2024 Legislative Session Wrap Up
Welcome to my comprehensive session recap newsletter. The curtain fell on the 2024 legislative session on Thursday the 7th and I have appreciated being able to take the down time reconnecting with people here in our district! This week has been greeted by the hopeful rays of sunshine, getting us all excited for spring. But I believe that spring is also for a time of reflection and celebration.
I am proud to say we had a great session! In just over a month, we passed breakthrough legislation addressing housing, drug addiction and campaign finance reform. Longshot bills mired in controversy ultimately won broad support, reflecting the compromise that shaped the final legislation. A five-week session typically meant for small adjustments, instead delivered impressively on long-session ambitions.
Photo Credit: Oregonian
Below you will find a wealth of information that I am thrilled to share with you, feel free to use the table of contents to guide your exploration.
I had the honor of being both a Chief Sponsor and a Co-Sponsor for a number of great bills this session, these are the ones that made it to the finish line!
HB 4082:
Requires the Department of Education to establish and administer the Summer Learning Grant Program. Appropriates $50 million from the General Fund.
HB 4083: The Clean Oregon Assets Legislation or COAL Act directs the state to try to ensure that Oregon Public Employee Retirement Funds are not invested in thermal coal companies or any fund containing a thermal coal company.
HB 4113: Require insurers to apply third-party assistance to out-of-pocket maximums and other patient cost-sharing requirements.
HB 4129: The Homecare Modernization Act requires the state to contract with agencies to provide agency with choice services to individuals who are older adults or who have disabilities.
HB 4134: Appropriates over $21 million to provide grants to 11 cities for infrastructure projects to support housing developments.
HB 4146: The 2024 Victim Rights Policy Package closes a dangerous loophole in current statutes prohibiting the dissemination of sexually explicit images without consent and for the purpose of harassment.
HB 4147: Removes the current prohibition in Oregon on stop arm camera use on busses and allows school districts to partner with law enforcement.
HB 4149: Requires pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) to be licensed by the state and gives oversight authority to regulate PBMs licensed in Oregon.
HB 4151: Establishes a task force focused on expanding, sustaining, and diversifying the youth behavioral health workforce.
HB 4156: Updates and modernizes Oregon’s current stalking statutes to include digital based communications.
HB 4160: Extends the prohibition on sexual conduct by educators involving students from 90 days after a student leaves school to one calendar year.
SB 1503: Establishes the Task Force on Community Safety and Firearm Suicide Prevention.
SB 1553: Applies the crime of Interfering with Public Transportation to the use of illicit drugs on public transit. Making it a Class A misdemeanor instead of a citation.
SB 1561: Establishes the Environmental Restoration Council and a fund to invest and distribute money from the Monsanto Settlement Agreement.
SB 1571: Requires disclosures on political communications that are the product of synthetic media or AI.
SB 1578: Directs OHA to build an online platform to manage billing and scheduling requests for healthcare interpreters.
SB 1580: Clarifies that it is a misdemeanor if an employer knowingly submits a false payroll report with the intent to decrease the employer's workers' compensation insurance premium.
SB 1581: Requires an investor-owned utility to report to the Legislative Assembly annually on steps taken or being taken to participate in a regional energy market.
SB 1585: Creates a task force to create a program that permits SNAP recipients have more food choices, like being able to buy hot meals.
SB 1595: The Family Financial Protection Act improves consumer protection and debt collection by updating and modernizing current statutes.
SB 1596: The Right to Repair Act requires manufacturers to give consumers and small businesses access repair manuals and tools to repair electronics.
Speaking on SB 1578 - The bill for healthcare interpreters.
Oregonians made it clear where their priorities were this year. The 2024 session priority was addressing homelessness and the affordability of housing, enhancing behavioral health and addiction services, and ensuring the safety of neighborhoods. In the 32-day legislative session, my Democratic colleagues and I achieved significant breakthrough in addressing these critical issues. House Democrats also enacted groundbreaking campaign finance reform, improved healthcare affordability, expanded access to childcare for working families across Oregon, and allocated funding for vital statewide projects.
Housing Affordability and Homelessness
Democrats passed the Emergency Housing Stability and Production Package (SB 1530, SB 1537, and HB 4134). This $379 million investment and related policy doubles down on the 2023 session’s $2 billion housing package, continuing the legislature’s ongoing commitment to get people off the street and into shelter, prevent more homelessness by keeping people housed, supporting renters, and ramp up housing production to make housing more affordable.
