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Friends and Neighbors,
Legislative Updates
Bill Updates - SB 548 and SCR 6 are moving forward!
- This week, SB 548 had a work session in the Senate Human Services committee and passed unanimously. The Dignity Through Duffels bill will have the Oregon Department of Human Services procure, distribute and maintain an inventory of appropriate luggage carriers for child welfare case workers to use when transporting the personal effects of a foster child, including when the foster child is entering into or transitioning or exiting from foster care. This policy will further solidify that trash bags should never be an option. SB 548 moves next to the Senate Floor.
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SCR 6, to honor the life and service of Ralph Davis Brown, has passed unanimously out of the House Rules Committee. It will move next to the House Floor.
This Week's Testimonies
Week 7 Committee Snaps
Joint Committee on Semiconductors
- Public Hearings were held on SB 4: Directs Oregon Business Development Department to develop grant and loan program to support businesses applying for financial assistance under Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America Act of 2022.
Informational hearings were held on Large Site Opportunity and public testimony was heard.
This week, Governor Kotek announced the Semiconductor Manufacturing and Research Grant Program. This new $1 million grant program aims to help small and mid-sized Oregon businesses prepare competitive applications for CHIPS & Science Act funding. Funded through Business Oregon’s Strategic Reserve Fund, eligible companies will be able to apply for up to $50,000 in grant funding to support costs associated in preparing an application, including third part costs or professional services.
Business Oregon is now developing the final rules and processes for Oregon’s Semiconductor Manufacturing and Research Grant Program. Updates, parameters, and application materials will be posted on the following webpage: https://www.oregon.gov/biz/programs/SRF_semiconductor/Pages/default.aspx
The Federal Government has released information regarding the CHIPS Act. CHIPS funding will promote U.S. leadership in chipmaking, strengthen the semiconductor supply chain, and advance U.S. economic and national security. Achieving these goals requires a robust commitment to protecting taxpayer resources. The CHIPS Program Office will implement a number of safeguards to ensure that companies that receive funding are holding up their end of the bargain.
Tour of Hewlett Packard and OSU - ATAMI
Yesterday, I went with fellow colleagues on a tour of the Hewlett Packard campus in Corvallis and Oregon State University's Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Institute (ATAMI). We discussed how the CHIPS Act and SB 4 would impact the future of HP and Oregon.
 Senate Committee on Energy and Environment
Public hearings were heard on the following bills:
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SB 443: Requires electric companies to reimburse qualified customers up to $250 for purchase price of backup power source when power shutoff is likely to occur and power shutoff will likely last for eight or more hours.
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SB 444: Directs Department of Environmental Quality to establish Recycling Innovators Grant Program.
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SB 546: Requires Oregon Health Authority to adopt and maintain list of designated high priority chemicals of concern used in cosmetic products and to periodically review and revise list.
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SB 803: Establishes standard for carbon intensity and other characteristics of diesel fuel used in on-road motor vehicles.
An informational hearing was held on Renewable Diesel: Opportunities for Oregon.
Follow the links to watch the hearings or learn more about the proposed bills.
Senate Committee on Housing and Development
Public hearings were heard on the following bills:
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SB 601: Requires owners of multifamily rental housing to offer right of first refusal to tenants who form tenant committee and membership entity.
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SB 603: Establishes People's Housing Assistance Fund Demonstration Program, administered by Department of Human Services, to provide 12 monthly payments of $1,000 to individuals who are experiencing homelessness, are at risk of homelessness, are severely rent burdened or earn at or below 60 percent of area median income.
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SB 937: Requires Housing and Community Services Department to make grants to nonprofit institutions to provide low-interest loans to purchasers of homes with limited equity.
Work sessions were held for the following bills:
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SB 437: Allows production of food in planned community by lot owners and their tenants.
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SB 935: Prohibits landlords from denying application for tenancy based on certain rental or financial screening or admissions criteria if applicant is refugee from Ukraine.
Follow the links to watch the hearings or learn more about the proposed bills.
Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Public Safety
Informational hearings were held and public testimony was heard on:
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SB 5514: Department of Justice Budget Bill
Work Session were held on the following:
Week 7 - Oregon State Capitol Visits in the halls and in #S207 (Your Senate District 15 Capitol office)
Housing and Community Updates
Taking Action: Affordable Housing & Homelessness
Not even 40 days into session and we are off and running! I know that affordable housing and homelessness are some of the most pressing issues impacting my district, and the entire state. This week we announced the Affordable Housing and Emergency Homelessness Response Package. This is a major $200 million investment that will deliver bold and effective relief, connecting people experiencing homelessness with the resources they need, preventing more folks from becoming homeless, and building more affordable homes for our working families. My colleagues, Senator Kayse Jama (D) and Senator Dick Anderson (R), worked very hard with our House colleagues to bring this forward. We know Oregonians need relief now, so we’re making the unprecedented push to have this on the Governor’s desk by mid-March.
Here’s what this package achieves:
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Funds the Governor’s Homelessness State of Emergency: This $130 million investment funds the Governor’s emergency declaration and allows state agencies to unleash an urgent and coordinated response to address homelessness.
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Invests in rural and coastal communities: The homelessness crisis is impacting every corner of the state. Our plan invests $25 million in the Rural Oregon Continuum of Care so that the response on the ground reaches rural and coastal Oregon.
