Senate Bill 6 90 A would let a tenant move a court to reschedule an eviction trial for nonpayment if the tenant provides documentation showing they are the parent of a child under age 1 who lives in the rental unit and the family is a Medicaid member approved for health‑related social‑needs (HRSN) housing supports.

Senator Kate Reynolds, the bill’s sponsor, told the House Rules Committee that the measure also directs the Oregon Judicial Department and Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) to include eviction‑protection information on public notices for tenants and asks OHCS to prioritize families with infants when adopting housing‑stabilization rules or policies. “The momentum is strong because my colleagues in the Senate see just how important it is to keep our most vulnerable constituents, babies and their families in stable housing,” Reynolds said.

The bill relies on an existing Medicaid waiver that can provide up to six months of rent support for qualifying families, Reynolds said, but she and other witnesses described a frequent lag between approval by a coordinated care organization and disbursement of HRSN funds. Reynolds said the bill’s schedule‑reschedule mechanism is intended to protect families during that payment lag and makes clear that landlords will be made whole when payments arrive.

Reynolds directed the committee’s attention to an amendment posted in OLIS that clarifies when a defendant may ask a court to reschedule a trial and what documentation is required. She said the amendment was developed with the Oregon Judicial Department, the Oregon Law Center and Multifamily Northwest to address privacy, timeline and implementation concerns raised by the courts and housing providers.

Representative Ken Elmer and other committee members asked whether the bill imposes new spending; Reynolds said it does not add a new funding stream and instead asks agencies to prioritize eligible families within existing HRSN and OHCS programs. Vice Chair Jason Draisén and others noted that HRSN funding currently runs only through fall 2027 and that the protections in the bill are therefore tied to that funding stream.

No formal action or vote was taken; the committee held a public hearing and then closed it. The bill’s sponsor said she expects further work with stakeholders and available amendment language.