[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-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",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_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",6617864,"mediaKeyId","2838915-204a997c714289c3929a5f8e2b9f7085","parentId",2838915,"title","Mixed testimony as committee hears proposal to pilot larger adult foster homes","audioSeconds",1881,"startMs",2377000,"endMs",4258000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2838915-204a997c714289c3929a5f8e2b9f7085&start=2377&end=4258","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2838915-204a997c714289c3929a5f8e2b9f7085/thumbnail_2377000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6617864/Oregon/Mixed-testimony-as-committee-hears-proposal-to-pilot-larger-adult-foster-homes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6617864-a4c0e6018ec4754a60b0d5cb1db279e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1776084511&Signature=gJyjx-Y3H9GognapcPSzxZHabXZo72Dd5TWwSxCtHI3rADhbIQbaCBkOAg3OnbQLXKl2~6gWThukcje~pTTVd~7X8aStVvvJy-4-PvhoRBF0Tfi5qi~C-lwYiVBn5RvzilQHytdhhJuUT29DmFF9dP-AQVl9ZgMMTeBVsityT7coH~Bx2FnlJdmgqKx-ASfFcvpx~w9K3Oa2LBhHnD32x2G~snFJ1ZmDUb5LaPWwf9ysHa5uAEnLnOIrqSE90GzUud10Fmj5w4gUaUkYn0AX3pbSV4bzd25YwJ-y0HQP0tovFIy9IeZYTv3NGt9tSDb39uudEnkuZ6gNa4JNl3bDOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","article","The House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services held a public hearing April 1 on House Bill 2956, a four‑year pilot to allow certain adult foster homes to serve up to six or seven residents instead of the current five-resident limit.

Senator Mark Meek (Senate District 20), the bill’s sponsor, said the pilot aims to keep small, home-like care settings viable as reimbursement rates and operational costs squeeze providers. The dash-2 amendment adds protective requirements: adult foster homes must maintain existing staffing ratios, not require shared occupancy except for spouses or partners, pass a physical inspection showing the home can safely accommodate one or two additional residents, and be in substantial compliance with state rules before participation. The amendment would cap participation at roughly 30 homes (about 2% of Oregon’s adult foster-home population) and extend the pilot’s sunset to 2030.

Multiple provider witnesses supported the pilot. Petronella Donovan of the Independent Adult Care Home Association and several individual providers told the committee that modest capacity increases would improve financial viability while preserving a home-like setting. Providers cited a steep decline in the number of adult foster homes in recent decades and said higher capacity could help keep more homes open.

Opponents and cautious stakeholders included AARP Oregon, Disability Rights Oregon, and other consumer-advocate groups. AARP told the committee it opposes the dash-2 amendment because expanding capacity “fundamentally changes the nature of the home-like setting” and could create safety, licensing and physical-space concerns (bedrooms, bathrooms, evacuation and sprinkler rules). Disability Rights Oregon said it opposed the bill without more stakeholder engagement on operational and resident-protection details, including staffing, emergency evacuation and the interplay with existing licensing frameworks.

The Oregon Health Care Association said it was neutral on the bill with changes that clarify eligibility and require DHS verification that homes are in substantial compliance and meet fire-safety standards. Several witnesses requested a capped pilot and close monitoring of health and safety outcomes.

Committee members asked detailed questions about staffing, evacuation and sprinkler rules and how the pilot would interact with other pending legislation. Senator Meek and provider witnesses said the pilot preserves staffing ratios and includes inspection and compliance safeguards. Several stakeholders urged an interim work group or more robust stakeholder engagement to address structural issues such as licensing, physical-space requirements and statutory definitions that distinguish adult foster homes from residential care facilities.

