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Dear Friends and Neighbors
We are nearing the end of the Short Session and Legislators have been working long hours trying to consider as many bills as possible. Floor Sessions have been starting at 9:00 am and my days this week often ended with Ways and Means hearings that went passed 8:00 pm. Despite the long hours we've put in, we simply can't get to all of the good bills that were submitted this Session. It doesn't mean that the bills that will die this Session would not make good public policy, or are not worthy of consideration, but the Constitution only gives us 35 days to complete the Short Session and that's just not enough time to consider every worthwhile bill. Sometimes we have to be satisfied with seeding bills for consideration in future Sessions.
My own personal bill, House Bill 4109 on newborn screening, did not get a hearing in the Ways and Means Committee and therefore will not pass this Session. I am committed to improving our newborn screening process here in Oregon though, and will be working with the Oregon Health Authority over the Interim and will plan to bring a bill back in the 2023 Long Session.
Given the short time frame for this Session, I am very impressed with some of the great ideas we have turned into good public policy. Read more about some of the good policies we passed this week in the "Bill Highlights" section below. I will also provide an end-of-Session review next week, and will be holding a Joint Town Hall with Representative Sosa and Senator Sollman to expand on this Session's accomplishments on March 16th - please see the flyer for the event below.
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PARTICIPATE IN THE SHORT SESSION
Senator Sollman visited me on the House Floor this week!
BILL HIGHLIGHTS
House Bill 4002 - Farmworker Overtime Pay
Today, the Senate approved House Bill 4002 on a vote of 17 to 10. The House passed the bill on Tuesday and I voted yes. I filed a vote explanation with the Chief Clerk, which can be read here. This legislation establishes overtime pay requirements for agricultural workers in Oregon after 40 hours per week. These requirements will be phased-in over a five-year period.
Farmworkers have long been excluded from requirements for overtime compensation. When the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed in 1938 it excluded agricultural workers, and still today, agricultural workers remain exempt from both state and federal overtime protections.
House Bill 4002 establishes maximum hour and overtime compensation requirements for agricultural workers. Farmworker overtime phase-in begins with 55-hours per week for calendar years 2023-24, moving down to 48 hours per week for calendar years 2025-26 and then 40 hours per week beginning in 2027.
House Bill 4002 also creates a refundable tax credit to provide economic support to employers when they provide overtime pay for agricultural workers. The tax credit is structured to support smaller farms.
House Bill 4002 now goes to the Governor for her signature.
House Bill 4030 C - Education Workforce Bill
The Oregon House of Representatives today passed a bill to address education workforce shortages and support school employees. House Bill 4030 C will provide funding to help school districts recruit and retain school employees, streamline licensing requirements for teachers and create a statewide clearinghouse for education jobs.
In 2021, Oregon school districts reported over 1,820 job vacancies to the Oregon Employment Department. Teachers across the country have reported increased workload and the disruptions of the pandemic over the past few years.
HB 4030 establishes a grant program for districts to use to recruit and retain educators and other school employees. It makes temporary changes to streamline or waive some professional development requirements, licensing requirements and non-essential reporting requirements that add to the burden for school districts and educational employees.
HB 4030 also includes changes to make hiring easier for school districts. It directs the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission to make changes to license reciprocity policies to enable more out-of-state educators to become licensed in Oregon. The bill also creates a statewide education job portal that will streamline the job search process for educators and staff.
The bill is part of a suite of policies to retain and support workers in Oregon’s essential industries, such as nurses (House Bill 4003), behavioral health workers (House Bill 4004), and child care providers (House Bill 4005).
The bill passed the House 48-11 and now moves to the Senate.
Senate Bill 1579 A - The Equity Investment Act:
I was proud to vote for Senate Bill 1579 A, the Equity Investment Act, which passed the House of Representatives today. The bill establishes a program in Business Oregon to award grants to organizations helping increase access to capital, entrepreneurship supports, and land- and homeownership for disadvantaged Oregonians.
