STATUS CHECK: Where key legislative bills are on week 4

The five-week session of the Oregon Legislature kicked off with lawmakers filing more than 200 bills. Those have been whittled down by House and Senate committees. Bills that didn’t pass out of committee by the end of the day on Feb. 14 died. Those that require the use of state funds must be considered by the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.

The Capital Chronicle is publishing an update on Friday.

Here is where some key bills stand:

House

Proposal: Overtime for farmworkers: House Bill 4002 

Summary: Requires employers to pay farmworkers time and a half after 40 hours a week and includes tax credits for employers to offset the cost.

Action: Passed out of the House Committee on Business and Labor on Feb. 14, with 7 Democrats in favor; 4 Republicans against. Passed out of Joint Farmworker Overtime Committee on Feb. 24, with 6 Democrats in favor and 4 Republicans against

Now in: House

House vote: 

Senate vote:

Governor signed:

 

Proposal: Creates intern license for nursing students: House Bill 4003

Summary: Allows qualified nursing students to work in a clinical setting under their own license and adds nurses to the Oregon Wellness Program which offers free mental health therapy sessions.

Action: Passed out of the House Committee on Health Care on Feb. 11, with 6 Democrats and 3 Republicans in favor; passed out of the Joint Ways and Means Committee on Feb. 23, with 13 Democrats and eight Republicans voting in favor, one Republican opposed.

Now in: House

House vote: 

Senate vote: 

Governor signed:

 

Proposal: Staffing grants to behavioral health facilities: House Bill 4004

Summary: Authorizes the Oregon Health Authority to give mental health and addiction treatment services grants to retain and recruit staff and increases reimbursement rates.

Action: Passed out of the the House Committee on Behavioral Health on Feb. 10, with 7 Democrats and 2 Republicans in favor; 1 Republican against.

Now in: Joint Committee on Ways and Means

House vote: 

Senate vote:

Governor sign: 

 

Proposal: Creates grants for school districts impacted by wildfires: House Bill 4026

Summary: Directs the Oregon Department of Education to award grants to school districts to cover funding losses from enrollment drops due to wildfires.

Action: Passed out of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means Feb. 23, with 9 Republicans and 13 Democrats in favor.

Now in: House

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal:  Creates grants, loosens restrictions to increase school staffing: House Bill 4030 

Summary: Simplifies hiring and reduces requirements to encourage out-of-state teachers to work in Oregon, and creates a grant program for recruitment and retention of teachers and establishes program to reimburse substitute teachers and assistants for training costs. 

Action: Passed out of the House Committee on Education on Feb. 10, with 6 Democrats and 4 Republicans in favor; passed out of the House Rules Committee on Feb. 17, with 4 Democrats and 3 Republicans in favor

Now in: Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education

House vote: 

Senate vote: 

Governor sign: 

 

Proposal: Expands land in Salem for transitional housing: House Bill 4037

Summary: Requires the Oregon Department of Administrative Services to lease to the city of Salem certain surplus property to use as transitional housing.

Action: Passed House Housing Committee on Feb. 14, with 11 votes in favor; passed House with 54 in favor and 3 Republicans against; passed Senate Housing Committee on Feb. 23 with 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans in favor

Now: Senate

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Creates grants to prevent violence: House Bill 4045

Summary: Directs the state Department of Administrative Services and Oregon Health Authority to fund community violence prevention and intervention services.

Action: Passed out of the House Committee on Health Care on Feb. 14, with 6 Democrats and 4 Republicans in favor; passed out of Joint Ways and Means Committee on Feb. 23, with 21 in favor and 1 Republican against.

Now in: House

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Creates two mobile health units for underserved communities: House Bill 4052

Summary: Requires Oregon Health Authority to create a pilot program consisting of two culturally and linguistically specific mobile health units to provide care in underserved communities.

Action: Passed out of the House Health Care Committee on Feb. 14 with 6 Democrats and 4 Republicans in favor; passed out of Joint Ways and Means Committee, with 22 in favor

Now in: House

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Allows prefabricated homes to be put in mobile home parks: House Bill 4064

Summary: Standardizes definitions to allow for prefabricated homes to be placed in mobile home or manufactured dwelling parks, including parks that are cooperatively owned.

