December Legislative Days Recap: Key Highlights from Committee Hearings 

Dec 17, 2024 | AOC Advocacy

The 82nd Oregon Legislative Assembly met Dec. 10-12, in Salem, for its final interim Legislative Days committee hearings as well as a special session, called by Governor Kotek to appropriate funds to the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon State Fire Marshal to cover costs related to the 1.9 million acres burned by wildfires across the state this year.

The 83rd Oregon Legislative Assembly will convene for a 160-day session on Tuesday, Jan. 21. View the 2025 Legislative Assembly Calendar here.

The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) Legislative Affairs department actively participated in and monitored hearings, and used the opportunity to connect with legislators while they were in Salem, particularly around AOC’s 2025 Session Priorities. Below are links and highlights from the hearings with relevance to county governance, services, and budgets.

Joint Committee on Transportation

The Joint Committee on Transportation’s informational meeting included a Highway Cost Allocation Study (HCAS) three-biennia look-back and progress report from the State Economist, the Legislative Revenue Office (LRO), and Oregon State University. A new HCAS is due to the legislature in January and will inform 2025 transportation package development. Among introduced committee bill drafts, which are mostly placeholders, is LC 735, requested by AOC and the Oregon Association of County Engineers and Surveyors (OACES). Created as a pilot program by the legislature in 2019, LC 735 makes permanent the County Safety Corridor Program.

House Committee on Climate, Energy, and Environment

The committee under the new leadership of Representative Lively (D-Springfield) met for a series of informational hearings on Dec. 11. The committee heard a presentation from the Department of Energy and participants of the Community Resiliency Program. The committee then turned to an update from the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) and the City of Salem on the Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities program. Finally, the committee heard two presentations on Small Modular Nuclear Reactors and a progress report on the Wildfire Funding Workgroup being run by the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon State Fire Marshal.

Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire

The committee heard a presentation by House Agriculture Committee Co-Chairs Representative Helm (D-Beaverton) and Representative Owens (R-Crane) on their 2025 Water Policy and Investment Legislation package.

Senate Committee on Energy and Environment

The committee received an update from Representative Gamba (D-Milwaukie) on his Transmission Work Group, as well as presentations on Clean Energy, Regional Power Planning, and the Climate Protection Program (CPP) at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water

The committee heard a presentation on both the location and impacts Quagga Mussels and Emerald Ash Borer are having in the environment. If you are aware of these invasive species in your counties, Oregon’s Invasive Species Council maintains a reporting hotline. The committee also heard from state agencies and the Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies on Water Reuse, and an update on the investments the legislature has been making in water since 2021.

Senate Committee on Veterans, Emergency Management, and Federal and World Affairs

The committee heard an informational presentation from the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, which highlighted how investments in county Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) and veteran outreach have resulted in a doubling of federal VA benefit dollars coming into Oregon to nearly $4 billion annually. The Department of Emergency Management also presented a year in review, and emphasized their “Be 2 Weeks Ready” plan for individuals to prepare for disasters.

House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans

The Oregon Department of Forestry and the State Fire Marshal presented an overview of the 2024 fire season and emphasized the importance of their preparedness initiatives to pre-position equipment and reduce the likelihood of fires turning into conflagrations. The committee also heard testimony from Rangeland Fire Protection Associations about their role in responding to fires and how much they are able to do with very little financial support

House Interim Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care

The committee heard a number of task force updates including behavioral health worker safety, alcohol pricing and addiction services, and the behavioral health workforce study (recommendations forthcoming). The committee also adopted 24 committee measures, including LC 2736 which would require Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) to include, when possible, a county commissioner and a local public health official on their governing boards.

Senate and House Interim Committees on Housing and Development

The committees adopted placeholder committee measures and received an update from the Representative Marsh/Governor’s Sustainable Shelter Work Group.

House Interim Committee on Revenue

The committee began with the introduction of 28 committee bills including one to address AOC’s legislative priority related to assessment and taxation funding, giving the policy a guaranteed legislative vehicle for staff to work at the start of the 2025 legislative session. Other bill requests of note were three legislative concepts addressing AOC’s 2024 priority around foreclosure sale surpluses, concepts relating to income and property taxes, and other maintenance or placeholder bills. Committee members also heard from the LRO who presented informational meetings on the income tax credit report, property tax exemption report, Oregon pass-through entity tax rates, and a timber tax review.

Joint Interim Committee on Judiciary

The joint committees for the House and Senate heard several informational presentations, including from the Specialty Court Task Force who presented the results of their findings, and found that those who participated in treatment courts were substantially less likely to recidivate compared to those who went through a traditional court system. There was discussion for multi-circuit specialty courts to allow smaller counties to provide treatment court services. Legislative concepts were introduced, including AOC’s public safety priority for district attorney discovery fees, which was introduced as a committee bill in both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.

The Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) provided an update on crime trends within the state. Oregon continues to have fewer violent crimes per capita than the national average, and more property crimes, though property crimes have trended down for the last decade.

Joint Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response

Deflection was the name of the game in the joint committee’s hearing. The CJC presented an update on cases moving through the court system and deflection itself. Out of 442 individuals who entered deflection, 10 have successfully completed the program so far. Each county has differing criteria and timelines for success, so as the program matures, we will get better data. The committee also heard from several district attorneys about their challenges and successes in launching deflection programs. They were unified in their request for additional funding to enable continued success of the program, as well as maintaining flexibility for counties to set their own priorities. Lane County, for example, is allocating $400,000 of their deflection funds for short-term housing for participants.

Legislative concepts were introduced, including a bill that would allow county-run community corrections facilities to be eligible for drug treatment programs restricted to “jails,” such as Jail-Based Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (JMOUD).

Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts | Legislative Affairs Director