Hello and Welcome to House District 48!

Xin chào và Chào mừng đến với House District 48!

---

In This Newsletter:

1. Legislative Updates
2. Good News from the Capitol!
3. Community Outreach
4. Stay Connected

---

Hello Community,

The 2023 Legislative Session has come to a close. Despite the ups and downs that we have all experienced with the Senate Walkouts, I am proud to see that the legislative body was able to accomplish some real wins for our state. What is even more impressive is that 90% of the bills passed were bi-partisan. I hope you are able to rest this summer with loved ones, and I will be as well. I also plan on continuing the work in the interim with my team and colleagues in the legislature to continue getting more important work done for our state. I am pleased to share our collective wins with you in this newsletter.

We would like to welcome our constituents, YOU, to use this form to submit ideas for future bills. Note: the deadline to have bills drafted for this session has already passed, so your suggestions would be taken into consideration for next year’s short session and beyond. However, we look forward to hearing your ideas on how we can build a better Oregon.

---

Rep. Nguyen’s Legislative Wins!!!!

The Transportation Options Bill AKA the Bike Bus Bill! HB3014 will give school districts the ability to pay for alternative transportation needs out of their existing transportation budgets, with some guidelines.

HB 3014 recognizes the flexibility schools need to meet the unforeseen challenges in getting students to school safely and on time. As we struggle to serve our students equitably, schools have to combine resources where they can to ensure students are getting the most out of their education, and that doesn't stop inside the classroom.

That is why I am proud to be a co-chief sponsor with Rep Khanh Pham, Rep Courtney Neron, and Rep Greg Smith on the School Transportation Options Bill.

Thank you to our partners Coach Sam Balto East Multnomah County Schools, Oregon Walks, and OSEA (Oregon School Employees Association).

Our office will continue to work with our partners and the Oregon Department of Education to ensure that it meets the needs of our local school districts.

---

 

 

House Bill 3144 will address educational disparities and support Pacific Islander students.

The Senate passed House Bill 3144, the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Student Success Plan, addressing the academic opportunity gap hurting Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NH/PI) students.

The bill now heads to the Governor's desk.

Across the state, NH/PI students in Oregon are experiencing unacceptable education disparities.

The Oregon Department of Education reports that NH/PI students have the second highest drop rates among all races in Oregon and the highest rate of chronic absenteeism.

"We know that Oregon's cultural diversity is one of our greatest assets. This bill is not only a critical investment in education, but an acknowledgment that we see Pacific Islander students and recognize the assets they bring into our classrooms and communities," said Representative Hoa Nguyen (D-East Portland and Damascus), chief sponsor of the bill. The bill invests $2.1 million dollars in the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Student Success Plan and will provide targeted interventions to improve access to educational opportunities of Oregon's NH/PI students. This will address the disproportionate rate of disciplinary incidents of NH/PI students, increase parental engagement, encourage NH/PI students to join after-school activities, and improve literacy levels of NH/PI students at the K-3 levels.

The plan joins four other Student Success Plans aimed at improving the experiences and outcomes of students from historically underserved communities. Oregon is now the first state in the country to target education resources towards NH/PI communities. "With 12,000 students, Oregon has one of the largest Pacific Islander populations in the country. As this number grows, we must work towards an equitable educational system that is shaped by and serves our community," finished Nguyen. The bill passed 50-7 in the House and 20-4 in the Senate.

---

 

 

HB 3383 - Classified Staff Representation 

 

Classified employees are the frontline experts who understand what the students are going through day to day. As such, they should have a voice on state policy boards and commissions alongside other educational professionals to provide insight on education policy, improve governance and keep Oregon public schools safe and functional for the students we serve. HB 3383 will add classified employees on the The 5 advisory boards:

• Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) 
• Educator Advancement Council (EAC)
• The Board of Education (BOE)
• Oregon Educator Benefits Board (OEBB)
• Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC)

 

Thank you to our partner OSEA (Oregon School Employees Association) for always championing! 

---

 

 

$850,000 for a Boring Community Center

There is a lack of community centers for our constituents in House District 48. Through a partnership with the Boring Oregon Foundation, our office was able to secure $850,000 for the Boring Oregon Foundation to purchase property for a community center that is located in HD48. We want to give a special appreciation to Steve Bates, President of the Boring, Oregon Foundation for his advocacy. 