The bill will provide grants to organizations who serve Oregonians facing specific economic risk factors, including living in a rural area or having experienced racial or ethnic discrimination. Studies have shown that people of color have significantly lower rates of wealth accumulation compared to white people with similar incomes. People living and working in rural communities also face specific barriers to accessing capital and building wealth.
The bill passed the House 40-19 and now heads to the Governor for her signature.
Senate Bill 1543 A - Universal Legal Representation
Today I voted along with my colleagues to approve Senate Bill 1543 A, which will establish the Universal Representation Fund in the State Treasury to provide a statewide, integrated, universal navigation and representation system for immigration matters.
Access to an attorney results in fewer unlawful and unnecessary deportations for immigrants who have a lawful right to be here, destabilizing families and disrupting local economies. Currently, few Oregonians facing immigration court can afford lawyers, and as a result, they are often unable to mount a strong defense, even if they have good legal grounds for remaining in Oregon.
Senate Bill 1543 appropriates $10.5 million to the newly created Universal Representation Fund, and $4.5 million for the Oregon State Bar’s Legal Services Program to provide legal services to individuals on immigration matters. The State Bar program will work with the three Oregon law schools (University of Oregon, Willamette, Lewis & Clark) to incentivize Oregon students to stay within the state to work on immigration law.
The Universal Representation Fund is a statewide program that will embed qualified community-based organizations to act as navigators that would guide Oregonians at risk of deportation into the program, supported by a statewide call center. Attorney fellows would be embedded at community-based organizations throughout the state, providing legal services to community members at culturally accessible locations including affirmative services such as DACA renewals, naturalization and legalization services.
The fund will provide client service support to ensure that court-related costs, like filing fees and interpretation, would not be a barrier to accessing representation. Community members will be empowered to choose their legal representative, a choice often denied to those accessing free resources.
SB 1543 passed the House 38-21 and now heads to the Governor’s desk for signing.
LEARN ABOUT OUR PRIORITITES
Legislative Education Budget to Make Urgent, $300,000,000, Investment in Summer Learning and Keeping Students in the Classroom
As a former teacher of 42 years, and a current Speech and Debate Coach, I believe it is essential we work to provide our children a quality education. Please see the below updates to learn about our efforts to do just that.
Summer Learning: We need to make sure schools stay open five days a week and that we’re helping our kids and students over the summer with further enrichment and learning programs.
The 2022 Summer Learning Package is a $150 million investment, included in the broader education funding package, and will create grants for school districts and community organizations to provide summer learning programs and activities. These grants will be directed through three specific investments:
- Summer K-8 Enrichment Grants, funding enrichment activities, academic learning, and mental health support for kids.
- Summer High School Academic Grants, supporting summer school programs that help high school students stay on track for graduation.
- Summer Community Activity Grants, helping our community partners provide new or existing summer activities such as day camps, park programs, and tutoring.
Additional programs may be included as details are finalized. More information about this package will be available during the final week of the 2022 legislative session.
Addressing Oregon’s Education Workforce Shortage (House Bill 4030/SB 1522): Oregon’s educators work tirelessly to provide our students with the best possible education. Unfortunately, schools are experiencing a severe shortage of staff, driven in part by the pandemic.
To address this shortage, the funding package includes a significant investment in Oregon’s education workforce to increase the number of Oregon teachers, substitutes, and other school staff. This new funding will set up a new recruitment and retention grant program to support the hiring of new school staff and address burnout. Another grant program will be established to reimburse substitute teachers and instructional assistants for the cost of their training.
Supporting Wildfire-Impacted School Districts (House Bill 4026): The devastating 2020 wildfire season burned over a million acres and destroyed thousands of Oregon homes and businesses. Many of the families who were displaced by these fires have been unable to return to their communities. As a result, several of the school districts in these wildfire-impacted communities experienced a sharp drop in enrollment, which resulted in a considerable decrease in their overall funding.