Action: Passed out of the House Committee on Housing on Feb. 9, with 7 Democrats and 3 Republicans in favor and 1 Republican against; passed House on Feb. 14, with 40 in favor and 12 Republicans against; passed out of Senate Committee on Housing on Feb. 23 with 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans in favor

Now in: Senate 

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Eases voter registration: House Bill 4133

Summary: Allows residents to register to vote online using the last four digits of their Social Security number.

Action: Passed House Rules Committee on Feb. 10, with 4 Democrats in favor and 3 Republicans against.

House vote:  Passed on Feb. 16 with 33 Democrats in favor and 23 Republicans against.

Action: Passed the Senate Rules Committee on Feb. 22 with 3 Democrats in favor and 2 Republicans against.

Senate vote: Passed Feb. 24, with 18 Democrats in favor and 7 Republicans opposed

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Creates penalties for Oregon’s public meetings law: House Bill 4140

Summary: Gives the Oregon Government Ethics Commission the authority to investigate and fine individuals for violations of the state’s public meetings law.

Action: Hearing held Feb. 10 in the House Committee on Rules

Now in: House Committee on Rules

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Makes an attack on a hospital employee a crime: House Bill 4142 

Summary: Makes an intentional or reckless injury of a hospital employee a third-degree assault.

Action: Passed out of of the House Committee on the Judiciary on Feb. 10, with 6 Democrats and 2 Republicans in favor; 1 Republican against

Now in: House Rules; vote scheduled for Feb. 25

House vote: 

Senate vote: 

Governor sign: 

 

Proposal: Lets people in prison vote: House Bill 4147

Summary: Allows people serving time for felony convictions to vote, using their address prior to incarceration as their residence address.

Action: Referred to the House Rules Committee; no hearing scheduled

Now in:

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

Senate

Proposal: Requires adoption of the Private Forests Accord: Senate Bill 1501

Summary: Directs the Oregon Board of Forestry to adopt one set of rules by Nov. 30 to implement the Private Forest Accord which sets new standards for the management of 10 million acres of private forests in the state and updates the Forest Practices Act.

Action: Passed out of Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire Recovery Feb. 8, with 3 Democrats and 1 Republican in favor 

Now in: Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee On Capital Construction; vote scheduled Feb. 25

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Omnibus bill on police searches and probation: Senate Bill 1510

Summary:  Requires police officer to inform a person they stop of the right to refuse to be searched and, if consent is obtained, requires the officer to obtain written, video or audio record that the consent to search; prohibits a police officer to initiate a traffic stop based solely on certain traffic violations; requires parole and probation officers to receive continuing education in trauma-informed care; and includes other requirements.

Action: Passed out of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and Ballot Measure 111 Implementation on Feb. 8, with 4 Democrats in favor and 3 Republicans opposed

Now in: Joint Committee on Ways and Means

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Allows new trials for people convicted by non-unanimous juries: Senate Bill 1511

Summary: Creates a process enabling a person convicted or found guilty except for insanity by a non-unanimous jury to file a petition for post-conviction relief within one year and includes other provisions.

Action: Passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 14, with 4 Democrats in favor and 3 Republicans opposed

Now in: Joint Committee on Ways and Means

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Protects superintendents from being fired in some circumstances: Senate Bill 1521

Summary: Prohibits school boards from firing a superintendent for following a law or executive order and requires they give 12-months notice to a superintendent who will be fired “without cause”

Action: Passed out of the Senate Committee on Education on Feb. 8, with 3 Democrats in favor and 1 Republican opposed

Senate: Passed out of Senate on Feb. 10, with 16 in favor and 7 Republicans opposed.

Action: Passed out of House Education Committee on Feb. 22, with 6 Democrats in favor and 4 Republicans opposed; passed the House on Feb. 25 with 31 in favor and 25 against

Governor sign: 

 

Proposal: Creates campaign finance limits: Senate Bill 1526

Summary: Establishes limits on campaign contributions that may be accepted by candidates and political committees.

Action: Public hearing held in the Senate Committee on Rules; another is expected but it’s not been scheduled

Now in: Senate Committee on Rules

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Requires insurers to cover infertility treatments: Senate Bill 1530

Summary: Requires certain insurers to cover for in vitro fertilization, exempts insurers who are currently exempt from covering certain reproductive health services and directs the Oregon Health Authority to study inequities in assisted reproduction for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or who another minority gender identity.

