Subcommittee Hears House Bill 5020 Budget for Long‑Term Care Ombudsman; Focus on permanent public‑guardian staff, volunteers and oversight gaps

The Joint Subcommittee on Human Services on March 3, 2025 opened a public hearing on House Bill 5020, the governor’s recommended 2025–27 budget for the Oregon Long Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO), where agency leaders described staffing needs, volunteer shortfalls and work to address regulatory gaps after a recent facility death.

Kendra Beck, a Department of Administrative Services chief financial office analyst, provided an overview of LTCO’s recommended budget and funding sources. “Oregon's Long Term Care Ombudsman's mission is to protect individual rights, promote independence, and ensure quality of life for Oregonians living in long term care and residential facilities and for those with decisional limitations,” Beck said. She told the committee the agency’s budget is “largely supported by general fund, which makes up 92% of total agency revenues.”

Dr. Nasreen Khan, deputy director at LTCO, described the governor’s recommended total for the agency as $17,550,000 for the 2025–27 biennium and said the package balances operational costs with targeted investments. “The governor's recommended budget of 17,550,000.00 reflects both necessary cost adjustments and targeted investments that will strengthen our programs, enhance service delivery and support long term gain sustainability for us,” Dr. Khan said. She said the remaining roughly 8% of LTCO revenue comes primarily from federal Older Americans Act and Senior Medicare Patrol grants passed through the Oregon Department of Human Services.

Fred Steele,…