The education funding package sends additional resources to these school districts to ensure their funding remains stable over the next several years. This support will allow them to continue operating and providing essential services for displaced families as communities rebuild.
SCHOOL UPDATES
As we head into the Spring, it is important to keep up with updates from our schools, so please take some time to read the letters from both the Forest Grove and Hillsboro School Districts below.
Superintendent Parker's Weekly Message:
Dear FGSD Families,
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced they will lift statewide mask requirements for indoor public spaces and Oregon’s schools on March 11th. After that time, mask requirements will be a local decision.
Earlier this month, OHA announced that the K-12 mask rule would be lifted on March 31. However, current modeling from Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) indicates that hospitalizations will fall below 400 or fewer Oregonians per day by March 11th, a level the state experienced before the arrival of the Omicron variant in Oregon.
Based on current guidance, the district’s intention is to allow masks to be optional for most students and staff indoors once the state-level mandate is lifted. We do anticipate that there will be instances where masking will be required based on the needs of individual students. This could include students in medically fragile classrooms and other specialized settings, among others.
As we move to make masking optional, we will continue to strongly encourage mask wearing indoors, as well as vaccination and booster shots for all eligible persons. The district will continue to implement our layered safety protocols of increased ventilation, portable air filtration systems in all classrooms, cleaning and sanitizing. Masks will continue to be required for all students who ride the bus. The transportation mask requirement is a Federal mandate.
Respectfully,
Dave Parker
Superintendent
CHILD-RELATED 2021 TAX CREDITS
You might receive a tax refund even if you’re not required to file. For more information on tax credits please visit www.irs.gov to check out the interactive Advance Child Tax Credit Eligibility Assistant and learn more about the Earned Income Tax. You may also qualify for no-cost tax preparation and filing assistance at a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA). Visit www.irs.gov/VITA or call 1-800-906-9887 to find a site near you.
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Celebrating Women’s History Month:
March is Women’s History Month, a time to recognize the many contributions that women have made to the fabric of American History.
Women’s History Month was first celebrated in 1981 as Women’s History Week but became a month-long observance in 1987. We celebrate to remind ourselves of the accomplishments of women and to reflect on the trailblazing women who led the way for change. Studying the tenacity, courage, and creativity of historic women provides a sense of strength, value, and identifiable role models for all of our students.
This March, we encourage you and your family to plan activities throughout the month that promote learning about unique women who have made tremendous impacts on our history. We also encourage you to learn more about women’s history, accomplishments, and experiences; commemorate women’s stories; and celebrate women’s achievements.
Older students should also take this opportunity to dive a little deeper into the role played by intersectionality. While women from all racial and ethnic backgrounds have contributed significantly to women’s equality, their experiences cannot be equated with one another’s. White women’s history in the U.S. looks different from that of Black women’s history, which is different from that of Latina women, Asian women, American Indian women, and so on. The same is true for women of varying abilities, gender identities, sexualities, etc. Taking the time to examine the circumstances and the context within which important women in history have operated will lead to a richer understanding of where we are today.
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Students/Staff Support Day:
There will be no school for all students on Friday, March 4, which is a student and staff support day. Reminder for high school students: A/B days are not affected by the day off - they will remain as scheduled. School resumes for all students on Monday, March 7.
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District Seeks Student Representatives to School Board:
Rising juniors and seniors at Century, Liberty, and Hillsboro Online Academy are eligible to apply for Student Representative positions on the School Board by Friday, April 1st. You can read more here.
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Kinder Registration Now Open:
As of March 1st, Kinder registration is open for the 2022-2023 school year. You can view the page linked here to find more information about the application and Kinder Fairs.
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COVID-19 UPDATES
COVID-19 by the Numbers:
OHA reported 741 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. on 3/2/22, bringing the state total to 694,649.
