2007 Session Outcomes

Legislative Update:

At last the Legislative Session is over. In addition to the $20 million in General Fund, that I have already discussed, we had many other great successes. I have included an excerpt from the DD Coalition Newsletter:

Provider rates - $20 million dollars added to the DD budget to address the underfunding of DD services
DD budget - Increase in funding within the budget to address mandated caseloads
HB 2094 - Expansion of the Independent Development Accounts; more on this later
HB 2406 - $1.3 million and passed legislation to implement an in-home waiver for medically involved children
HB 2407 – Family Opportunity Act – Failed
HB 2464 – Residential Offsets – Failed
HB 2842 – Commission on the Products of People with Disabilities Law did not pass
HB 2848 – Modified Diploma – Passed
HB 2851 – Creates a task force on transportation for people with DD – Failed
HB 2918 - Provides equal access to medical services for children with disabilities; requires a review of evidence based treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorder – Passed
HJR 51 – Related to the savings at Eastern Oregon Training Center – Passed
SB 42 - "Home Alone" – Passed
SB 83 – Implements the “People First” language bill of last session – Passed
SB 260 – Modifies power of guardian re: nutrition/hydration – Passed
SB 648 – Revises law related to Lifespan Respite – Passed
Healthy Kids will be a referral to the voters
Low Income Housing filing fee failed – Huge loss

Critically important to Shangri-La Stakeholders was the failure of HB 2842. This bill would have seriously jeopardized employment of over 4000 people with disabilities and the jobs of those staff supporting them. The effort to try to take this work away from people with disabilities will continue as a few ill-informed and misguided individuals try to legislate these limited opportunities away from Oregon’s most vulnerable workers. Shangri-La will actively work to protect these jobs. I thank all of you who helped during our efforts to educate and influence our legislators. It was a battle to the end, I am sad to say, and it will go on. I will keep you posted.