Legislative Fiscal Office recommends $246.6 million for Oregon Military Department; subcommittee approves dash 2 amendment

The Public Safety Subcommittee on May 28 approved the Legislative Fiscal Office recommendation for Senate Bill 5533, funding the Oregon Military Department at $246,600,000 total funds for the 2025–27 biennium and moved the bill to the full Ways and Means Committee with a due-pass recommendation.

The recommendation, reflected in the dash 2 amendment the subcommittee adopted, funds 507 positions and 476.38 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions and reduces the department’s biennial total by $9.2 million (3.6 percent) compared with the 2023–25 legislatively approved budget while increasing funding $17.4 million (7.6 percent) above the current-service level for 2025–27.

The Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO) told the subcommittee the recommendation combines $46,800,000 in General Fund, $24,300,000 in other funds and $175,500,000 in federal funds. LFO staff described a series of policy packages that the amendment includes: establishing and backfilling several permanent positions, converting limited-duration security and support roles at Kingsley Field to permanent positions, transferring some information-technology positions between fund sources, and adding federal expenditure limitation for sustainment, restoration and modernization at Kingsley and Portland Air National Guard bases.

The largest program in the measure, the Operations Division, is funded with an LFO recommendation of $172,400,000 total funds (including $18,100,000 General Fund and $146,200,000 federal funds) and reflects packages that LFO said were needed to support new missions and infrastructure. One package provides $10,000,000 of federal funds expenditure limitation for sustainment and modernization at Kingsley and Portland; another converts four security limited-duration positions at Kingsley Field into permanent positions.

LFO also recommended administrative adjustments including a small general-fund increase to cover payroll costs exceeding federal pay caps at the Portland Air Base, funding for increased local utility charges at the Portland base, and two natural resources specialist positions funded by federal dollars for the department’s environmental program. LFO said those components together increase general fund by roughly $618,000, other funds by about $168,169, and federal funds by about $3.4 million, for an overall $4.2 million adjustment and eight positions (7.8 FTE) in package 801.

During the vote, members praised the National Guard’s work. The Cochair said, “National Guard obviously is a critical asset... It is a job creator. It is a group that helps respond during times of crisis,” and noted some items members had hoped to fund did not make it into this budget due to the forecast; members said they would continue to pursue additional resources where possible.

Action taken: the subcommittee adopted the LFO recommendation and dash 2 amendment and directed the bill to the full Ways and Means Committee with a due-pass recommendation. The motion carried without recorded roll-call opposition.