There are 26 new COVID-19-related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 6,648, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. on 3/2/22.
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COVID-19 Hospitalizations:
The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 460, which is 19 fewer than yesterday. There are 74 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is 10 fewer than 3/1/22.
There are 106 available adult ICU beds out of 655 total (16% availability) and 383 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,280 (9% availability).
Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.
Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain. You can find a test here. If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.
More information about hospital capacity can be found here.
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Oregon will lift mask mandate March 11th at 11:59 PM
Oregon will end its indoor mask mandate on March 11th. Governor Kate Brown announced on Monday, February 28th, that Oregon, California and Washington would lift their mandates simultaneously at 11:59 p.m. March 11th. The new date includes ending mask mandates in schools, making mask mandates decided by individual school districts and parents. The order will affect over 51.2 million people across the coast, about 15% of the national population.
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Sensory-friendly clinics make COVID-19 vaccines accessible to all:
For children with intellectual or developmental disabilities, crowded and noisy vaccination events can cause emotional distress and even physical discomfort. That’s why The Arc of Lane County, a nonprofit advocacy group for the disabled community, decided to organize sensory-friendly vaccination events. Kids can come to a calm and quiet environment to feel safe and relaxed when getting their COVID-19 vaccination. Read on for more.
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VACCINE INFORMATION
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Sessions:
Families interested in learning more about COVID-19 vaccines are invited to attend one of two upcoming virtual Vaccine Information Sessions hosted by OHSU. First is a session in Spanish from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 3; next is a session in English on Tuesday, March 15.
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Washington County Vaccination Sites:
Washington County's Mobile Vaccination Van: The van is traveling the county to make it easier for people to get the vaccine close to where they live or shop. Find the schedule here.
Tektronix (starting Thursday, November 11): This clinic will offer all three vaccines, including boost and pediatric doses. Located at 14200 SW Karl Braun Drive (inside Building 58) in Beaverton. Hours are Monday through Friday from 12-6 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Walk-in only, no appointments.
Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Centers: All vaccination events are open to the community, do not require an appointment, and do not require you to be a Virginia Garcia patient. You do not have to have insurance in order to receive a vaccine. If you have insurance, please bring your card with you. Remember, vaccines are free!
Beaverton Resource Center: This clinic on Fridays takes place inside the Beaverton Resource Center, 13565 SW Walker Road. Visit Project Access Now's website to make an appointment. All three vaccines are available, including boosters and third doses. This site is currently not offering the pediatric Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11. NO CLINIC on December 24, December 31 or January 14.
Paisanos Plaza: This clinic operates every Sunday from 1-5 p.m. It is organized by Oregon Health Authority and Vive NW and offers all vaccines and boosters. It is located at 966 SE Oak Street in Hillsboro. No appointments, ID or health insurance required. Questions? Call the Vive NW hotline at 844-291-4970.
Centro Cultural Clinic: On Saturdays at 1110 N. Adair Street in Cornelius.
Local pharmacies: As of April 27, 2021, pharmacies are required to offer second/boost doses to people who received their first dose somewhere else.
AROUND WASHINGTON COUNTY
Celebrating 50 Years of Centro Cultural!
Centro Cultural will be hosting their Gala de Cultura to celebrate the success of the organization on its 50th Anniversary. I am proud to frequently work with the amazing community members at Centro Cultural and I am proud of all the essential support Centro gives to our community, so please join me in celebrating this momentous milestone! At their Gala de Cultura, Centro will host a virtual celebration with a live chat. If you are unable to attend the live virtual event, you can send a donation or participate in their online auction.
Gala de Cultura - Friday, March 4th, at 7:00pm (pre-show at 6:00pm)
Click here to view the livestream or participate in the auction.
EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN AGAIN
Oregon Housing and Community Services has started accepting new applications again for the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
This will be a limited reopening for three to five weeks, depending on the availability of funds. Households with the most need will have priority in accessing resources, not a first-come, first-served basis.
