[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6343107,"mediaKeyId","2252843-0e064067d61bcb973c11e189f1800a40","parentId",2252843,"title","Senate Judiciary forwards SB 779 to Senate president for re-referral; motion passes","audioSeconds",90,"startMs",3353000,"endMs",3443000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2252843-0e064067d61bcb973c11e189f1800a40&start=3353&end=3443","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2252843-0e064067d61bcb973c11e189f1800a40/thumbnail_3353000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6343107/Oregon/Senate-Judiciary-forwards-SB-779-to-Senate-president-for-re-referral-motion-passes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343107-806d94660908cfe7004a6cbd60a73d5d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775510422&Signature=ZD016Iy2VVmIl5Y1-GUV9SkBOWKnCfR~7QtOm3hzNQrbgeSgHYIEMTfjeN8g4i8Mbwfu80z0H4MJeFxQ7IAKiokocFYjjcFVvNvWduo8jikPMT79Bpbr9GZg5RF1BdbHlbGU-UYU81JxbleuKEt8faxir~Oy~UbGbYzdpORxYrwTTwMzOyaFsURWgpip0hnNOxv466W60aClCff20SOHq~m8E2xGq5AnAXqbnh~ZyNze-N3IQMeAPEXyiiUzalhqtfKX1p2hsDEPFGoDYRnr6pHcj6ldMdOS7aDv6ySQG8LCA8k8OcJERNRUPZ7tsbUEaS9sl~Ean~GQF4g4X-n9Tg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-02-06T00:00:00Z","article","In a committee work session the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to move Senate Bill 779 back to the Senate president for referral to the Senate Committee on Early Childhood and Behavioral Health and, by prior reference, to Joint Ways and Means.

Senate Thatcher moved that SB 779 be forwarded without recommendation to the Senate president requesting rereferral to the Senate Committee on Early Childhood and Behavioral Health and subsequent referral to Joint Ways and Means by prior reference. The motion carried; recorded ayes included Senators Broadman, Gelster Blueen, Manning, McLean, Vice Chair Thatcher and Chair Pozanski. Chair Pozanski announced, “Aye. Motion carries. Bill's on the way back to the President's Office for re referral.”

Tisha (staff) had described the measure as an appropriation from the General Fund for operation of Oregon’s agri-stress helpline and noted there is a fiscal and revenue-impact issue. The committee’s action was procedural: it clears SB 779 for re-referral so other committees can consider the bill’s substance and the fiscal implications in Ways and Means.

Why it matters: SB 779 would fund the agri-stress helpline, which provides behavioral-health and crisis assistance to agricultural producers and farmworkers. The committee’s motion advances the bill to the committees charged with programmatic and budgetary review.

Formal action summary: The committee voted to forward SB 779 without recommendation to the Senate president for re-referral; the vote was recorded with the named ayes listed by the clerk. The committee adjourned afterward.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee On Judiciary 02/06/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to move Senate Bill 779, an appropriation for Oregon’s agri-stress helpline, back to the Senate president for re-referral to the Senate Committee on Early Childhood and Behavioral Health and Joint Ways and Means; the motion passed by recorded voice votes with six named ayes.","taxTitle","Judiciary, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17923,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6343112,"Bill would require judicial training on domestic violence, sexual assault; judges and survivors testify",1842,1168000,3010000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2252843-0e064067d61bcb973c11e189f1800a40&start=1168&end=3010","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2252843-0e064067d61bcb973c11e189f1800a40/thumbnail_1168000.jpg","/articles/6343112/Oregon/Bill-would-require-judicial-training-on-domestic-violence-sexual-assault-judges-and-survivors-testify","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343112-ee4c3d9de3bfb9b730efbb4d2bad689a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775510422&Signature=LDS9U2cUaH2qn0njsyEqrqHsAqXV4FyAjD0-s1yyMvbKazrYMvmciNTsPqZ7RR3ELZxf~YyZsp5zriRIUJjHwCAJhNkEOAKfqX54fCgK7v6FrnfJ1U03xsf0GMtaSS4OG9RRpsUubHCpXcNPA3b1vD9-Duae1U9H9TXyDUCRhO49b9-VSD9FIvd4kDFQR5W7YD3jBbc~jU7U99HaNdMsUU5AeFkh-~X5Qaw1oIgj-tC8Ztqyva~WlQsJCPHO80gVYJCAh09ioM~2DAjP76PZ4Kqie0LpYPD~njnJuzvgwqDwc4iQAX4FLfKNPHWXHnhmv7hIrf13BOwUfB34~E0EQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 710 would direct the Oregon Judicial Department to study options for specialized training for judges on domestic and sexual violence and to submit a report with recommendations to the legislature by Sept. 15, 2026, supporters told the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Multiple witnesses — including judges, Oregon Judicial Department representatives, survivor-advocates and Family Justice Center staff — said trauma-informed, skill-based judicial training is necessary because domestic violence and sexual assault affect cases across criminal, family and juvenile dockets.