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Prevents evictions that can lead to homelessness: Our plan provides renters faced with eviction for non-payment with more time to access Rental Assistance and other services that will help them stay in their homes. A compromise between tenant advocates and landlords, the amended bill lengthens the eviction timeline to 10 days and includes a right of redemption.
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Provides critical support for homeless youth. Youth homelessness is the number one predictor of adult homelessness. Our plan invests $25 million in critical support to some of Oregon’s most vulnerable youth and families, connecting them with rental assistance, shelter facilities, outreach, culturally-specific services, mental health or substance abuse services, other transitional options, and more.
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Makes building affordable housing our #1 priority: After more than 50 years of deprioritizing housing production, the Affordable Housing and Emergency Homelessness Response Package makes structural changes to Oregon’s land use system that place affordable housing as the number one priority for local governments, special districts, and state agencies.
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Ramps up the production of affordable modular housing made right here in Oregon. Our plan invests $20 million in the production of affordable modular homes using Oregon mass timber and other conventional materials to support our state’s homegrown industries and create good paying family wage jobs.
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Creates innovative financing models to build housing for middle class families. The Revolving Loan Fund ($3 million) supports local governments and developers in building affordable housing for middle class and working families, like teachers, construction and health care workers, and other family wage jobs.
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Improves on-site workforce housing for farmworkers. Responding to the needs of Oregon’s agricultural producers, the package provides grants ($5 million) for farmers to improve the health and safety conditions of existing on-site housing for farmworkers.
Emergency Benefits Ending for SNAP
Shared from Oregon Health Authority
During the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), the federal government extended health coverage, services and supports for people with disabilities and older adults, and provided extra food benefits, along with other regulatory flexibilities. The flexibilities and temporary programs will end as the federal COVID-19 PHE phases out.
What you can do now
Please keep your contact information up to date so you get important messages about keeping the benefits you qualify for.
Click here to learn how to check and update your information online, over the phone, or in-person for:
- Oregon Health Plan (OHP)
- Medicare Savings Program (MSP)
- Services and supports for people with disabilities and older adults
- SNAP food benefits
Watch for and open mail from the state and respond to any requests for information quickly.
Courtesy Notice: OHP and Medicare Savings Program (MSP) members should have received a courtesy notice in the Fall of 2022 asking them to make sure their contact information is correct. If you did not receive a letter at the end of October 2022, we do not have your most up to date contact information. Please click here to update your contact information. On the same page, you can see copies of the mailed letters in multiple languages.
SNAP Notice: SNAP households who received the COVID-19 emergency food benefits were mailed a notice between January 23 and February 6, 2023. The notice explains that February 2023 is the last month they will receive emergency food benefits. In March 2023, SNAP households will return to receiving their regular monthly SNAP benefit amounts issued between the 1st and 9th of each month.
OHP Renewal Notice: OHP members will receive a renewal notice between the dates of April 2023 and January 2024 notifying them of their eligibility status. If additional information is needed, members will have 60 days to respond.
Oregonians can find food at Oregon Food Bank’s “Food Finder” at www.oregonfoodfinder.org/ to find your local food bank or pantry. For more information click here.
 
Intern Corner
March is Women's History Month
Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture, and society and has been observed annually in the month of March in the United States since 1987. Women’s History Month is a dedication to women’s often overlooked achievements. Abigail Adams was the first woman to serve as the second lady and the second woman to serve as the first lady of the United States. Susan B. Anthony fought for equal pay and the rights of labor and was one of the most visible leaders during the women's suffrage movement. Sojourner Truth was a former slave who became an outspoken advocate for abolition, temperance, and civil and women's rights. Rosa Parks occupies an iconic status in the civil rights movement after she refused to vacate a seat on a bus in favor of a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. Women have been doing amazing things since the beginning of time and Women’s History Month is a great time to celebrate their achievements.
Anna Kindley
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Hillsboro Schools Foundation Annual Gala
By Aron Carleson, Hillsboro Schools Foundation, Executive Director
The Hillsboro Schools Foundation held it’s 23rd annual Gala on February 25, 2023. The MET (Making Education Transformative) Gala raised a record of over $200,000 this year. It’s the first time back in person since 2020 and a great time was had by all. The Kindergarten through sixth grade career kits were the highlight of the event and thanks to this great night, more kits are on their way. HSF raises funds for innovative programs that government budget dollars can’t fund. In it’s past 23 years, HSF has given more than $5 million for programs in the Hillsboro School District. Thanks to Senator Sollman for your great support and for being our Emcee for a record 4th time!
Additional Resources
What’s happening around town in Senate District 15? – Event Calendars
Federal Delegation Links
Education Links
Food and Housing Assistance
 Be good to yourself and each other. ❤
Onward & Upward,
Senate District 15 lies on Kalapuya land. The Atfalati were the northernmost band of the Kalapuya that lived along the Tualatin River in present day Washington County. Many of the Atfalati descendants are members of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon today. The Indigenous Peoples of this land experienced a painful history of colonial violence, sickness and removal from their land. The Atfalati are the foundation of Oregon’s past and we must honor them well into our future.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1715
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-207, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Sen.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman
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