New applications will be processed after applications received before December 1st. Tenants who apply on or after January 26th may receive safe harbor protections that prevent landlords from evicting tenants until their application is processed. However, those tenants should expect a delay prior to processing and payment.
More information is linked here.
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WILDFIRE RECOVERY
OEM has put together this list of contacts to help speed up the process of replacing these documents:
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Green cards: Phone (800)-375-5283; Website: www.uscis.gov
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Medicare cards: Phone: (800)-772-1213; (TTY) (800)-325-0778 Website: www.medicare.gov
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Military records Phone: 866-272-6272 Website: www.archives.gov/contact/
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Passport Phone: 877-487-2778; (TTY) 888-874-7793 Website: travel.state.gov
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Social Security card Phone: 800-772-1213; (TTY) 800-325-0778 Website: www.ssa.gov
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U.S. Savings Bonds Phone: 844-284-2676 Website: www.treasurydirect.gov
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U.S. tax returns Phone: 800-829-1040 Website: www.irs.gov
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Birth, death, marriage, domestic partnership, divorce certificates Phone: 888-896-4988 Website: www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Birthdeathcertificates
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Driver’s license, auto titles and registration, ID cards Phone: 503-945-5000 Website: www.oregon.gov/odot
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SNAP (Oregon Trail Card) Website: www.oregon.gov/DHS/Assistance/Food-Benefits
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State taxes (Oregon Dept. of Revenue) Phone: 503-378-4988 or 800-356-4222 TTY: All relay calls are accepted. Website: www.oregon.gov/dor
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Real estate and property - Contact your county government.
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Credit cards - Contact your credit card company directly.
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Credit reports from Equifax, Experian, TransUnion Phone: 877-322-8228 Website: www.annualcreditreport.com
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Insurance documents - Check with your insurance agent.
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Medical records - Call your doctor or your medical insurance company; medical and prescription records are tracked electronically.
The Governor’s office has put together a Wildfire Resources page that you can access from the Governor’s home page. It has links to many of the most important updates about the status of fires and resources for evacuees. This website will be updated regularly.
Legal Resources: Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Program, Oregon lawyers, through the Oregon State Bar, are partnering with FEMA and the American Red Cross to provide legal assistance on FEMA claims, contract claims, insurance claims, landlord-tenant matters and more.
The Department of Forestry’s Wildfire Response and Recovery Overview has ongoing updates about firefighting efforts, damage reports, and more.
FEMA Updates: FEMA has provided several different Fact Sheets and resources for accessing benefits, determining eligibility and avoiding scams.
VETERANS RESOURCES
Washington County Veterans Resources
American Legion Post 104: (503) 642-4907
American Legion Post 006: (503) 648-7191
Washington County Disability, Aging, and Veteran Services: (503) 846- 3060
Hillsboro VA Clinic: (503) 906-5000
Paws Assisting Veterans: info@paveusa.org
Veterans of Foreign Wars: (503) 895- 1342
Hillsboro Elks Lodge: (503) 648- 1862
Rock Creek Veteran Resources | Veteran Resources at PCC : (971) 722-7743 or 7744
Veterans Support | Pacific University
Mental Health Services:
- Washington County Crisis Line | 503-291-9111
- Crisis Text Line | Text “Connect” to 741741
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline | 1-800-273-8255
- Trevor Lifeline | 1-866-488-7386
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Employers and Employees:
The following list of resources is from Oregon’s Secretary of State’s Office. The fastest way to get in touch with the SOS team is by emailing business.sos@oregon.gov, using the “Need Help?” button found on most state agency websites or visiting www.oregon.gov/smallbusiness.
Education Links:
Local Government:
Utilities Assistance:
Food and Housing Assistance:
Yours truly,
 Representative Susan McLain
House District 29
email: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1429
address: 900 Court St NE, H-376, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain
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