Deschutes County staff to send letter supporting HB 3835 on restraint and involuntary seclusion for youth

Divi, a Community Justice staff member for Deschutes County, asked the county commissioners on May 23, 2025, to approve sending a county letter in support of House Bill 3835, a bill modifying the use of restraint and involuntary seclusion for certain young people and clarifying investigation procedures for abuse allegations.

The request was framed as a narrow county interest in the bill27s investigative provisions. Divi said the county27s priority is that "we want law enforcement investigation, not DHS investigation" for abuse allegations related to youth in county residential settings, specifically the county detention center. Steve, a county staff member who was in the meeting, voiced support for that position. Commissioners present, including Commissioner Chang and Commissioner Adair, responded in favor of the letter; no roll-call vote was recorded.

County staff said the draft letter was prepared after a request from Senator Broadman and was shared with the commission as part of the bill tracker materials. Divi noted the county had placed the request in its general priorities and suggested sending the letter from her department; commissioners signaled support for that approach. The exchange did not record a formal motion or recorded tally; the meeting transcript shows commissioners approved moving forward by consensus.

House Bill 3835 was described in the meeting as a larger bill with multiple provisions, but the county27s entry point and explicit support is limited to streamlining abuse-allegation investigations so that law enforcement handles allegations involving youth in county residential facilities.

Next steps: Deschutes County staff will send the draft letter as described in the meeting. The county27s action is an advocacy step; the legislature will still need to consider and act on HB 3835 during the remainder of the session.