2023 Legislative Wrap-up
Outcomes of a Roller Coaster Session
Despite a myriad of challenges faced during Oregon’s 2023 legislative session — including new legislators, new leadership, and a six-week walkout that left dozens of bills unaddressed — Disability Rights Oregon was successful in advocating for a multitude of important policies affecting our community. In addition to efforts for crime survivors, health care equity, and equal education access, we also made crucial strides in the following priority areas.
EDUCATION
Disability Rights Oregon supported a package of successful legislation this year that closes various loopholes to improve investigations of abuse in schools. Senate Bills 105, 790 and 1024 expand the definition of “abuse” to include seclusion and restraint, require stronger recordkeeping of incidents, and specify institutional areas that must be surveilled.
The Office of Training and Investigative Services, the institutional arm of the Oregon Department of Human Services, was a key collaborative partner on these efforts, helping to draft the bills as well as advocate for their passage.
HOUSING
Housing was a bright spot in the 2023 session, with two major wins for Oregonians living with disabilities. House Bill 2001 requires — for the first time ever — that accessibility be considered in housing planning processes, while House Bill 3309 directs Oregon Housing and Community Services to incentivize accessible units. The number of accessible units constructed must also now be tracked.
We’re excited about the incredibly diverse and strong coalition that formed around housing issues this year, including within the larger disability community as a whole. There’s serious momentum when different groups work together, and Disability Rights Oregon looks forward to pushing harder in future sessions to further improve housing opportunities.
MENTAL HEALTH
This session, success in this area can be measured by bills that Disability Rights Oregon helped stop from becoming laws, instead of by bills we helped pass. Ongoing efforts with partners killed several detrimental bills that would have unfairly harmed people with disabilities, including legislation to lower civil commitment standards and add patient capacity to the Oregon State Hospital, when research shows more investments in community restoration are what people need to heal.
Arguments for increased jail-based restoration were also rightfully shut down, since our criminal justice system is not equipped to safely meet the needs of people with severe mental illness.
Four legislators are major reasons why these bad policies did not progress. Thank you, Senators Lieber (D-Beaverton) and Steiner (D-Portland/Beaverton), and Representatives Nosse (D-Portland) and Sanchez (D-Portland)!
STATE BUDGET
This year’s budget largely maintains the status quo for services that support people with disabilities which, given the overall session, we consider disappointing, but still a success. It is especially good news that, while legislators chose not to add much-needed investments in community restoration, they also didn’t decrease them, which was definitely possible. Look for this issue to return next year.