Safe Neighborhoods and Communities
HB 4140 passed policy to ensure future support for survivors of child abuse or domestic and sexual violence.
Improved Behavioral Health and Addiction Services
Democrats responded to the crisis unfolding in our streets by passing the Oregon Drug Intervention Plan (HB 4002 and HB 5204 which gives law enforcement and community treatment providers the tools they need to confiscate hard drugs and connect people to treatment. This sweeping package invests in prevention and the root causes of addiction, cracks down on drug dealers, restricts public drug use, moves people into addiction treatment, improves the behavioral health workforce pipeline, and reduces the number of overdose deaths.
Campaign Finance Reform
Majority Leader Fahey (and now House Speaker!) worked together with Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich to bring labor, business, and good government groups together to pass historic legislation (HB 4024) that brings campaign finance limits to Oregon.
Emergency Response and Preparedness
HB 4081(EMS Modernization Act) passed which was a policy framework of more than twenty years in the making, that begins to address inefficiencies in Oregon’s emergency medical system after years of ranking near the bottom in national surveys.
I want to be clear on why I voted no against HB 4002A. As the session continued and amendments were made, I started to see that this legislation did not fully address Measure 110's flaws and may worsen some issues. Despite Measure 110's intent, data shows BIPOC and low-income communities still face disproportionate impacts, including higher arrest and incarceration rates. The Oregon Criminal Justice Commission highlighted that convictions for Black/African Americans were predicted to be disproportionately high after HB 4002A.
Near the end, discussions on amendments to HB 4002A reportedly excluded BIPOC stakeholders, indicating a lack of equity consideration. Although HB 4002A has many positive aspects and starts important conversations, I believe that it falls short in diverting individuals from the criminal justice system. I wanted to see this bill do more to tackle the root causes of drug addiction. I commit to advocating for a more inclusive and innovate approach to drug addiction that aligns with Oregonians' values.
HB 4002A does not capture the comprehensive solution our communities need. I am committed to collaborating across the aisle in in 2025 to continue to foster legislation that addresses the root cause of this escalating issue effectively.
Click here to watch my full speech and here to read my full vote explanation.
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I am very happy to say that the BIPOC Caucus delivered on its Investing in Shared Prosperity agenda. This effort sought to advance inclusive economic growth through addressing Oregon’s wealth gap by closing the racial homeownership gap, expanding access to affordable childcare, and ensuring that immigrants and refugees have the necessary resources to seek safety and prosperity in their new home.
Investing in Shared Prosperity
$8 Million / Economic Equity Investment Fund: Provides grants and technical assistance to community-based programs working to build economic stability and equity among disadvantaged individuals, families, businesses, and communities across the state.
$5 Million / Oregon Individual Development Account: Provides match savings opportunities, information about financial systems, and coaching to support individuals attain their economic goals.
$2 Million / Newcomer Investment: A pilot program to provide comprehensive wraparound services to Newcomers, including shelter, food, healthcare, and employment assistance.
$1 Million / Water Equity Funding: Restores essential support to University of Oregon’s Just Futures Initiative, which who will provide grants for clean water access and sanitation projects, directly benefiting communities most in need.
$99.2 Million / Adequately Fund Employment Related Day Care (ERDC): The ERDC program helps families who are working, in school, or receiving Temporary Assistance for Need Families (TANF) access child care. This investment addresses the ERDC’s budgetary shortfall reflected in its long waiting list.
Building Vibrant Communities
$15 Million / Healthy Homes: Supports an innovative grant program helping household-serving organizations to do essential home repairs and improvements, such as mold abatement and lead removal.
$750,000 / George Park: Adds lighting and other safety improvements to George Park, a park located at the heart of North Portland’s St. Johns neighborhood.
$25 Million / Ablina Vision Trust: Assists Abina Vision Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing the historically Black Albina neighborhood, by converting the aging Dr. Matthew Prophet Education Center into affordable housing units, an education hub, communal green spaces and mixed-used commercial opportunities.
Behavioral Health Investments
$1 Million / Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center (Multnomah County): Supports a mentorship program that reconnects at-risk youths and young adults affected by poverty, family instability, and homelessness to education, career training, and culturally-specific services including mentorship, employment training, and placement.
$1.5 Million / BestCare Expansion (Jefferson County): Creates new substance use disorder residential treatment facilities in Madras. This initiative will establish culturally specific facilities and services tailored to the needs of the Latino and Latina communities.
