House approves Public Defense Commission budget with funding to address unrepresented-defendant backlog

The Oregon House approved House Bill 50 31 on June 18, 2025, the budget bill for the Oregon Public Defense Commission (OPDC), authorizing a total funds budget of about $707.7 million with $681 million from the general fund and authorizing approximately 180 positions.

Representative Evans presented the bill on the House floor, describing investments to address backlog and capacity problems in public defense. Key items cited included funding tied to the April 2025 caseload forecast, continuation of an enhanced provider-capacity pilot and support for six "crisis counties," continued funding for law school partnerships, a dedicated position for expedited resolution docketing and case assignment coordinators, and one-time funding to address carry-forward of previously assigned cases tied to the temporary hourly wage increase program that ends June 30, 2025.

Evans described oversight conditions in the recommendation: the Department of Administrative Services was directed to unschedule $22.1 million in general fund until the commission submits a detailed report comparing budgeted and actual capacity; the budget also included three budget notes requiring interim reports on capacity and outcomes of investments in law schools. Performance measures include a new proposed target of 100% for the percentage of financially eligible defendants receiving a public defender. "This is the step, this is the investment, this is the money we need to put forward to get closer to that aspirational goal," Evans said on the floor.

The joint committee on ways and means recommended approval of the bill as amended; the clerk recorded House Bill 50 31 as having received the constitutional majority and declared it passed. The bill funds operations intended to expand provider capacity and oversight but includes reporting and conditional scheduling of some funds pending additional commission reporting.