- Customer ID#/ or Confirmation #/ or last 4 of SSN
- Initial Filing Date
- Last Contact with Employment Department
- Type of Claim (Regular UI, PUA, Adjudication, Restart)
Helpful Links
Here are some helpful links that may aid you in filing your weekly claims.
Small Business Updates
Business Oregon-Round 3 Small Business Relief Grants
Round 3—eligible applicants are public entities (cities, counties, economic development districts, council of governments) that have or will develop a community business assistance program in response to the COVID-19 crisis and are able to meet the parameters of this program. The RFP for this round closes at 5:00 pm on July 10, 2020.
Washington County is Offering a Second Grant Opportunity for Small Businesses
 Washington County will have a second round of small business economic assistance grants of $3,000 each. They will be opening the application period at 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 8. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, July 10, or until 10,000 applications are received, whichever comes first.
Links to the applications will be available on the County’s Business Recovery website.
Insurance Updates
State Extends Emergency Order for Health Insurance Companies
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services extended its emergency order for health insurance companies through Aug. 2, 2020.
The order requires health insurance companies to do the following for their customers during the COVID-19 outbreak:
- Provide at least a 60-day grace period to pay any past-due premiums
- Pay claims for any covered services during the first 30 days of the grace period
- Extend all deadlines for reporting claims and other communications, and provide members with communication options that meet physical distancing standards
The order is in effect through Aug. 2, 2020, and can be extended in 30-day increments during the course of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Consumers and regulated business professionals can learn more about insurance and financial services issues related to COVID-19 by visiting dfr.oregon.gov.
Community Outreach
Talking About Race
The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture knows talking about race can be hard. Educators play an important role in communicating history and culture. Follow these guides to help you start the conversation with your friends, neighbors and families.
 Community Walks with Cindy Cosenzo
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Take a walk before work with Cindy Cosenzo and “Community WALKS Together”! Monday Wednesday & Friday mornings 8am! Before you start Zooming or working from home, fuel up with outdoor air, vitamin D, and human connection! We have strict safety protocols in place to keep everyone safe & healthy. We know that covid-19 is still very much alive and kicking and will be around for a while 😪 and at the same time, we need to find creative approaches to keep ourselves healthy happy and our immune systems fortified with the things that generally keep us healthy, including exercise and connection. 🤗💪🏼 Meet 8am in the parking lot of NE 28th & Veterans Blvd in Hillsboro for a 2-mile walk. Everyone is invited and everyone is welcome. The simple act of walking together is such a beautiful way to connect with each other, foster human connection and #createcommunity. 💛✨ |
Hillsboro School District Adding Sites for Summer Meal Distribution
Beginning Monday, July 6, HSD will add new meal distribution sites at Reedville Creek Park and Mooberry Elementary School from 11:30 a.m. to noon, Monday through Thursday, until August 13. Find a complete list of all sites here: English: https://bit.ly/3eMfIKi Spanish: https://bit.ly/31Hp5XQ |
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Hillsboro Police Department Scam Alert
We’ve learned a community member received a letter asking for donations for Hillsboro Police Department to purchase equipment. This is fraudulent. HPD said they do not solicit donations from community members to supplement the department’s budget.
If you’ve received one of these letters, please report it to HPD at 503-629-0111.
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This 4th of July, please remember to only call 911 for immediately dangerous or life-threatening emergencies. In partnership with Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, we've created this helpful flyer to know when to call 911.
Enjoy fireworks safely!
 Additional Resources
House District 30 Links
Federal Delegation Links
Education Links
Utilities Assistance
Food and Housing Assistance
I hope that your are able to take some time to celebrate the 4th of July with the ones you love, especially if those loved ones live with you in the same household. 2020 is definitely a year that we will soon not forget, but I hope the silver lining is that you are able to spend a little more time on the simple joys of everyday life and appreciate them just a little bit more. Our schedules rarely grant us those moments to catch our breath in our busy lives. I plan to take some time to enjoy the sun, lay on my backyard hammock and catch up on a little fictional reading from a book club I am a part of with friends. What are your plans? Be good to yourself and each other. ❤
 Onward & Upward,
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1430
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-487, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman
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