Wishing You a Happy and Safe New Year!

You can read our previous newsletters here.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I wish you and yours well and that you are enjoying the holiday season! I love that we have so many meaningful celebrations in December, from Christmas to Hanukkah to Kwanzaa. No matter what you celebrate or what your beliefs or value systems are, I hope you have been able to spend meaningful time with loved ones.

I took a few days off to spend time with my family for Christmas activities and am feeling rested and energized for the new year ahead! 2024 promises to be a busy, exciting, and productive year for all of us, and my colleagues and I are looking forward to the 2024 Legislative Session that begins on February 5th. Prior to the Session starting, we have much to do in the next two weeks to prepare, including Legislative Days, January 10-12, and finalizing and filing our personal bills by January 12th. Next week's newsletter will have more information on how you can follow our committee hearings during Legislative Days. Please have a safe and happy New Year's celebration!  I look forward to the start of the new year and all the possibilities it can bring.

WHAT YOU'll FIND IN THIS WEEK'S NEWSLETTER:

Reps. McLain and Neron meeting on Education and Transportation policies!

NEW LAWS TAKING EFFECT ON JANUARY 1, 2024

Important, new laws passed by the Oregon Legislature will take effect on New Year’s Day. These policies will directly address many of the most urgent challenges facing our state and positively impact the day-to-day lives of Oregonians, covering everything from responding to the drug crisis to converting commercial buildings to housing, expanding our nursing workforce, and more.

A selection of the new laws going into effect on January 1, 2024 is available below. More information about legislation passed in 2023 can be found here.

Bills Relating to the Drug Crisis:

Improving Implementation of Voter-Approved Measure 110 (House Bill 2513): HB 2513, the bipartisan Hope and Recovery Bill, strengthens and improves voter-approved Measure 110 (The Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act) implementation. This will help connect Oregonians struggling with addiction with the care they need and put them on a path to recovery. 

The Hope and Recovery bill works to make sure addiction and treatment services are available to all Oregonians by:

• Bolstering staffing and streamlining application processes to speed up approval and get funds out the door;
• Centralizing the support hotline to get people connected to services more efficiently; and
• Ensuring accountability by improving collection and accuracy of Measure 110 program data.

Educating Oregon’s Youth About the Dangers of Fentanyl (Senate Bill 238): SB 238 directs the Oregon Health Authority, State Board of Education, and Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission to develop curricula that teaches students about the dangers of synthetic opioids and laws that provide immunity or other protections related to drug or alcohol use.

Preventing Opioid Overdose Deaths (Senate Bill 1043): SB 1043 requires health care and drug treatment facilities to provide two doses of opioid overdose reversal medicine and related medical supplies upon discharge to patients who were there for treatment for opioid abuse. The bill also establishes civil liability protections to people who administer opioid overdose medication to a person experiencing an overdose. This bill was introduced at the request of Governor Tina Kotek by Senate President Rob Wagner.

Increasing Access to Addiction Treatment While In-Custody (Senate Bill 529): According to the Department of Corrections, 63% of Adults entering custody report having a substance use disorder, and 50% are classified as having a “severe” need for treatment. This bipartisan bill modifies the procedures of accepting participants into the current alternative incarceration program, requires intense addiction programs that address chronic disease, and includes a range of treatment services.

Bills Related to Public Health and Safety:

Preventing Organized Retail Theft (Senate Bill 340): Under SB 340, individuals convicted of organized retail theft will face harsher penalties. The new law will also amend and strengthen current statutes to allow law enforcement and prosecutors greater flexibility to detect, deter, and hold accountable those who commit organized retail theft. Finally, it will create more accountability for people who threaten retail workers while committing theft. SB 340 was developed by the Organized Retail Crime Task Force, which is made up of industry and labor stakeholders negatively impacted by organized retail crime. 

Mental Health Support for First Responders (House Bill 3426): HB 3426 requires 9-8-8 crisis hotline centers to have policies and train staff on serving firefighters and other first responders. First responders face some of the highest rates of suicide in Oregon, and across the nation. In fact, more police and firefighters die by suicide than die on the job. To address this disparity, it is vital that first responders have access to trauma-informed services delivered by providers who understand their unique challenges. HB 3426 will ensure that our statewide crisis line has trained and qualified staff ready to assist our emergency response personnel.

