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Bill would direct ODE to convene advisory committee to modernize early intervention funding
Summary
House Bill 2682 directs the Oregon Department of Education to convene an advisory committee to study and update adequate service levels and funding assumptions for early intervention and early childhood special education (EIECSE); witnesses said the programs serve about 14,000 children and that funding models have not been updated since 2011.
House Bill 2682 would direct the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to establish an advisory committee to study and recommend updates to the adequate service level and funding model for early intervention and early childhood special education (EIECSE). The advisory committee would consider research and family experiences and must report recommendations to the Legislative Assembly by Sept. 15, 2026.
Representative Courtney Neron, the bill sponsor, told the Senate Education Committee that EIECSE serves more than 14,000 children from birth to age 5 and that Oregon’s funding model for those services has not been comprehensively reviewed since 2011. She said the bill would "ensure that funding levels align with the latest research, family experiences, and the realities faced by early childhood special educators." The testimony emphasized that EIECSE services are required by federal law and are delivered by nine regional programs operated mostly by ESDs and some school districts.
Witnesses described implementation challenges and staffing pressures. Dana Hepper of the Children's Institute and convenor of the Alliance for Early Intervention said the programs often have caseload surges because about one-third of enrolled children transition to kindergarten each year, leaving funding models that assume a steady caseload. Tonya Coker, executive director of early learning for Willamette ESD, described funding changes in recent biennia: her program received about $35 million to serve roughly 2,500 children in the 2021–23 biennium and about $31 million to serve about 3,000 children in 2023–25, a decline in funding while service counts rose.
What the advisory committee would do: The measure sets membership for the committee, requires consideration of research and family experience, and asks ODE to submit recommendations by Sept. 15, 2026. Testimony urged that the committee examine staffing, caseload patterns, and whether current service-hour assumptions remain appropriate given wider publicly funded preschool schedules.
Formal action at this hearing: The committee held a public hearing; no final committee action or vote on HB 2682 was recorded during this session.