$8.9 million / Center for Addition Triage and Treatment (CATT) (Washington County): Offers assessment, sobering withdrawal support, residential treatment, transition supports, peer mentoring, and outpatient addiction and treatment services.
$150,000 / WomensFirst Transition Center (Multnomah County): Establishes a housing and/or stabilization center for women, providing respite care after coming out of detox and helping them find their next housing opportunity.
I serve on the House Committee on Business and Labor, House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services and House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care.
This session saw big investments in our communities! I am proud to be a member of the Oregon Legislature’s LGBTQ Caucus, we pushed hard this year to advocate for important queer and trans-specific services.
Here’s a look at what LGBTQ2SIA+ Oregonians and our allies have to celebrate from the 2024 Oregon Legislative session.
$4 million / Prism Health (Multnomah County): Expands capacity to offer culturally responsive substance-use disorder services for LGBTQ+ identifying community member's people.
$1.25 million for the Queer Data Project: Aims to collect accurate and comprehensive information about LGBTQ2SIA+ Oregonians’ lives and needs. This data will be crucial in future advocacy efforts for our communities!
$1.8 million for Treatment Foster Care Oregon: A program that provides a higher level of support for families and youth most at-risk in Oregon’s foster care system. Queer and trans youth are overrepresented in our foster system, and Basic Rights Oregon was proud to advocate for this as part of the Foster Homes of Healing coalition.
There were four anti-LGBTQ2SIA+ bills introduced this session—I did not support moving any of them forward. Legislation that attacks LGBTQIA+ persons only perpetuate a culture of fear and hatred. I am always going to stand up against discriminatory bills like these!
I want to share this graphic highlighting key facts from the 2024 legislative session. Among the interesting details, two figures really stand out: the 14,143 pieces of written testimony submitted and the 2,591 individuals who registered to provide their testimony in person. These numbers underscore the critical role of advocacy and public engagement in our legislative process. It's through your voices and active participation that we shape meaningful laws and build an Oregon that reflects our shared values and aspirations. I urge everyone to keep speaking up and getting involved — it's how we continue to create positive change and forge a more inclusive and better Oregon we can all take pride in.
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Many constituents have raised concerns about the proposed Saint John's Bottle Drop. I've heard your concerns and, together with Representative Dexter, met with the Bottle Drop folks a few weeks ago to express your voices and to find alternative solutions. Additionally, I participated in the Saint John's Neighborhood Association meeting to directly hear community perspectives. Addressing this issue remains a top priority for me. I encourage you to keep making your voices heard to the city council. I'll do my best to keep you updated on developments as I know them!
You can watch the recorded Saint John's Neighborhood Association meeting here.
Now that session is over, I need to make sure I get my taxes done! If you haven't already, don't forget to file by April 15th. Here are some resources:
FREE ELECTRONIC FILING OPTIONS AVAILABLE
All Oregon resident taxpayers preparing their own returns in 2024 can file electronically at no cost using one of the free file options that can be found on the Department of Revenue website. A variety of choices are available, and taxpayers can use the information below to help them pick the one that best fits their needs.
Direct File Oregon is a new option this year. It allows taxpayers to file their Form OR-40 through Revenue Online. Direct File Oregon is not linked with the IRS. Taxpayers need to file a separate federal return with the IRS before filing an Oregon return with Direct File Oregon through Revenue Online.
Direct File Oregon is suited for taxpayers who want a guided experience for filing their Oregon tax return electronically. Creating a Revenue Online account and logging in to file provides the best experience. A how-to use Direct File Oregon video is available.
Oregon Free Fillable Forms performs basic calculations and is ideal for taxpayers who don’t need help preparing their returns and want the convenience of filing electronically. The IRS offers a similar option for filing federal taxes electronically.
Free Fillable forms is suited for taxpayers who don’t meet the income requirements of other free options, already have their forms filled out, are sure of their calculations, and just want to e-file for free.
Free guided tax preparation is available from four companies that participate in the Free File Alliance for taxpayers that meet income requirements. Using links from the department’s website ensures that both taxpayers’ federal and state return will be filed for free.
This option is best for taxpayers that have income less than $79,000 and need to file both their federal and Oregon returns. Each company has different requirements for who qualifies for free filing and offers must be accessed from the department’s website.
Free tax filing assistance is available through AARP Tax-Aide, the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs, MFS-CASH Oregon, and the United Way’s MyFreeTaxes. Each offers in person and drop off services for tax preparation by trained volunteers.
Many of these programs require an appointment. Information about these services and an interactive map to find a location near you are available on the agency’s webpage.
