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Heated public hearing on SB 644: sponsors call for legislative audit of Oregon Food Bank; nonprofit leaders and civil liberties groups oppose bill
Summary
Senate Bill 644 would create a joint legislative audit committee to review Oregon Food Bank financial transactions and political activity between Dec. 1, 2021 and Jan. 1, 2025. The committee heard vigorous testimony both for greater legislative oversight and opposing the bill as an abuse of power and a threat to nonprofits' speech rights.
Senate Bill 644 drew extended and contested testimony in the Senate Committee on Human Services on Feb. 4. The bill would establish an Oregon Food Bank Audit Committee, a joint legislative committee charged with auditing the Oregon Food Bank’s financial transactions between Dec. 1, 2021 and Jan. 1, 2025, reporting on transactions related to political activity, and submitting a report to the Legislature by Nov. 15, 2025. The measure would declare an emergency and include a sunset.
Supporters, including Senator Daniel Bonham and Representative Shelley B. Bossard Davis, told the committee they want legislative oversight of a large, state-funded nonprofit and raised concerns they see as political activity by the Oregon Food Bank. Bonham cited reported revenues and assets, described past public statements by the organization and said the Legislature has distributed more than $100 million to the organization over the last decade; he said an audit would clarify use of state funds. Representative Bossard Davis urged passage to ensure tax dollars are not spent on partisan political activity.
Oregon Food Bank President Andrea Williams and Vice Chair Wayne Graham testified that the organization distributes food statewide (citing 91 million meals provided last year, 2.5 million pantry visits and a 31% year-over-year visit increase), that financial audits and IRS Form 990 filings are publicly available, and that state funds are designated by restriction for stated program purposes. Williams said she had not authorized the full-page ad referenced by a senator and offered to meet to clarify. Graham and other Food Bank witnesses highlighted existing audited financial reports and noted lobbying-related expenditures reported on IRS filings represented about 0.3% of spending in 2023 (testimony quantified that as roughly $344,000). They said additional legislative audits would divert resources from hunger relief.
Opponents including the Nonprofit Association of Oregon and the ACLU of Oregon argued SB 644 is an inappropriate legislative intrusion that risks chilling protected political speech by nonprofits and could invite costly litigation. Jim White of the Nonprofit Association said 501(c)(3) nonprofits are allowed to engage in many forms of advocacy and urged the committee not to create a special auditing pathway. Sandy Chung of the ACLU warned of constitutional and practical risks and cited recent national examples where similar efforts targeted nonprofits. The committee took no vote during the hearing and left the record open for additional written testimony.
