Committee reviews Oregon Emergency Management budget; federal grants under review

Co-chair Senator Bridal opened an informational meeting on Senate Bill 5,517 on April 7, 2025, to review the Oregon Department of Emergency Management’s (OEM) budget request for the 2025–27 biennium and discuss program transitions and investments. The committee heard presentations from Legislative Fiscal Office staff, Department of Administrative Services financial staff and multiple OEM officials before agreeing to cancel the committee’s Tuesday meeting and take public testimony on Wednesday as publicly noticed.

The governor’s recommended budget for OEM totals roughly $1.32 billion for 2025–27, of which agency presenters said about $1.098 billion is federal funds, about $186 million is other funds (including the State 9‑1‑1 account), and approximately $36 million is general‑fund support. Allison Daniel of the DAS Chief Financial Office said the recommended budget “maintains current service level for the department, and provides funding to strengthen the state's overall emergency management infrastructure.”

Why it matters: OEM administers large federal disaster grants, the statewide 9‑1‑1 enterprise, mitigation and recovery programs, and systems used by local governments and tribes. Committee members pressed agency officials on the stability of federal funding and on the department’s plans to assume programs that have been transferred from other agencies.

Key investments and program moves

Agency leaders described several targeted investments included in the governor’s recommendation. Director Erin McMahon said the budget supports “the first steps in the organizational change needed to support the future of Oregon’s emergency management.” Specific, itemized investments cited during the meeting include:

- $3.9 million to transfer the Statewide Interoperability Program (SWIC) and related positions from Department of Administrative Services Enterprise Information Services…