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To contact me, please click here: Rep.HaiPham@oregonlegislature.gov
Dear Neighbors and Friends,
On Thursday, the Legislature gaveled out and closed the 2024 Legislative session. We call the last day of the session “sine die” meaning “without day” or “indefinitely” as there is no other set day for us to come back together. This year was another ambitious run to pass bills that will have a long-term impact for Oregonians across the state. We worked hard to make strategic investments and pass policies that will move our state forward.
My priority bill HB 4154 passed with bipartisan and bicameral support! This bill builds off of the Oregon CHIPS Act (SB 4, 2023) by expanding education and training opportunities for Oregonians who want to pursue careers in Oregon’s semiconductor industry. You can watch my floor speech here:
 Oregon House Passes Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Semiconductor Talent Workforce
Oregon is the 4th largest semiconductor manufacturing employer and in 2022 the value of goods exported out of the country from the manufacturers was around $11.5 billion, almost exactly one third of Oregon’s total exports. It is clear that we continue to be a national leader in the semiconductor and high-tech manufacturing industry. And with the significant investments of the CHIPS Act last session, Oregon alone is projecting the creation of 6,300 new jobs in semiconductors and 1,000 construction jobs over the next several years.
HB 4154 is an opportunity to make a lasting statewide impact that will electrify our economy in all corners of the state. This bill will increase the number of low-barrier, family wage jobs, prioritize our historically marginalized communities and bolster our workforce training programs that will benefit the state for years to come. The Oregon Legislature also allocated $10 million to six universities across the state to expand training opportunities to bolster our workforce. You can read the full press release here.
 A huge thank you to Representatives Bynum, Sosa, Wallan, and Lively for their advocacy and strong support of this bill. And another thank you to Senator Sollman for being our champion in the Senate!
Parallel to this bill, I was excited to have partnered with Rep Walters on HB 4098, the CHIPS Childcare Infrastructure Fund to support the Oregon’s semiconductor industry in addressing critical childcare needs.
For many years, my parents struggled to make ends meet and could only work odd jobs to keep our family stable. Some of my earliest memories as a child were tagging along with my parents as they were cleaning offices late into the evening because they didn’t have access to appropriate and affordable childcare. As we talk about supporting the semiconductor workforce and expanding opportunities, we need to have a holistic view. HB 4098 will strengthen childcare options and enable so many families to go back to the workforce and seek competitive wage jobs.
We had an ambitious 5 week sprint to the finish to deliver on some significant priorities. Below are just some of the highlights -
Addiction Treatment and Behavioral Health Support
In direct response to the drug and addiction crisis that have been impacting so many families and communities, the Legislature passed HB 4002, the Oregon Drug Intervention Plan.
It was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but I believe that we can’t stick with the status quo as we know we need to make immediate progress to help people and save lives. The Oregon Drug Intervention Plan expands drug treatment investments, prioritizes upstream prevention and education programs to keep our youth and kids safe, and gives first responders the tools to intervene. In addition to the policy bill, we made significant investments to directly support this work:
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$30 million in recovery housing (with SB 1530) to keep our most vulnerable stable, prevent homelessness, and further interactions with law enforcement. Investments to the community include:
- $1.5 million for Bridges to Change for operational support for housing sites throughout the county
- $750,000 to Free on the Outside to purchase a home to help serve individuals involved in the justice system
- $1 million for Transcending Hope
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$85.4 million for shovel ready projects to rapidly expand access to treatment with a focus on high priority regions and communities with service level gaps.
- Oregon needs nearly 3,000 additional adult residential mental health and substance treatment beds to close gaps in our system of care. We made great progress from the 2021 and 2022 legislative investments that will open over 1,000 new beds in the coming years. These additional dollars will ensure we close gaps so that anyone who needs care won’t be turned away.
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$10 million to expand Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) to support those currently in the criminal justice system who are suffering from substance use disorder.
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Expanding local, affordable training through SB 1592 to make it easier for providers to get trained and provide care.
- Directing millions of dollars in addiction and preventing recidivism
Washington County received $8.9 million to build up the Center for Addictions Triage and Treatment project. Upon its completion, the center will add 86 new treatment beds, a peer drop-in center, and many comprehensive wrap-around services for those struggling with addiction. This is truly a model for the state as we envision an inclusive system that can meet the needs of our diverse communities.
And this is just the start to the long-term conversation, we know that Specialty Courts like Beaverton’s Behavioral Health Court and Washington County’s Adult Recovery Court are instrumental to ensuring multidisciplinary teams can provide intensive intervention services for those experiencing both mental health and substance use. HB 4002 establishes a Task Force on Specialty Courts to study funding structures, eligibility metrics, and accountability mechanisms for these courts.
Affordable Housing Package
Another big priority for the Legislature included addressing the homelessness crisis and increasing housing production and infrastructure. The package includes SB 1537, SB 1530, and $376 million in direct investments to boost housing production, funding infrastructure, and supporting renters. We made additional investments will work towards short and long-term solutions by allocating:
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$75 million towards creating a revolving loan fund to help cities boost affordable housing stock. This will be key as city governments and the state will partner together to develop our middle income housing.
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$123.5 million to support shovel-ready housing production to acquire land and develop properties
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$131 million for housing and homelessness projects that can make immediate progress to getting people into transitional housing.
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$24.5 million for Healthy and Safe Homes to lower energy usage for air conditioners, heaters, and air filters.
If Governor Kotek signs the package, Oregon will have invested more than $2.3 billion in the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions. You can read more about the investments in this press release here.
Just before we adjourned the legislative session, Representative Dan Rayfield stepped down as he is running to be Oregon’s Attorney General. The House elected Representative Julie Fahey to be our next speaker.
While we will miss Rep Rayfield and celebrate the incredible work he was able to accomplish in the short two years he served as Speaker, I look forward to Speaker Fahey’s new leadership in the coming years.
I am deeply honored to serve as your State Representative in Salem. I am humbled to be a part of this work. I am also grateful for my staff, Sara Kim, Chief of Staff and Kaitlin Baumgarten, Legislative Aide who make this hard work possible. And of course, thank you to all of my amazing colleagues for such a successful and important session!
 Our amazing Oregon House Democratic Staff who make what we do possible
 Oregon House Democrats selfie!
While we are taking a little break from being in Salem, my office and I still stand ready to support you. Please stay connected as we will have constituent coffees, town halls, and community events throughout the district. The best way to stay informed and connect with my legislative work is through my Facebook (State Representative Hai Pham, DMD) and Instagram (Rep Hai Pham). You can also reach my office at Rep.HaiPham@oregonlegislature.gov.
I look forward to making progress and serving you as we work towards building a healthy, safe, and vibrant community.
Cheers!
Representative Hai Pham
House District 36
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1436
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-282, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.HaiPham@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/phamh
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