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House District 30 Friends and Neighbors,
This week marks the first week of Oregon’s 81st Legislative Assembly. Committees will start this week, with introductions, updates and state agency reporting. This will be a difficult session and will require more effort for outreach and communication. I commit to you to do my very best to keep you informed and engaged in the process. The work will take an “all hands on deck” approach and I am fortunate to have coalesced a knowledgeable, passionate and dedicated team for House District 30 who will be working hard to help with communication, research, scheduling, constituent outreach and committee work. Due to the fast pace and demands placed on their schedule, the newsletters will be coming to you once a week, on Wednesdays. We will work to keep you informed of any emergency updates as the need arises.
 From L-R: Nickole Vargas-Chief of Staff, Mark Watson-Legislative Aide, Jenna Devenberg-PSU Intern, High School Interns Olivia Vargas, Lily Donis and Ishaan Sinha
COVID-19 Vaccine Updates
Oregon Shifts Vaccination Plan in Light of New Information About Supply
From the Oregon Health Authority
Governor Kate Brown held a press conference Friday to update Oregonians on the status of COVID-19 vaccinations in Oregon. The Governor was joined by officials including Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Director Patrick Allen.
Last week, OHA updated its vaccination plan after being informed by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar that the federal government would be releasing its entire supply of COVID-19 vaccines to states.
On Thursday, Oregon received the news that the federal reserve of vaccines that Oregon and other states expected to receive does not exist. OHA is updating Oregon’s vaccination plan considering this new information.
"Let me assure you that Oregon’s priorities, and my priorities, have not changed,” Governor Brown said. “I remain committed to vaccinating our seniors quickly. But this latest news will unfortunately cause a two-week delay in beginning vaccinations for seniors.”
The new plan depends on Oregon receiving a reliable supply of doses from the federal government. The current plan is:
- Starting the week of Jan. 25, begin vaccinating teachers and childcare providers.
- Starting Feb. 8. Begin vaccinating the first of four “waves” of seniors.
- Wave 1: Seniors 80 and older.
- Wave 2: Seniors who are 75 and older would follow.
- Wave 3: Seniors who are 70 and older would follow next.
- Wave 4: Eligibility to all Oregonians 65 and older would follow in the weeks after.
In addition, it’s not just important to offer more options to get vaccinated, we want you to know when, where and how you can get immunized. Today on our website, you will find a new personalized, interactive guide that tells you:
- If you’re eligible to get a vaccine, based on your age and occupation.
- Where you can get information about a vaccine, based on your local county resources.
- Where you can get the facts about vaccines and answers to your vaccination questions.
Watch a recording of the press conference.
 Education Updates
Updated Advisory Metrics for Returning to In-Person Instruction Through the On-Site or Hybrid Model
Updated guidance from the Oregon Department of Education was released yesterday. See graphic below or at this link here. Find more information on Weekly County Metrics here.
 Unemployment Insurance Updates
Thank you to the Oregon Employment Department for providing the following updates.
Links to last week's briefing with Director Gerstenfeld:
*As we share every week: please continue to file weekly claims, even if you have not yet received an initial payment from OED. All qualifying claims will be paid retroactively.
Continued Assistance Act (CAA) Updates
In last week’s update, we shared that we were waiting for Department of Labor (DOL) guidance to determine CAA’s impact on the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program’s longevity in Oregon. In particular: How long can Oregonians count on PUA for benefits?
- Since last week’s briefing, DOL confirmed: the PUA program caps at 50 weeks.
- At initial implementation, PUA provided 39 weeks of benefits. Because Oregon had a high rate of unemployment last year, we were able to extend PUA benefits to 46 weeks through HEB.
- Oregonians can already claim 46 weeks of PUA benefits (through HEB), so CAA extends Oregon’s PUA four additional weeks to the 50-week cap.
- We know that many Oregonians rely on this program and are in continued conversations with DOL about their interpretation. We will update you as soon as we learn more.
In our most recent guidance from DOL, we were also able to confirm:
- People eligible for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) will receive up to an additional 11 weeks of benefits, as well as the weekly $300 FPUC benefit, through March 13, 2021, and
- People who had funds remaining on their PEUC claims before the CARES Act expired will see the additional 11 weeks automatically added to their claims, and
- People who were receiving Extended Benefits (EB) when the CARES Act expired will need to use up their EB claim, after which they will be moved back to PEUC to receive benefits under that program until it ends on March 13, 2021, and
- A new CAA tool, “Phase Out,” allows people who have a balance on their PEUC or PUA claim after March 13, and who receive benefits for the week ending March 13, to claim their remaining benefits through the week ending April 10.
Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) Program
- In addition to the program extensions mentioned above, CAA created a new program: Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (FAQ to come, pending DOL guidance).
- Under MEUC, Oregonians receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits, and who can document at least $5,000 in annual self-employment income in their most recent tax year, will receive an additional $100 per week.
- The “most recent tax year” is the year before they filed their claim for regular UI benefits. For example: If they filed their regular UI claim in 2020, but are still receiving UI or are not receiving benefits under the PEUC or EB extensions, claimants would need to provide documentation for $5,000 of self-employment income in 2019. If they filed their regular UI claim in 2021, claimants would need to provide documentation for $5,000 of self-employment income in 2020.
- MEUC benefits will be paid retroactively.
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We are still waiting for MEUC implementation guidance from DOL and don’t anticipate being able to pay these benefits until March 2021. We will have more information about required documentation, qualifications and process at that time.
- As with all other topics, we will keep you updated as we learn more.
2020 Taxes and Unemployment Benefits
- Next week, we will begin mailing Form 1099-G to everyone who received unemployment benefits at some point during 2020.
- These forms will be mailed by January 31st to the address on file as of January 12th—digital copies will be available in the Online Claim System.
- If somebody receives this form but did not apply for benefits in 2020, they should report that potential fraud to us by calling 1-877-668-3204 or submitting a message through our fraud reporting form at unemployment.oregon.gov/unemployment-insurance-fraud.
Employment Department Language Access
- Claimants can access free language interpretation through our UI and PUA hotlines, and may also contact us by email at OED_LanguageAccess@oregon.gov or call our Worksystems language hotline at 503-606-6969.
- The Worksystems hotline employees can help claimants file an initial or weekly claim in any language. They can also help claimants submit a question to OED regarding the status of their claim.
Employment Department Webinars
Last week’s unemployment insurance webinar focused on CAA and federal guidance on state implementation. The full presentation has been posted online, for those who missed it: https://youtu.be/zxcaREuTny0
- You can sign up for future webinars and access past webinars here: unemployment.oregon.gov/webinars
- Nuestro próximo seminario web en español será el jueves 28 de enero a la 1 p.m., donde compartiremos actualizaciones sobre la Ley de Asistencia Continua. Registrarse aquí.
- Our next webinar will be a Spanish-speaking webinar about CAA updates on January 28, 2021 at 1 p.m. Register here.
House District 30 - 2021 Legislative Session Concepts
In order to provide information and updates on the policies that I am working on for the 2021 Session, this is a continuation of that series.
HB 2498: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Automotive Registration
This bill is an effort to improve communication between law enforcement agents and drivers they encounter who may be deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). When registering a vehicle, owners will have the option to indicate that the vehicle may be driven by someone who is a member of the DHH community. That information will be noted on the vehicle's registration and if a member of law enforcement interacts with that vehicle, they will be notified of the possibility.
Community Outreach
13th Annual North Plains Crab Feed
 Hillsboro Schools Foundation Annual Gala & Auction
The Hillsboro Schools Foundation’s annual Gala & Auction event takes place virtually on Friday, Feb. 19th. Registration is free, and optional meals and “WOW!” boxes are available for purchase. I am thrilled to once again be the emcee for this event for the second year in a row. Since 2001, the Hillsboro Schools Foundation has invested nearly $4 million in Hillsboro Schools for Innovative Grants, Homework Clubs, funding for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and so much more. This event is their BIGGEST fundraiser of the year. For more information on the event and how you can support it, visit Baubles, Bowties, and Boxers (ejoinme.org).
 Virtual Community Conversation
Join me Saturday, 1/30, from 9:30-10:30 am for my 72nd Community Conversation. Come join the conversation and share your thoughts or bring your questions. Sign up below for the link.
Additional Resources
House District 30 Links
Federal Delegation Links
Education Links
Utilities Assistance
Food and Housing Assistance
 I watched this morning a defining moment in our history as Kamala Harris became the first woman, the first Black American, the first South Asian American to be sworn into office as our Vice President of the United States of America. A momentous occasion to know that every little girl now sees and knows this is a possibility for them. The message of hope and unity rang loud and clear for so many to hear. There were tears in my eyes, a string of pearls around my neck and hope in my heart for all of us to come together. We don’t have to agree on everything, we just have to work on respectful dialogue, recognizing our differences and finding solutions that lift everyone and not just some. We can do this.
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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