Greetings:

On Monday, the legislature will convene for a one-day special session.  As Oregon families are suffering with high unemployment, BIPOC communities and low-income workers are facing disproportionate impacts, and thousands fear losing their homes and access to critical services when rental protections and federal funding run out at the end of this year, it is critical for the legislature to take action. 

Below, you will find more information about the legislation that will be considered for the special session on Monday as well as important updates about coronavirus response efforts.

2020 3rd Special Session Bills

The special session on Monday includes a robust agenda to provide COVID-19 and wildfire relief to Oregonians. Extending the eviction moratorium and providing support for small landlords, helping independent restaurants throughout our state, passing protections for our local school districts and adding $600 million for urgent COVID-19 and wildfire relief are all important steps in ensuring struggling families can weather this ongoing crisis until the legislature convenes in January. Here’s a look at the bills (in numerical order by their Legislative Concept) that will address these important issues:

LC 10 – Restaurant Relief Package
The restaurant industry is seeing significant revenue losses  due to temporary closures, reduced indoor seating, increased staffing and payroll costs to maintain their businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This legislation supports independent restaurants throughout our state by cutting third party delivery fees and allowing restaurants to serve cocktails-to-go.

LC 18 – Eviction Moratorium Extension and Landlord Compensation Fund
At least 20,000 Oregonians could face losing their homes at the end of the year, and small landlords are struggling to pay their mortgages. This legislation will extend the eviction moratorium  and provide $50 million for rental assistance and $150 million in support for small landlords. 

LC 21 – School Liability Protections
This policy will incentivize more schools, administrators, and teachers to follow health directives and best practices. If a school is not following OSHA and OHA rules, then they will not be eligible for liability protection. It is critical for students and their families that we are able to safely reopen schools as soon as possible.This is one step that will help allow that to happen. 

LC 28 – Emergency Fund Allocation
A large portion of the federal funding that Congress passed through the CARES Act came with an expiration date at the end of 2020. This $600 million in funding will allow the state to continue to fund critical pandemic-related programs that will be needed to support Oregonians in the first few months of 2021, as well as provide more support for Oregonians impacted by the Labor Day wildfires. 

Oregon Health Authority Update

The Oregon Health Authority reports up-to-date information regarding testing statistics that can be found on their website. You can review the daily update and read the weekly report that details the overall picture of the COVID-19 response across government agencies. Here are some recent developments from OHA:

• COVID-19 immunizations with the new Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine began this week in Oregon, kicking off a statewide effort that could see thousands of health care workers getting first doses by week’s end.
  
  
• Today the OHA released its latest modeling. According to the model, the effective reproduction rate — the expected number of secondary cases that a single case generates — was estimated to be 1.22 as of Nov. 28.
  
  
• The current level of transmission could result in approximately 2,200 new daily cases and 110 additional daily hospitalizations by Jan 1.

Oregon Employment Department Update

The employment department is closely monitoring potential federal legislation to extend benefits to the estimated 72,000 people who will lose benefits when the CARES Act expires on December 26, 2020. If you are nearing  the end of your normal one year benefit claim, there is a section on the employment department website explaining when and how you might be able to file a new claim for benefits. 

Please reach out to my office if you have any additional questions, or if there’s anything you think I could help with. 

Sincerely, 

Representative Barbara Smith Warner
House District 45

email: Rep.BarbaraSmithWarner@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1445
address: 900 Court St NE, H-295, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/smithwarner