 

 

---

Community Outreach

Boring-Damascus Grange Annual Strawberry Waffle Festival

Thank you Boring-Damascus Grange for inviting me to the Strawberry Waffle Festival, and thank you Schedeen Farms for providing the strawberries! I had a great time serving constituents their breakfast and proving the whipped cream! It was also a treat to see Representative Jeff Helfrich and Commissioner Paul Savas! This is a great tradition I can get behind every year! The festival had a little bit of a hiccup last year because of the excessive rain drowning the strawberries. Glad to see that it wasn’t the case this year!

 

Ribbon Cutting for Cascadia Health Centennial Place

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to attend the ribbon cutting event of the Centennial Place Affordable Housing located right in the heart of East Portland in HD48.

Centennial Place includes 71 units of affordable housing, 18 of which have a rental preference for individuals living with mental illness and who have no or very low income, and 53 units reserved for low-income families with youth who are homeless or at risk of being homeless and who are currently enrolled in the Centennial School District.

All residents have access to Cascadia resources and a full-time community manager who lives onsite, one part-time resident services coordinator, and one part-time peer wellness specialist-each engage residents and connect them to other community resources and promotes a positive and welcoming culture within the building.

Portland Business Alliance Walking Tour

Earlier in June, I was invited by the Portland Business Alliance for a Walking Tour of businesses in downtown Portland. I was joined by my colleagues in the Legislature to speak with business owners and managers about their experiences of being a business owner in downtown Portland. I would like to give a shout out to the business owners and their businesses a shout out in this newsletter to thank them for their time! Thank you Ryan of the Woodlark Hotel for sharing your experiences as a hotel manager in Portland for the last 20 years. Thank you Alhiref of Amity Artisan Goods for sharing your space and products. Thank you ro Kamelah of Mimi’s Fresh Tees PDX for your oh-so-stylish advocacy and support of the Black community in Portland. Thank you Cathy of Crafty Wonderland for sharing your space and consignment. And finally, thank you Katherine of Event Cosmetics for sharing your story of wanting to keep Portland small business culture alive in our city. The work you all do really reflects the beauty and culture of our city! As legislators, we have a lot of work to do with our business communities and it is always a pleasure to work with them.

2023 Legislative Session 

I have been working diligently as a Vice Chair on the Early Childhood and Human Services Committee, as a member of the House Education Committee, and as a member of the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education. 

---

Legislative Updates

HOUSE DEMOCRATS COMPLETE 2023 SESSION DELIVERING MAJOR VICTORIES FOR OREGONIANS

The Oregon Legislature has wrapped up the 82nd Legislative Session, marked by major victories for the state of Oregon. House Democrats delivered on every priority area in the Caucus’ Rebuilding for the Future agenda, which was created to respond to the issues Oregonians care about most, including housing and homelessness, public safety, behavioral health and addiction services, a fair economy with good paying jobs, access to reproductive health care, stronger schools, and more.

Despite set-backs, nearly 90% of the bills we passed had bipartisan support. Bipartisanship doesn’t mean we agree on everything, but it’s an important part of democracy. From child care to housing, semiconductors and tackling the opioid/fentanyl crisis, Democrats and Republicans did come together to deliver major victories for Oregonians.  

Of course, there is still work to be done. This session’s successes will help us achieve even more as we look to next year. As your legislator, I’m going to stay laser-focused on the issues we know Oregonians care about and continue to put in the work to pave the way for a better, stronger Oregon.

2023 Legislative Session Snapshot

Democrats passed hundreds of critical bills and investments this session. Among those, include:

Affordable Housing & Homelessness

Housing Supply and Stability Investment (SB 5511, SB 5505, HB 3395): Nearly $2 billion in investments, building on prior emergency investments. Funds construction of new affordable housing units.

Affordable Housing & Emergency Homelessness Response Package (HB 2001, HB 5019): $200 million investment helps shelter Oregonians living on the street, prevent more homelessness, and ramp up affordable housing production across the state. 

HB 2984: Allows local governments to convert commercial buildings to residential housing. 

HB 3395: Streamlines affordable housing production and increases homeownership opportunities, especially for BIPOC communities. 

SB 611: Rent stabilization for working families, keeping Oregonians housed. 

HB 3215: Establishes the Disaster Housing Recovery Fund to provide assistance to rebuild housing destroyed by a disaster. 

