DRO Legislative Update: February 5, 2010

Special One Month Session Convenes 

Last week, the Oregon Legislature called itself together for a month long special session.  Oregon’s Constitution requires the Legislature to meet every other year but, starting in 2008, the Legislature has voluntarily met annually to address pressing policy and budgetary concerns.  The Legislature is expected to refer a measure to the November 2010 ballot asking Oregonians to amend the Constitution to require annual sessions.  Other items on the agenda include: balancing the budget, addressing unforeseen legislative consequences from 2009, extending unemployment benefits, reviewing tax credits and hearing individual policy ideas by legislators.  With the passage of Measure 66 and 67, legislators avoided the need to make drastic cuts to education and health care.  Additionally budget adjustments, if any, will take place after release of the revenue forecast this coming Tuesday.

Workers Compensation Coverage for Home Care Workers

On Friday, the House Committee on Human Services heard testimony on House Bill 3618, legislation crafted to provide workers compensation insurance and training for home care workers providing services to people with developmental disabilities, mental illness and medically fragile children.  Representative Michael Dembrow (the bill’s chief sponsor), Disability Rights Oregon, AARP, Governor’s Commission on Senior Services, the Developmental Disabilities Coalition, the Department of Human Services, the Home Care Commission and other groups testified on the bill.

Rep. Dembrow, along with Bob Joondeph (Disability Rights Oregon), presented amendments to the Committee which set out legislative findings that home care workers and personal support workers provide essential services to seniors and people with disabilities and HB 3618 is not intended to compromise the resources and choices of people served.  The amendments also direct the Home Care commission to create a Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health Committee to advise and educate the Commission.  Members of this advisory group will include family members, consumers, and representatives of workers, agencies and brokerages.

HB 3618 is scheduled for a vote this coming week.  If passed, it will then go to the Joint Ways and Means Committee that will analyze and evaluate its fiscal consequences.

Oregon School for the Blind Money Redistributed 50/50

On Wednesday, the House Education Committee approved House Bill 3687.  The bill shifts funds from the sale of the property of the former Oregon School for the Blind from the Education Stability Fund to the Department of Education.  The Department is then directed to distribute 50% of the money to the Blind and Visually Impaired Student Fund and 50% to the Oregon School for the Deaf for repairs and improvements.  It’s estimated that the sale of the blind school will general $5 million dollars, based on current “as is” real estate projections.

An amendment was added to the bill that requires the Oregon Department of Administrative Services to present a plan for the sale of the property to the Capitol Planning Commission.  The commission is than directed to provide the public with an opportunity for review and comment.