Rebecca Guptill, presiding judge of the Washington County Circuit Court, testified that there is no mandated judicial training specific to domestic or sexual violence and that continuing legal education (CLE) requirements are not tailored to judges’ courtroom needs. “It is my opinion that judges would benefit from their own judicial education standards for continuing education rather than the current requirements,” Guptill said. She recommended training that is evidence-based, trauma informed, practical and developed in collaboration with community partners and a judicial advisory committee.

Matt Shirtcliff, presiding judge in Baker County and a former prosecutor, advocated for an advanced course model: a week-long, concentrated training in the first two to three years on the bench and periodic refresher training thereafter. “There’s simply no reason why prosecutors should have that in-depth training and judges not,” Shirtcliff said, adding that implementation will require funding to backfill dockets while judges attend multi-day programs.

Erin Knott, director of government relations and communications for the Oregon Judicial Department, said OJD supports the project in concept but noted the department currently lacks a statewide mechanism and sustained funding to deliver judge-specific continuing education at scale.

Survivors and advocates also testified. Rachel Schutz of the Family Justice Center of Washington County described the “deep and insidious complexities of violence and abuse” and urged passage. Lisa Jones, who identified herself as a survivor, said her family-court experience produced additional harm: she described her child’s later diagnosis of complex PTSD after a court case she said failed to protect them. “Without this education, courts rely on outdated myths, personal biases, and incomplete CPS reports,” Jones said.

Jen Bartholomew of the Voices Survivor Advisory Committee described nearly 25 years of coercive abuse and urged judges to be trained to identify coercive control, trauma responses, and courtroom dynamics in which unrepresented survivors may appear differently than represented litigants.

Why it matters: Supporters said better judicial education would improve courtroom management, credibility assessments, safety planning and overall outcomes for survivors and children in family cases. OJD and witnesses flagged the need to fund and structure training so judges statewide can participate without disrupting court operations.

The committee opened a public hearing, received testimony from multiple panels and did not take immediate action on the bill during the hearing.","Senate Bill 710 would direct the Oregon Judicial Department to study and propose a domestic- and sexual-violence judicial training program; judges, court staff and survivors urged mandatory, trauma-informed and skill-based education during a public hearing.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6343116,"VOCA cuts threaten Oregon victim services; advocates urge federal fix, seek $21.5 million state support",3064,11000,3075000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2252843-0e064067d61bcb973c11e189f1800a40&start=11&end=3075","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2252843-0e064067d61bcb973c11e189f1800a40/thumbnail_11000.jpg","/articles/6343116/Oregon/VOCA-cuts-threaten-Oregon-victim-services-advocates-urge-federal-fix-seek-215-million-state-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343116-e5c14e903eac9e87457ae3704cd48a1b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775510422&Signature=AmWSQN8Txp4JGWUwFto61kckzJCD5nWedtA5O8zvE8erZhWyL08E5vxK9nnTtkiY~c~s8wvSxVIxktmWHfg53VyXCnP5-lI90ggN0mKFOTFGK-476LMEXB4ps71h3ZjcSKxPEAI4Ve48bmKp2hYVqkjZPCT27DvJH9sGc1Cg6Bpng5I4kc5fakwIRa~5p1Y4iYC7BY~RfIo-kCuCwexsvSPws1SquTeSJlkts-0lk1g0l6KiJ~gCu8OE-p6G4avQ2cNJ4Uks-a2YEsteMttJSpSqGUNYKNo-Icx3~4a1PLMVadA3FJErY~J0ak4v-aRBaPhfcvAKwu9OAnFEzw8RqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a joint informational meeting of the Oregon Senate and House Judiciary committees, state and advocacy officials warned that a 42% reduction in federal Victims of Crime Act funding is jeopardizing victim services across the state.