HB 2982: Allows Oregonians to recover 70% of value of lost property after a disaster. 

HB 3395: Reduces barriers to siting emergency shelters. 

Addiction Treatment & Behavioral Health 

Behavioral Health Care Delivery Investment (HB 2757, SB 5525, HB 5026, SB 5506) : Building off of the $1 billion invested in 2021-2022, $153 million this investment will help stabilize mobile crisis response funding and coordination between care centers and response systems so that Oregonians can receive the care they need. 

HB 2757: Critical, stable funding for the 9-8-8 Suicide Prevention & Behavioral Health Crisis Line to help Oregonians in need. 

HB 2395: Bipartisan Opioid Harm Reduction Package that will address the state’s fentanyl crisis and save lives by increasing access to naloxone. 

HB 2513: The Hope & Recovery Bill fixes Measure 110 implementation so that Oregonians struggling with addiction can receive the care they need and get on a path to recovery. 

HB 2645: Holds bad actors accountable through penalties for possession of fentanyl.

Community Safety 

Public Safety & Accountability Investment: A $4 billion investment to fund law enforcement, hold bad actors accountable, and give communities the safety and security they need. It includes an unprecedented $1.3 billion to fully fund the Oregon Department of Emergency Management.

SB 337: Addresses Oregon’s public defense crisis by ensuring an accountable, transparent, and efficient system so that Oregonians are afforded their right to representation. 

HB 2005: The Gun Violence Prevention Bill makes communities safer, helps law enforcement do their jobs, and respects responsible gun owners.

HB 3443: Further protects victims of bias crimes. 

HB 2316: Keeps Oregon’s roads safe by expanding our Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII) laws.

Climate & Environment

Climate Resilience Package Investment (HB 3409, HB 3630): Invests $90 million in community-focused and forward-looking solutions to increase our energy efficiency, keep Oregonians safe from extreme weather, maximizing federal funding opportunities, and build a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable energy system.

Drought & Water Investment (HB 2010): Invests $100 million in new and existing resources to ensure families, farms, and wildlife across Oregon have clean, safe water -- now and into the future.

  

Stronger Schools

Record K-12 Education Investment (HB 5015): Invests a historic $10.2 billion in the State School Fund, supporting Oregon’s K-12 students and educators.

HB 3198: Early Literacy Success Initiative – Invests $144.3 million to support evidence-based, culturally responsive literacy strategies in and outside of the classroom, setting up Oregon students for future academic success. 

SB 283: Addresses the shortage of educators in Oregon’s K-12 schools by strengthening workforces. 

HB 3005: Increases the availability of child care by creating a grant program to provide financial assistance to help build and open new child care programs. 

HB 3144: Invests $2.1 million in the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NH/PI) Student Success Plan, providing targeted interventions to improve access to educational opportunities and support for NH/PI students.

HB 5025: Higher Ed Opportunity Package - Invests $3.7 billion to ensure Oregonians seeking postsecondary education obtain high quality education. Includes $1 billion for the Public University Support Fund, $800 million for the Community College Support Fund, $308.4 million to the Oregon Opportunity Grant, and $24.2 million to the Tribal Student Grant program. 

Economic Development

Early Childhood Investment: A $172 million investment that addresses the cost-of-living crisis, helps reduce child poverty and supports systemic investments in happy, healthy families. Another $1.2 billion was invested in the Department of Early Learning and Childcare (DELC) to give the newly independent agency a stable foundation for its vital work.

HB 3235: Oregon Kids’ Credit - Helps struggling parents make ends meet and lifts families out of poverty with a child tax credit that will provide $1,000 a year, per child.

SB 4: Oregon CHIPS Act - Invests $260 million to secure Oregon as a global leader in the semiconductor industry, create good paying jobs, and boost our economy for generations to come.

HB 2009: Economic Incentives Modernization Package - Aligns Oregon’s tax incentive structure with Oregon values and bolsters our economy by creating a Research and Development tax credit, extending the Enterprise Zone Program, and updating the Strategic Investment Program.

HB: 3410 Rural Infrastructure and Economic Development Package - Revitalizes rural communities by investing $32.2 million in building critical infrastructure, bolstering key rural industries and sectors, and addressing workforce housing shortage. 

Consumer Protection

SB 619: Oregon Consumer Privacy Act - Empowers Oregonians to protect their privacy online, especially children under 15

HB 2759: Strengthens anti-robocall law to hold telemarketing companies liable for illegal robocalls. 