The committee closed the public hearing after extensive testimony; members indicated more discussion will be necessary before any committee recommendation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Committee On Early Childhood and Human Services 04/01/2025 8:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","A proposed four‑year pilot (HB 2956) to let some adult foster homes increase capacity from five to six or seven residents drew support from providers and resistance from advocates, who warned of safety and regulatory gaps.","taxTitle","Early Childhood and Human Services, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17511,"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},6617869,"Lawmakers hear testimony calling HB 2061 a step to address turnover among case managers and APS workers",1535,822000,2357000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2838915-204a997c714289c3929a5f8e2b9f7085&start=822&end=2357","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2838915-204a997c714289c3929a5f8e2b9f7085/thumbnail_822000.jpg","/articles/6617869/Oregon/Lawmakers-hear-testimony-calling-HB-2061-a-step-to-address-turnover-among-case-managers-and-APS-workers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6617869-fd333311135277fc6f50bda49c90a10f/orig.mp4?Expires=1776084511&Signature=QJGhsSjHcKmGgJO2qD8VGIZ2Q0bFL8o0OOt~HufTinW3nMot7StA1Wt~EtjcGyS4FaDvkKnFpxF1DaYgyQt9KvqakX4fzedigFgWfl0OhVzfDCPyXZ3cDm99sfBXtM5hLeERvaT4NQNrLkmt5Nong7Q51di7LxxbGphCwIvY34Brqy1jASZ49EpyBJnlr8kIwKddXUT1K66gJzSxd-2jzmKYSzvHEauy9DOwb4ZWy-yUkX9OmeCwoouY8UC2wgGRugCPEVrj46jLLGKK7hxXHIHGq20s7At0M5USxcvsHw9MnUbyhew7770JKZRr7btZqkumAW17IEtB~QxtrLGAkQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services opened a public hearing April 1 on House Bill 2061, which would establish a task force to examine issues affecting Medicaid-funded long-term care case managers and adult protective services (APS) workers.

Representative Lucetta Elmer (House District 24) opened the hearing in support, saying case managers and APS workers are “the lifeline for our aging parents” and describing conversations with area agencies that reported many case managers had caseloads “over 80” clients. “Turnover is rising, burnout is real, and the system cannot survive without them,” Elmer said.

Witnesses from Northwest Senior and Disability Services and the Oregon Association of Area Agencies on Aging and Disabilities (Area Agencies on Aging) described high workloads, growing documentation and policy requirements, and long processing times for provider exceptions. Esperanza Gomez, a bilingual case manager with Northwest Senior and Disability Services, said recent regulatory changes increased the number of forms per assessment and the time required to complete exception requests (which she said can take 8–12 weeks), and that her caseload had grown by “40 to 50 more consumers” compared with earlier in her career.

Michael McNeil, an Adult Protective Services specialist at Northwest Senior and Disability Services, told the committee that new data systems and an accumulation of review teams and quality-assurance steps had lengthened case processing times. He said his unit’s average case-closure rate dropped and that Salem-area APS had lost 11 APS workers in the past year and a half. McNeil urged a collaborative approach to policy development and warned that “dumping it all from the top” without resourcing the field risks losing the staff who implement protections.

Nicole Palmetier and Hazel Baker of the Oregon Association of Area Agencies on Aging and Disabilities testified in support and said the bill was brought forward at the request of case managers and APS workers. Jane Ellen Whitehance, Deputy Director of Policy for the Office of Aging and People with Disabilities (within ODHS), told the committee the bill authorizes the department either to staff the task force or to contract it out, and said contracting would be done via competitive procurement and subject to state procurement rules.

Representative Elmer and committee members discussed staffing the task force and typical task-force contract sizes; department staff and witnesses estimated comparable task-force contracts often range from about $300,000 to $400,000. Committee members asked whether ODHS would participate; department staff said ODHS would have representation on the task force as written in the bill.","At a public hearing on House Bill 2061, advocates, Medicaid area agency staff and Adult Protective Services workers described high caseloads, policy accumulation and burnout. The bill would create a task force to study workforce and policy issues affecting case managers and adult protective services workers.",{"_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},6617874,"Committee advances bill to create care program aimed at improving student attendance",94,487000,581000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2838915-204a997c714289c3929a5f8e2b9f7085&start=487&end=581","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2838915-204a997c714289c3929a5f8e2b9f7085/thumbnail_487000.jpg","/articles/6617874/Oregon/Committee-advances-bill-to-create-care-program-aimed-at-improving-student-attendance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6617874-d58deee79096b82bd4731e640aa2407f/orig.mp4?Expires=1776084511&Signature=Y0GtY8bSP93sp8Vpgy97lssxQbzK5PQ9-W6KUIgCgM1aF7jqgztWQdpZd-QdRojG-crbGLjC29e~ZayTtjVuNPwFXEyTnXplWL3TS5VDnSPW6Gw3Nc9LfDbeeGDLuKvR5TOvSnXWl911YIb1sX54bpPOXLFwi~rl1r6XApEcg6fOZFuLivJ7ICV6CU~~3Gf9TnAur08KiAidqnmHZLT7vxmkBLa0aOTYBP5uqc1gB3IvvTrNWYc7~KalVR87J14PmB1EmhWxhGGZp6D7bbVAOPRxDGGTQi1Qx9psLcBYsJe1zsbWAmRiod0C--~4CX~CanW6o1aUJy3CS8nsVo--HA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services on April 1 adopted the dash-2 amendment to House Bill 2374 and moved the amended bill to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.