Expanding DUII to Include Influence of Any Impairing Drugs (House Bill 2316): HB 2316 keeps Oregon’s roads safe by expanding our Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII) laws. Currently, laws regarding convictions of DUII are treated differently depending on which statute you are charged under. This bill amends multiple statutes to reconcile felony DUII statutes governing repeated offenders and expands the offense of DUII to include the influence of any impairing drugs.

Bills Related to Housing:

Converting Commercial Buildings to Housing Within the UGB (House Bill 2984): To continue expanding our housing production, HB 2984 allows local governments to convert commercial buildings within the UGB to residential housing without requiring a zone change or condition use permit.

Improving Financing of Affordable Housing (House Bill 2761): Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) is responsible for the planning, development, and management of affordable housing projects. This bill expands OHCS’s ability to finance certain housing development portions for households earning at or below 120% of median area income.

Bills Related to the Economy and Affordability and Child Care:

Reducing Barriers for Early Learning Workforce (House Bill 2504): A report by the Oregon State University’s College of Public Health and Human Services released in 2019 found that early childhood professionals whose first language is not English are less likely to participate in the Oregon registry professional development system. This bill directs the Department of Early Learning and Care to develop standards and processes that reduce barriers for international early childhood professionals to enter the workforce.

Putting Money Back in Families’ Pockets with the Oregon Kids Credit (House Bill 3235): HB 3235 delivers much-needed relief to Oregon families struggling to make ends meet. This bill creates Oregon’s first-ever state-based child tax credit – a fully refundable $1,000 tax credit per child between the ages of 0 and 5 for families earning $30,000 or less. 55,000 children across Oregon will benefit from this credit, with a higher representation in rural communities and communities of color. 

*Oregon families can apply for this credit when they file their tax returns in 2024. More information about the Oregon Kids Credit and other tax benefits for families can be found here. Free tax preparation assistance resources can be found here.

Bills Related to Education:

Upgrading School HVAC Systems (House Bill 3031): HB 3031 works to improve air quality and eliminate airborne pathogens in schools around the state, keeping Oregon students and teachers safe and healthy. The bill will help Oregon schools receive federal funds to upgrade their HVAC systems, assess ventilation systems, place carbon dioxide monitors in each classroom, and submit a report on ventilation and carbon dioxide levels to a mechanical engineer for review. The districts will then implement any improvements recommended by the engineer.

Increasing Students’ Financial Literacy (Senate Bill 3): In 2022, a study from the Oregon Department of Education studied high school graduation requirements and made a recommendation that future planning credit requirements be added. Senate Bill 3 adds a half-credit for higher education and career path skills and a half-credit for personal financial education to graduation requirements starting in 2027.

Bills Related to Health Care

Training More Nurses (Senate Bill 523): SB 523 expands the number of institutions that can offer nursing degrees, especially in rural Oregon. It permits community colleges to offer Bachelor of Science, Nursing degrees in addition to applied bachelor's degrees. Community colleges may apply to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission for approval of the proposed BSN degree program.

Eliminating Costs for Breast Cancer Screenings (Senate Bill 1041): SB 1041 makes medically necessary breast cancer diagnostic imaging tests and supplemental breast exams free to patients by requiring commercial insurance plans to cover those costs. While the total cost of a mammogram is usually covered by insurance, further diagnostic testing such as an MRI or ultrasound is not. These diagnostic tests can cost up to thousands of dollars to patients, even though they are absolutely essential to identifying breast cancer. 

Bill Related to Environment and Wildfires:

Banning Use of Hazardous Polystyrene Food Containers (Senate Bill 543): SB 543 would prohibit the use of polystyrene foam containers and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in sales of prepared food. The ban was introduced in response to the significant negative impact that polystyrene has on the environment. Polystyrene manufacturing is the fifth largest source of industrial hazardous waste. Polystyrene takeout containers are non-biodegradable, meaning they can take hundreds of years to decompose. They are also a significant source of litter, and can easily break down into small, hazardous pieces that harm wildlife and pollute waterways.

Protecting Homeowners Impacted by Wildfires (Senate Bill 82): SB 82 makes clear that insurance companies may not cancel policies or increase premiums for homeowners based on the statewide wildfire risk map. It will also improve transparency on policy renewals and premium decisions related to wildfires by requiring insurers to tell homeowners how they can lower their premiums through home hardening or other wildfire mitigation.

Funding Firefighter Apprenticeships (House Bill 2294): HB 2294 appropriates $20 million to the Bureau of Labor and Industries to establish a grant program for local service districts and local joint committees to administer firefighter apprenticeship training pilot projects. It requires a report to the legislature by December 31, 2026.

