Rep. Evans unveils wide‑ranging preparedness authority bill, seeks $300 million over 10 years

Representative Paul Evans presented House Bill 2,858 to the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government and Veterans on Feb. 6 and described a multi‑part proposal he said would sustain Oregon's all‑hazards response capacity and training infrastructure.

"What I'm bringing forward today is a vision," Representative Paul Evans said. "It will not pass as is, but if we can make progress on this, it is the next logical step after the work we spent the last five years on..." He outlined a package he said would seek $300,000,000 over 10 years, including $200,000,000 for capital construction and $100,000,000 for programming and service support.

Key elements in the bill as described by Evans include establishment of an authority to site and build regional training satellites tied to the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST), a statewide preparedness database to track personnel and training credentials, a commission and a time‑limited task force to design the facilities and criteria, and expanded authority and staff to support a broader all‑hazards state resilience office. Evans said the plan would create standardized satellite training facilities that could double as evacuation and resilience hubs during disasters.

Evans described a funding approach built on bonding for capital projects and dedicated programming funds. He suggested roughly $20,000,000 per satellite facility in his initial estimate and said the $300,000,000 figure was intended as a starting point for negotiation.

Committee members raised questions about regional distribution, the relationship to existing advisory councils created under prior legislation, and whether the proposed authority would duplicate or supersede the roles of agencies already responsible for emergency support functions. Evans told the committee the State Resilience Officer would remain a governor's advisor and the bill would provide leverage to coordinate across agencies rather than replace agency authority.

Why it matters: The bill would create statewide infrastructure and staffing intended to standardize training and support surge capacity for responder personnel and volunteers. Proponents said it would address long‑term sustainment concerns for volunteer and part‑time emergency responders and help prepare for catastrophic hazards including wildfire and a potential Cascadia seismic event.

Next steps: The presentation was an informational hearing and work session discussion; committee members asked clarifying questions but did not vote on HB 2,858 during the Feb. 6 meeting.