Access to Health Care

HB 2697: Ensures safe nursing staffing levels to support the wellbeing of our critical workers and provide quality care for all Oregonians.

HB 2725, SB 192: Creates regulation and transparency for pharmacy benefit managers, the middle person of the pharmaceutical industry, to decrease the cost of drugs for Oregonians and protect small pharmacies.

HB 2574: Improves access to life-saving HIV-preventment treatment, PEP.

SB 1089: Creates the Universal Health Plan Governance Board to develop a comprehensive, flexible system for providing every Oregonian with affordable health care.

Reproductive Health

HB 2002: Reproductive Health & Access to Care Act restores the abortion rights Oregonians had under Roe v. Wade, expands insurance coverage for gender-affirming care, and protects Oregon medical providers' ability to give the best, most appropriate care to their patients.

Strengthening Democracy

HB 2004: Establishes a plan for implementing Ranked Choice Voting, which ensures voters have more of a say in who they want to represent them. 

HB 2038: Closes a longstanding loophole that allowed some politicians to shield

the sources of their income from public disclosure. 

 

In the interim, House Democrats will continue to build off of the accomplishments from this session that will make Oregon a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

 

 

 

Making Oregon more affordable and driving down the cost of living for working families is a top priority for me this session. That’s why I’m proud to support Oregon’s first-ever Child Tax Credit.

This proposed $1000 tax credit per child will go to working parents struggling to make ends meet and will give families the breathing room, flexibility and stability they need to lead healthy, fulfilling lives

• The U.S. Census Bureau reported in 2022 that the 2021 expansion of the child tax credit resulted in 5.3 million Americans, including 2.9 million children, being lifted out of poverty. Investing in child care and early learning means healthier, happier kids and families.

This is part of Democrats’ $172 million Early Childhood Budget framework, which will address the cost-of-living crisis, help reduce child poverty and support systemic investments in happy, healthy families.

Working families are the backbone of our economy. It’s time we make sure they have the support they need to put food on the table, keep a roof over their heads, and afford daily essentials. These investments will help do just that.

 

 

Democrats Respond to the Climate Crisis, Drive Down Cost of Living

 

I’m proud to say that House Democrats have passed the Climate Resilience Package. This supports vibrant, sustainable local economies, creates jobs, protects from extreme heat, wildfire, and drought, brings down greenhouse gas emissions, and drives down costs of living for families across Oregon. 

Climate-fueled extreme heat, drought, and wildfires have devastated the lives and livelihoods of Oregonians, destroying entire communities, threatening our local economies, and worsening public health outcomes across the state. By investing roughly $100 million in crucial climate action and community resilience, this package leverages at least 10 times that–$1 billion–in federal funding. 

With Oregon families struggling to pay their energy bills and extreme weather an unfortunate inevitability, we cannot afford to leave hundreds of millions of dollars on the table to improve the lives and livelihoods of Oregonians across the state. The Climate Resilience Package will help ensure that doesn’t happen. 

The sooner we enact this, the faster we can translate these investments into near-term, meaningful benefits for everyday Oregon families, businesses, and workers. 

---

The swearing-in ceremony marks my official representation of the new HD48 boundaries, which includes South East Portland and Damascus areas from Kelly Butte to Powell Butte, and Barton to Carver.

While most of the Capitol building is under construction, some parts of the building will be open to the public, including committee meetings and legislative offices. All committee meetings are available (as always) for virtual viewing on the Oregon Legislative Information Site (OLIS). Members of the public can make their voices heard by submitting written testimony or by signing up for virtual or in-person testimony. You can read more about opportunities for public engagement on the Oregon Legislative website. 

---

Stay Connected! 

• Facebook @RepHoaNguyen
• Instagram @Rep.HoaNguyen
• Twitter @Rep_HoaNguyen
• TikTok @StateRepHoaNguyen

You can get in touch with me directly by visiting or connecting through: 

• My Legislative Website
• Email at Rep.HoaNguyen@oregonlegislature.gov
• Call our office at 503-986-1448
• Visit my office in the House Chambers on the fourth floor, H-473

---

Trong cộng đồng,

In Community,

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1448

Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-281, Salem, OR 97301

Email: Rep.HoaNguyen@oregonlegislature.gov

Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/nguyen

---

---