Action: Passed out of the Senate Health Care Committee on Feb. 14, with 3 Democrats in favor and 2 Republicans against

Now in: Senate Rules Committee; no hearing scheduled

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Includes various measure to increase cooling options: Senate Bill 1536

Summary: Allows tenants to put in window air conditioners, establishes a rebate program for heat pumps in rental units and earmarks $1 million to help landlords create cooling spaces.

Action: Passed out of the Senate Committee on Housing and Development on Feb. 14 with 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans in favor 

Now in: Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Capital Construction; vote scheduled for Feb. 25

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Creates pilot programs to help homeless students: Senate Bill 1539

Summary: Establishes grants for school districts with a significant population of homeless students to help pay for their transportation so they can get to school.

Action: Passed out of the Senate Committee on Education on Feb. 8, with 3 Democrats and 1 Republican in favor 

Now in: Senate Finance and Revenue Committee; public hearing held Feb. 16

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Appropriates money for instant firearm background checks: Senate Bill 1540

Summary: Appropriates $2.6 million to the Oregon State Police to fund the Firearms Instant Check System to address a backlog.

Action: Passed out of the Senate Judiciary and Ballot Measure 110 Implementation Committee on Feb. 8, with 4 Democrats and 3 Republicans in favor

Now in: Joint Committee on Ways and Means; no hearing scheduled

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Earmarks $200 million for workplace training programs: Senate Bill 1545

Summary: Uses state and federal funds to create grant programs aimed at helping women, low-income residents, people of color, rural residents, veterans, people with disabilities, members of tribes and others gain skills to find jobs in construction, health care and manufacturing.

Action: Passed out of the Senate Committee for Labor and Business on Feb. 11, with 3 Democrats and 1 Republican in favor

Now in: Joint Committee on Ways and Means; no hearing scheduled

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Creates voucher program to increase low-income rental units: Senate Bill 1557

Summary: Creates one-year $900,000 voucher program for the Salem Housing Authority and the Housing Authority of Washington County to help keep low-income tenants in housing that used to be publicly supported. 

Action: Passed out of the Senate Committee on Housing and Development on Feb. 9, with 3 Democrats in favor and 2 Republicans against

Now in: Joint Committee on Ways and Means; no hearing scheduled

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal:  Requires seismic assessments for fuel terminals: Senate Bill 1567

Summary: Requires owners or operators of oil and liquid fuel terminals in Columbia, Multnomah and Lane counties to conduct and submit seismic vulnerability assessment to the Department of Environmental Quality.  

Action: Passed out of the Senate Committee on Energy and the Environment on Feb. 14, with 3 Democrats in favor; 1 Republican in favor

Now in: Joint Committee on Ways and Means; no hearing scheduled

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Creates pathway to release for medically ill people in prison: Senate Bill 1568

Summary: Creates a means for an ill person who’s incarcerated, provided they haven’t committed certain crimes, to apply for early medical release from custody and includes other provisions.

Action: Passed out of the Senate Judiciary and Ballot Measure 110 Implementation Committee on Feb. 14, with 4 Democrats in favor and 3 Republicans opposed

Now in: Joint Committee on Ways and Means; no hearing scheduled

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Allows Education Department to investigate discrimination allegations: Senate Bill 1578

Summary: Allows the Education Department rather than school districts and boards to investigate and resolve allegations of discrimination that violate state and federal laws or could result in physical harm or lost class time for a student

Action: Passed out of the Senate Committee on Education on Feb. 10, with 3 Democrats and 1 Republican in favor; sent to Joint Committee on Ways and Means 

Now in: Bill was killed by Ways and Means Committee

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

 

Proposal: Allows a person who was wrongfully convicted to charge the state: Senate Bill 1584

Summary: Allows people who were wrongfully convicted to charge the state $65,000 for every year they were incarcerated, on probation, on post-prison supervision or forced to register as sex offenders.

Action: Passed out of the Senate Committee On Judiciary and Ballot Measure 110 Implementation on Feb. 9, with 4 Democrats and 2 Republicans in favor

Now in: Joint Committee on Ways and Means

House vote:

Senate vote:

Governor sign:

Reporters Alex Baumhardt and Julia Shumway contributed to this status check.