WHERE’S MY REFUND?
Taxpayers can see the status of their refund by using Where’s My Refund? on Revenue Online. To check the status of their refund, taxpayers will need their:
- Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN);
- Filing status; and
- The exact refund amount shown on:
- Line 46 of their Form OR-40, or
- Line 71 of their Form OR-40-N, or
- Line 70 of their Form OR-40-P
The Department of Revenue recommends that taxpayers wait one week after they have electronically filed their return to use the Where’s My Refund tool. Most refunds are issued within two weeks but returns that need more review may take up to 16 weeks before a refund is issued.
Rip City Remix - The Newest NBA G League
The Rip City Remix is about to finish their inaugural season! At the time of this newsletter, they are ranked fourth in the Western Conference. If they keep that up, they could be going to the playoffs! They hold the number three spot for rebounds and three pointers per game and fifth for blocks per game in the G League.
We have seen some stand out players this season:
- Antoine Davis currently holds the number one spot in the league for three pointers made.
- Ashton Hagans is in third for assists per game.
- George Conditt IV is in fifth for field goal percentage and holds a top spot for true shooting percentage, points per game, rebounds per game, and assists per game.
- Alex Reese is also in the top of the league for points per game.
If you have not already, check out one of their last games this season. The prices are affordable, and it makes for a great family outing. Tickets range from $15+ for adults and kids 12 and under are only $5. Snacks are also affordable with beer going for $7, and popcorn starting at $4. They also have hand fruit which is becoming a fan tagline on social media.
There are only two more games at the Chiles Center this year:
- Friday, March 29th at 6pm against the Santa Cruz Warriors
- Saturday, March 30th at 3pm against the Santa Cruz Warriors
You can learn more about the team here.
Roosevelt Boys Basketball Team Places 2nd in Oregon 6A State Championship
I want to give a shout out to Roosevelt boys basketball for their second place in the Oregon 6A state championship! They ranked 3rd in the division and narrowly lost to Central Catholic in a 76-85 game. The Portland Tribune has a detailed story about the game here.
Photo Credit: Timothy Healy for The Oregonian/OregonLive
The St. Johns community really showed up for the team and packed the Chiles Center with black and yellow!
Portland Pilots Women’s Basketball Beats Gonzaga – Goes to the NCAA Tournament
For the second year in a row, the Portland Pilots women’s basketball team will be headed to the NCAA Tournament. They beat Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference Tournament with a slim 67-66 win. The are now the number 13 seed in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. They will play against the Kansas State Wildcats on Friday, March 22nd at 1:30pm in Manhattan, Kansas.
I want to wish them luck for their March Madness journey. Go Pilots!
With the 2024 legislative session behind us, my focus shifts towards the future, acknowledging that while we've made significant progress, there's still much more work ahead. However, it is important to take a moment to celebrate our accomplishments and engage further with our community. I'm excited about several upcoming tours that promise insightful experiences and deeper understanding in what our community is involved in. Notably, I'm eager to visit students at George Middle School to talk to them about their advocacy for the George Park funding, Roosevelt's basketball team to congratulate them on their season and engage with Cub Scouts in our district to talk to them more about community involvement.
Additionally, I'm looking forward to a ride-along with ODOT in May, which will offer a firsthand look at graffiti cleanup operations and provide insights into how our resources are allocated. This topic is very important to me and something I often hear about within our district. I've recently shared my thoughts through a letter to the editor focusing on the most recent funding allocation from the Legislature.
A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Remarkable Team
I want to shine a spotlight on the remarkable individuals who’ve been the engine of my office! Behind every public achievement and bill passed lies a multitude of unseen efforts, late nights, and unyielding dedication from a dedicated team.
And a special shout out to my interns this year! Their enthusiasm and fresh perspectives have infused our office with a new energy that propelled us forward. It's no small feat to balance academics and work, yet they manage this with admirable dedication, all while commuting to Salem and contributing significantly here at the Capitol.
Thank you, Team Nelson!
Thank You
Everything I do, I do for all of us. Thank you for continuing this journey with me.
Due to rules of the House, I am not able to send newsletters or post on my legislative social media until after the Primary Election. Please keep an eye out for my next newsletter in May. You are still more than welcome to reach out to my office anytime. I will be attending meetings and going on in-district tours during this time. Let me know if there are tours or meetings you would like to schedule in the coming months.
Happy Spring,
 Travis Nelson
State Representative
House District 44
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1444
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-275, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.TravisNelson@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/nelson
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