As amended, HB 2374 establishes a care program within the Youth Development Division (YDD) of the Department of Human Services to support families in improving school attendance by addressing barriers that contribute to absences. The measure directs YDD to award grants to counties or local entities to implement local care programs and requires school districts to refer students identified as needing attendant support to the nearest care program. Committee staff said there was no revenue impact listed in the summary; a fiscal-impact statement was posted on OLIS.

Vice Chair Scharf moved to adopt the dash-2 amendment and then moved the bill with a do-pass recommendation and referral to Ways and Means by prior reference. Committee members recorded their votes as “Aye” and the chair closed the work session.

Supporters described the program as a way to reduce barriers to students’ regular attendance by coordinating local services. No formal opposition testimony was recorded in the committee work session on April 1.","House Bill 2374 would establish a care program within the Department of Human Services’ Youth Development Division to support families and reduce barriers to school attendance through local grants and district referrals. The committee adopted the -2 amendment and referred the bill to Ways and Means.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6617879,"House committee advances two bills aimed at easing siting rules for childcare centers",260,35000,295000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2838915-204a997c714289c3929a5f8e2b9f7085&start=35&end=295","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2838915-204a997c714289c3929a5f8e2b9f7085/thumbnail_35000.jpg","/articles/6617879/Oregon/House-committee-advances-two-bills-aimed-at-easing-siting-rules-for-childcare-centers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6617879-c9cda804f18aea9b4a9b566dfdfe3700/orig.mp4?Expires=1776084511&Signature=n9tf2XCRrierN0vhkdNaXxwSqxNUxmktuFDvE~ah6c-3GL5tzPrY0PNduG6fTDRnENKN50CGfUeS-J38bCf72QcdxFTtOJVBgbXwz8dyAUvE-107ayLomNIa3uYTRocSs6BYNKC0M7XhkOV86ph1Ryyv88MJhuOBJ9U3fPXIcUydnGMJqbv3ygu2w7kTpAmHrXX7UjCXBB0cOz56vjt7g69Yc2VjuETOFI8nNuLJuMMIeMdWmIW~oD7JQW7YTYsGHOPPHOFKPpq6cxF0q-RwB6ATdBb2k7uDZSY5urxGTV~zDMSqaWalptfsRnVunMgTtzcmvsaNJi4nGWCkoInZjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services on April 1 adopted amendments and advanced two bills intended to reduce barriers to siting and developing childcare facilities in Oregon.

House Bill 3496 directs the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) to develop guidance for local governments related to siting, incentivizing and developing childcare facilities, with a required completion date of Dec. 31, 2026. Committee members moved the measure with a do-pass recommendation and referral to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. The chair announced the motion passed and the work session closed.

House Bill 3560, as amended (the “-3” amendment), expands allowable sites for childcare centers by clarifying where childcare facilities may be located, adds co-location rules with institutional uses, and updates references to certain land-use categories. The committee adopted the dash-3 amendment on a roll call and then moved the amended bill to the floor with a do-pass recommendation.

