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Happy Friday,
It is hard to believe we are already one week into the short session, which means there are only four weeks to go!
Here are some highlights:
- I presented testimony in the Healthcare Committee advocating for access to prescription drugs and banning co-pay limiter programs in Oregon. What’s a co-pay limiter? Watch a short video here.
- In the House Committee on Small Business and Economic Development, the Arts & Culture Caucus, of which I am a proud member, testified on behalf of the Arts & Culture Package, which includes over $2 million dollars for the High Desert Museum.
- Lots of great meetings, including the Canadian Consulate, Mountain View Development, Bleeding Disorder Advocates, HIV advocates and many more!
- In the House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment, we heard what the internet has dubbed, the “most Oregon bill ever,” about grant funds to encourage living in harmony with Beavers!
- Two big hearings happened this week, which are the focus of our work here in the short session, making changes to Measure 110 (watch here), and addressing our housing supply (watch here).
As always please reach out if you have any questions, I can be reached at rep.emersonlevy@oregonlegislature.gov.
Yours truly,
 Representative Emerson Levy
House District 53
P.S. Check out our Letter to the Editor in the Nugget about new fire insurance laws, here.
Kicking Off the 2024 Legislative Session
Monday kicked off the first week of this legislative session. While each Representative is only able to introduce two bills in this “short” (35 days) session, the range and complexity of the issues the House will tackle this year is staggering. Some of the bills legislators plan to introduce include an audit of Measure 110, youth substance use prevention, financing for affordable and moderate income housing, early literacy program implementation, Oregon’s quality education model, and many more.
We hope you will participate in this legislative session as well! Your unique perspectives and experiences help shape her understanding of how proposed bills may affect the lives of Central Oregonians. Check out this Legislative Participation Guide to learn more about how to find and read bills, watch committee meetings and floor sessions, and testify on a bill remotely or in person. |
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Prescription Cost-Share Fairness Bill Gets Hearing
Because this session is only 35 days long, each Legislator can only propose two bills. Rep. Levy is advancing HB 4103, which proposes new rules to keep our kids safe on e-bikes, and HB 4113, which requires insurers to count payments made by or for a patient towards their deductible, out-of-pocket max, or other cost-sharing. People who have to use very expensive medications - sometimes thousands of dollars a month - often receive some financial help from the maker of the drug to make it more affordable. This can be a half-off coupon to present at the pharmacy for example, or the drug company might pay a percentage of the monthly cost directly to the patient’s insurance company.
Under current law, insurance companies are only required to count payments the patient makes towards their deductible. In the example of a half-off coupon, this lets insurers essentially double dip. They get to collect the full annual maximum amount (from the patient and the drug company), plus half that amount again (because the money paid on behalf of the patient doesn’t count!). Representative Levy doesn’t think it is fair that her constituents have to keep paying when they’ve already met their max cost-sharing for the year. HB 4113 had its first hearing before the House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care this week, click here to watch.
Oregon Kids Credit
With tax season just around the corner, you may be eligible for the Oregon Kids Credit.
During the 2023 legislative session, Oregon Democrats championed the effort to create Oregon’s first-ever state-based child tax credit through HB 3235, which is a fully refundable $1,000 tax credit per child between the ages of 0 and 5 for families earning $30,000 or less.
Who Qualifies
The amount of credit is based on age and number of dependent children, and modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), but even people who don’t owe any tax can claim the refundable credits. For those with a MAGI of $25,000 or less, the full credit is $1,000 per child for up to five dependent children ages 0 to 5 at the end of the tax year. The credit is reduced when MAGI is more than $25,000 and is eliminated at $30,000.
ITIN filers and individuals with qualifying dependents with ITINs may claim the Oregon Kids Credit. All filing statuses are eligible for the credit except for Married Filing Separate.
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How to Get Credit
Oregon families can apply for this credit when they file their tax returns in 2024. Since the credit is refundable, the portion of credit that is more than what a person owes will be refunded to them. 55,000 children across Oregon are expected to benefit from this credit, with higher representation in rural communities and communities of color.
More information about the Oregon Kids Credit and other tax benefits can be found on the Department of Revenue’s Tax Benefit for Families webpage. Free tax preparation assistance can be found on the Department of Revenue’s Free Tax Help webpage.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1453
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-486, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.EmersonLevy@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/levye
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