Shannon Savelle, director of the Crime Victims and Survivor Services Division (CVSSD) in the Oregon Department of Justice, told the committees that VOCA (Victims of Crime Act, enacted 1984) became the primary federal funder for domestic and sexual violence and other victim services in Oregon. Savelle said Oregon averaged roughly $22 million per year in formula VOCA grants over the past decade but was notified after the close of the 2024 short legislative session that its 2024 allocation would fall to about $9.9 million — a roughly 42% reduction. “This loss of funding truly eats at the foundational services that Oregon has built over the last decade,” Savelle said.

The funding supports a wide array of programs, Savelle said, including children’s advocacy centers, nonprofit domestic and sexual violence providers, district attorney victim assistance units, tribal programs, human-trafficking services, campus sexual-assault programs and culturally specific supports. She listed common services funded by VOCA grants: crisis response, 24-hour hotlines, on-scene sexual-assault response, medical and court advocacy, and other survivor advocacy services.

Shelly Smith, executive director of Oregon Child Abuse Solutions, told the committees there are 24 children’s advocacy centers (CACs) serving all 36 Oregon counties and that CACs served more than 7,000 children last year. She said CACs rely on a mix of local, state and federal funding, with roughly 27% from the state and about 35% from federal sources including VOCA; some services can be billed to insurance, but not all. Because of the VOCA reductions, Smith said CACs have requested $21,500,000 from the state through House Bill 3196 to preserve baseline services.

Carrie Moran, executive director of the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, told the committees that the Crime Victims Fund at the federal level is funded by penalties, fines and settlements rather than appropriated general tax revenue; she said a drop in deposits to that fund forced Congress to reduce the fund’s statutory obligation cap between fiscal 2023 and 2024, producing roughly a $550 million reduction in obligations nationwide and an approximate 40% cut to state grants. Moran urged support for a federal legislative fix (referred to in testimony as the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act) and described efforts in Washington to restore the fund.

Committee members asked when the state learned of the reduction; a committee question was answered that Oregon was notified around March 24, 2024, and that the Emergency Board had provided limited carryover funding to cover some programs that otherwise would have started new grants. Representative Anderson asked why the federal funding fell; Savelle attributed the cut to a depletion of deposits in the federal Crime Victims Fund and said federal corrective steps are being pursued but are not expected to restore funding immediately.

Why it matters: VOCA grants are a principal funding source for front-line survivor services. Committee testimony warned that the cut threatens basic crisis response, advocacy, and forensic services for children and adults and could force programs to triage requests or close services.

Advocates requested a combination of state support and federal action. Smith said HB 3196 would “protect services and cover baseline services to survivors of child abuse and domestic violence.” Moran asked the legislature to adopt a Senate Joint Memorial (SJM 2) urging Congress to enact a stabilization fix for the Crime Victims Fund.

The informational meeting did not include a committee vote on policy; it concluded with the committee moving to the next agenda items.","Presenters at a joint informational hearing told the Senate and House Judiciary committees that a 42% cut to federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding is forcing programs to triage services and seek state support, including a $21.5 million request for children's advocacy centers.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate Judiciary forwards SB 779 to Senate president for re-referral; motion passes

Bill would require judicial training on domestic violence, sexual assault; judges and survivors testify

VOCA cuts threaten Oregon victim services; advocates urge federal fix, seek $21.5 million state support