OREGON TO GET MORE EV CHARGING STATIONS IN 2024

Oregon is planning to install hundreds of additional electric vehicle charging ports across rural parts of the state next year.

Drivers should see about 370 new electric vehicle charging ports across the state in 2024 as part of an Oregon Department of Transportation rebate program. The program reimburses some of the costs associated with buying and installing chargers at multi-family homes or public parks, according to ODOT.

The Community Charging Rebates program is part of ODOT’s $100 million push to get more electric vehicle charging stations along Oregon’s roads in the next five years.

Some of the first-round recipients included Mt. Hood Meadows, the city of Bend, the Inn at Cannon Beach and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

I-5 BRIDGE PROJECT WINS $600M FEDERAL GRANT

I am so pleased to write that the Interstate Bridge Replacement program (IBR) has been awarded $600 million in U.S. Department of Transportation Mega Program funding. Funds from this federal grant will help construct the multimodal program to replace the Interstate Bridge and associated corridor improvements. The Interstate Bridge is a critical connection that supports local jobs and families, and a vital trade route for regional, national and international economies.

The Washington State Department of Transportation and Oregon Department of Transportation submitted a joint application Mega grant request in August 2023, with WSDOT leading the process. The Mega Program (known statutorily as the National Infrastructure Project Assistance program), was created through the national Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to support large, complex projects that are likely to generate national or regional economic, mobility or safety benefits.

The IBR program is actively seeking approximately $2.5 billion from federal grant sources. In addition to the Mega Grant program, IBR applied in November to the Federal Highway Administration Bridge Investment Program. IBR is also pursuing funding through the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grant program, which accepted the IBR program into the project development stage in September.

This significant Federal support demonstrates that the multimodal Interstate Bridge Replacement Project is not just a regional priority, but a national one as well. Below, you can read the joint statement that Senator Chris Gorsek and I released as the Co-Chairs of both the Joint Transportation Committee and the I-5 Bridge Committee:

WATCH: PROPOSED I-5 BRIDGE AREA INVESTMENTS

The Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) Program released new videos to help the community better visualize the proposed investments being studied within the IBR program area compared to existing conditions.   The two videos delve into investments the program would bring to either side of the river. They provide a detailed walkthrough of how traffic patterns would change following implementation of the Modified Locally Preferred Alternative. Videos featuring the transportation investments for transit users and people who walk, bike and roll are currently in production and will be available this winter.  The videos are intended as examples for the public to gain a greater understanding of how proposed changes might impact their commute to work, school, grocery shopping or simply visiting friends and family throughout the region while traveling the I-5 corridor. Click on the buttons below to watch each of the videos:

Want to learn more about the essential pieces of the IBR program? Check out the latest in the series titled "Transparent Transportation," in which Program Administrator Greg Johnson directly answers questions posed by the community on social media. 

PACIFIC WINS $1.8M FOR MENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE

Congratulations to Pacific University, which has received a $1.8 million grant from the Oregon Health Authority to help increase capacity and diversity in the state’s mental health workforce. The two-year grant, which provides tuition assistance and stipends to students, will be split between the university's Master of Social Work program and the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology program in the School of Graduate Psychology. The grant is part of $80 million allocated to the OHA by the Oregon legislature as part of the Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative. The program aims to increase and diversify Oregon’s behavioral health workforce through scholarships, loan repayment, retention and peer workforce development; and through clinical supervision grants. Pacific is one of eight higher education institutions to receive a grant and one of just three private universities to receive a share of the total of $10.1 million awarded by the OHA for tuition assistance. The grant will provide up to $15,000 annually in tuition assistance to students in the two programs as well as stipends of up to $3,000. The grant allows Pacific University to help address issues with a deficit in qualified mental healthcare providers in Oregon as well as a lack of diversity in the profession. According to a Behavioral Health Workforce Report released in 2022 by Oregon Health & Science University, the state is projected to have an estimated shortage of 240 psychologists and 510 addiction counselors by 2030. The study also reported that Oregon’s mental health workforce shrunk by 10% to 30% percent since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. One-fifth of provider groups reported a six-month average delay to fill a position while 18% reported perpetual job openings due to a lack of candidates. The OHSU study also addressed a lack of diversity in the state’s mental health workforce. In 2018, 13% of the state’s population was Hispanic/Latinx but only 5% of providers were Hispanic/Latinx.