Supporters and committee members said the measures aim to reduce restrictive siting rules that limit where childcare centers may operate. Representative Walters said the conversation “has been happening for a long time” and praised efforts to remove “draconian rules” that make childcare harder to access. Vice Chair Scharf noted the dash-3 amendment incorporated stakeholder suggestions (including cooperative-parent provisions) that “close some loops.”

Opponents were not recorded during the work sessions; questions focused on fiscal impacts and implementation. Vice Chair Scharf and other members noted fiscal-impact statements were posted on the legislature’s OLIS site. Committee staff repeatedly referenced the fiscal-impact statements and the standard referral process to Ways and Means for budgetary review.

The committee closed both work sessions after the roll-call actions and named Representative Marsh as the carrier for HB 3560.

Votes at a glance: motions to adopt the amendments and to advance each bill were approved by the committee during the April 1 meeting; the committee recorded the motions as passed on roll call (members recorded their votes as “Aye” in the transcript). Detailed numeric roll-call tallies were not provided in a clear, machine-readable form in the transcript.","The House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services advanced guidance and land-use changes intended to make it easier to locate and develop childcare facilities. Lawmakers adopted amendments and sent the measures forward for additional review and appropriations vetting.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6617859,"Committee hears support for adding lived-experience seats and staff to System of Care Advisory Council",227,2882000,3109000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2838915-204a997c714289c3929a5f8e2b9f7085&start=2882&end=3109","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2838915-204a997c714289c3929a5f8e2b9f7085/thumbnail_2882000.jpg","/articles/6617859/Oregon/Committee-hears-support-for-adding-lived-experience-seats-and-staff-to-System-of-Care-Advisory-Council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6617859-abf53b1cf3c8c843eadfcc2f6b1aff7a/orig.mp4?Expires=1776084511&Signature=OjtoeSpA~rbkr99N6RmTbnAkoFdT7CGqAqh6m-~Vht2-gImqmfAGCIF9Wj6rbB4XVFSyqQEv1SoeUHRwsbxzHWq-G8pH1YknY8zty19QkCUmvrsI7MxZu8Clb80YrUBNhTMyRcmUUsg-fsg4IvhevReOpq6cIkabIbIMW9jN8BL6m43rFwwuPj8vJOiyQyCdjC3G22jAa~PJ6q8yFnb2N-FVDSr4cevLMkkn2f8GgVfthX9u3XO7z5o05M6Wpk1cRS133GJyfnzg-8jULAGvyxaUceWbAvgKBVzUvQqxg32KSkjnW4ZfY4-31Jupln~OcPhIZqvGe9Ttcn18Yo046g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services held a public hearing April 1 on House Bill 2924, which would expand lived-experience representation on the System of Care Advisory Council (SOCAC) by adding two youth and two family voting seats and making a limited-duration youth/family engagement specialist a permanent position.

Dr. Robin Henderson, legislative chair of SOCAC, said the council and its youth advisory structures have demanded substantial staff support and that additional voting seats would allow more lived-experience participants to share the workload and improve representation. SOCAC staff and youth members described how a permanent engagement support position and an additional communications position would help sustain participation and broader outreach.

Cameron Burke, a young person with lived experience who is active in youth advisory work, testified in support and described the importance of diverse youth voices. Joylene Carter, SOCAC’s youth and family engagement strategist, read testimony from a youth co-chair who urged more seats so youth and family members are not tokenized and can meaningfully influence council work.

Committee members clarified that the governor’s recommended budget includes three positions and that stipends for youth and family members are already included in the budget and fiscal impact statement. SOCAC staff and witnesses emphasized the need to make the engagement specialist permanent and to fund external communications and broader outreach.

The committee closed the public hearing and indicated support for further consideration of the bill and its budgetary elements.","House Bill 2924 would add youth and family voting seats and make a temporary youth/family engagement position permanent for the System of Care Advisory Council. Youth and family advocates testified the changes would improve representation and sustainability.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Mixed testimony as committee hears proposal to pilot larger adult foster homes

Lawmakers hear testimony calling HB 2061 a step to address turnover among case managers and APS workers

Committee advances bill to create care program aimed at improving student attendance

House committee advances two bills aimed at easing siting rules for childcare centers

Committee hears support for adding lived-experience seats and staff to System of Care Advisory Council