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Senate panel hears broad testimony urging creation of work group on postsecondary supports for students with disabilities
Summary
The Senate Education Committee heard extensive testimony in support of Senate Bill 9 79, which would direct the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to convene a Students with Disabilities Success Work Group and produce reports to shape statewide postsecondary disability policy.
The Senate Education Committee heard more than a dozen testimonies on Wednesday urging passage of Senate Bill 9 79, a measure directing the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HEC) to convene a Students with Disabilities Success Work Group and produce two reports: an advisory-group report to HEC by Dec. 15, 2025, and an HEC report to the Legislature by Sept. 15, 2026.
Committee members heard detailed personal accounts from students and advocates who said supports at Oregon’s colleges and universities are inconsistent, under-resourced or improperly implemented. “Students don’t stop needing the support when they graduate from high school,” said Senator Sarah Gelser Blue, introducing the bill and describing the results of prior task-force work. “Higher education needs to catch up.”
Why it matters: Witnesses said the absence of consistent statewide standards leaves many students with disabilities facing barriers to…
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