TRIMET'S LINE 48 UPDATED TO FREQUENT SERVICE

TriMet’s Line 48-Cornell has been upgraded to Frequent Service. This means buses now arrive every 15 minutes for most of the day, every day.

Line 48 now travels between Sunset Transit Center and Hillsboro, a service improvement for riders in Washington County. TriMet has moved Line 48 to Barnes Rd for faster trips, and moved Line 62 to Cedar Hills Blvd and Cornell Rd to replace Line 48. You can find more information about this service change here.

These changes are part of Forward Together. As TriMet works to build back ridership post-pandemic, Forward Together will deliver the kind of service riders asked for during community outreach done did in 2021 and 2022.

TRIMET OFFERS FREE RIDES ON NEW YEAR'S EVE

Making plans for New Year’s Eve? Don’t forget to take TriMet along for the ride! They are continuing their decades-long tradition of providing free rides starting at 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, and they’ll be out late this year with MAX service going until almost 3 a.m. on most lines! Visit trimet.org to plan your trip. Remember to change the date to Jan. 1, 2024, if you’ll be out until the wee hours. Portland Streetcar and C-TRAN are also offering free rides for New Year’s Eve. Visit their websites for details.

IMPORTANT PAID LEAVE OREGON UPDATES

Paid Leave Oregon is the new program that ensures individuals, employers, and families of every kind have the time and support they need to care for themselves and their loved ones when they need it most. Read below for recent updates from Paid Leave Oregon.

2024 Contribution Rate:

The Paid Leave Oregon contribution rate for 2024 will stay the same as 2023 at 1% of each employee’s wages, up to $168,600. This is the Social Security taxable maximum wage amount for 2024. Contributions for Paid Leave Oregon are divided between employees and employers, with 60% of the rate paid by employees and 40% by large employers.

Equivalent Plan Information for Employees:

Does your employer have an equivalent plan, meaning their own paid leave plan that is administered through your employer or an insurance company instead of by the state program?

If you are having trouble applying for paid leave through your employer’s equivalent plan, please do the following:

• Review your employer’s model notice poster.
• If your employer hasn’t provided this information, ask your employer for their model notice poster.
• If you have a qualifying event (family, medical, or safe leave), you don’t need to use any of your vacation, sick leave, or other paid time off before applying for paid leave from your employer.

If you’re still having difficulties after that, please call 833-854-0166 or use Paid Leave Oregon's Contact Us form.

New Web Page On What to Expect After Applying:

Many of you provided feedback to Paid Leave Oregon and the Oregon Employment Department that they needed better instructions about the meaning of all the messages and letters you receive in Frances Online and in the mail. They heard you, and they’ve built a new “What to expect after you apply” web page. It is translated in eight languages.

On this page, you can find out what to expect after you apply: what you might get in the mail, what terms like “non-monetary determination” mean, and much more. If you have questions about the process, please check out this page for detailed information. There is also a new infographic explaining what wages are used to calculate your benefit amount and what a base year and alternative base year means for Paid Leave Oregon. Yes, it’s complicated, but this graphic helps:

My office has compiled a list of resources for our community. You can click on the images below to open a document with the relevant links. If you know of a resource that should be included here, or you need a resource and are having trouble finding the information you need, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office at rep.susanmclain@oregonlegislature.gov.

EDUCATION RESOURCES

Click here, or on the image to the right for a list of Education-related resources. This includes links to the Forest Grove and Hillsboro School Districts, the Oregon and US Departments of Education, information on how to pay for college, student lunch programs, and much more!

WILDFIRE-RELATED RESOURCES Click here, or on the image to the right for important resources related to wildfire prevention and recovery. This list includes links to current fire restrictions and recreation site status maps, the Oregon Department of Forestry's fire prevention tip page, and important resources for wildfire victims.

RESOURCES FOR OUR VETERANS Click here, or on the image to the right for a list of important resources for Veterans, including links and phone numbers to the various divisions of the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, local Washington County assistance, supportive and community-based groups like the American Legion, and mental health resources.

STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT  Click here, or on the image to the right for links to important local and state government pages, including the Hillsboro, Forest Grove, and Cornelius city government pages. You can also access the Oregon Legislature's page, and other important state agency sites, like the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Unemployment Department, and the Oregon Health Authority.

Yours truly,

Representative Susan McLain
House District 29

email: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1429
address: 900 Court St NE, H-493, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain