Social Policy
Legislative Report - Week of 5/15
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Social Policy
Housing
By Debbie Aiona, Nancy Donovan, Debbie Wallace, Penny York
Republican walkouts have prevented the full Senate from considering key housing bills that passed out of Senate Housing and Development and are ready for floor votes. In better news, the full House adopted SB 702, which will require racial justice and implicit bias training for home appraisers. It is now ready for the Governor’s signature. Other key bills are also expected to pass the House and go on to the Governor for her signature.
SB 702: As mentioned in the introduction, this bill is awaiting signature by the Governor. It will require home appraisers to receive bias training to receive certification. Representative Ricki Ruiz sent a thank you note thanking the League for its testimony letter.
SB 225: This bill will address a problematic issue with how private activity bond resources are used to fund low-income housing. In addition to other provisions, it will eliminate the current “blackout period” that begins with the start of the new biennium and ends when the Governor signs the bond authorization bill. During that time, Oregon Housing and Community Services cannot move forward on affordable housing developments. Eliminating this period will prevent construction delays and the resulting cost increases. House Revenue held a work session on May 16 and recommended passage.
SB 599 A: Allows tenants to operate home-based childcare by requiring a landlord to allow a renter to use a dwelling unit for a family childcare home if it is certified or registered with the Office of Child Care. The landlord can require a tenant to pay for improvements necessary for certification and carry some form of liability coverage. The House held a third reading on May 18.
HB 2983: LWVOR added its logo to an informational document on this bill to provide financial resources to Oregon Housing and Community Services and the Department of Land Conservation and Development for the purpose of developing new manufactured parks and drafting new model codes for them. Manufactured housing is a significant source of unsubsidized affordable housing in Oregon.
SB 892 A amends housing statutes and laws of the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department and the Housing Stability Council. It will add federally recognized tribes as community development corporations to allow them to access and administer housing funds. The bill addresses the need to provide loans directly to individuals for down payment or closing costs assistance. It adds to the definition of residential loans for down payment or closing cost assistance to allow low- and moderate- income households to qualify for a primary mortgage loan. The Detailed in this bill are other corrections and conforming amendments. House Housing and Homelessness held a work session on May 18.
Several housing bills of interest are awaiting a vote by the full Senate:
HB 2680 would require more transparency when tenants submit applications for rental housing.
HB 3151 would limit the improvements manufactured home park landlords could require of tenants. It would also extend the sunset date on a landlord/tenant dispute resolution program.
HB 3462 would ensure that individuals covered by federal and state fair housing laws are eligible for emergency housing when an emergency declaration is made. This extends to people regardless of their immigration status.
SB 611 is the updated version of caps on rent increases in Oregon.
Criminal Justice
By Marge Easley
The following bills passed unanimously out of House Judiciary on May 17 and await the Governor’s signature:
SB 212 B maintains confidentiality of peer support check-in sessions for Oregon Youth Authority employees.
SB 745 A directs county juvenile departments to conduct sex trafficking screening for adjudicated youth.
SB 974 A creates the crime of sexual abuse by fraudulent representation.
SB 1052 amends statutes on human trafficking and involuntary servitude to include more categories of forced behavior.