County government relations team briefs commissioners on multiple 2025 state bills and funding priorities

Erin Doyle, senior government relations manager for Washington County, and colleagues from the County’s government relations team and Clean Water Services gave commissioners a broad update on priority bills and budget items being tracked in the 2025 Oregon legislative session.

"We are here to provide your second legislative update," Doyle told the Board, and presenters asked commissioners whether they had direction for the County’s advocacy on proposals ranging from courthouse replacement matching funds to behavioral‑health funding formulas and water‑quality bills.

Key items covered by staff included:

- Courthouse replacement planning: Staff said Representative Sosa and bipartisan Washington County legislators have sponsored a bill to appropriate $1,250,000 in matching state funds for courthouse replacement planning. The measure is being shepherded for a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee with additional sponsors recently added.

- Opioid treatment in community corrections (HB 3009 / related provisions): County staff praised testimony from local corrections leadership at a recent hearing and said parts of HB 3009 have strong bipartisan support. Staff also noted related language is being considered for inclusion in companion bills (for example SB 236).

- Behavioral health funding and SB 610: Staff said SB 610 (behavioral health resource network funding and formula reform) is set for a public hearing, and County officials will participate in testimony. The update noted Washington County was disappointed by the Oversight and Accountability Council decision on the County’s application and is seeking a remedy through legislation.

- Assessment and taxation and revenue proposals (HB 3518): Staff reported a revenue committee bill that would raise document recording fees to $18, appropriate $5,000,000 from the general fund, and allow counties to retain 0.3% of tax revenue collected on behalf of other jurisdictions; the County expects that bill to be scheduled for a hearing soon.

- Veterans’ property tax exemption bills (HB 3287 / SB 387): Staff noted both bills would expand exemptions for veterans with disabilities and survivors’ spouses. The County’s assessment and taxation office has raised concerns about implementation workload and requested clarity on how disability verification would be handled so the County is not assigned unfunded mandates.

- Law libraries funding: After surveying law libraries statewide, staff reported a proposed request of about $11,500,000 to close the funding gap, roughly $3,000,000 above the Chief Justice’s recommended budget.

- Workforce and behavioral health pipeline bills (HB 3129; HB 3351 / HB 2554): Staff described bills providing $25,700,000 for behavioral health workforce pipeline development and measures designed to speed licensure for social workers and counselors moving across state lines; both measures were characterized as having a reasonable chance of passage.

- Housing and homelessness: Staff flagged an affordable‑housing preservation package in the Senate that includes tenant protections and a $200,000,000 bond ask to preserve regulated affordable units. The package was scheduled for a March 3 hearing; Chair Harrington offered to testify for Washington County.

- Transportation and ODOT accountability: Team members said transportation package drafting is ongoing, with an accountability proposal for ODOT expected in mid‑March following an audit that identified cash‑flow issues.

- Clean Water Services priorities: Tracy Rainey (Clean Water Services) summarized water reuse legislation (listed as HB 2168 in the presentation) that had a public hearing and broad support, a PFAS occurrence study bill (HB 2947) for OSU, continued support for the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (requested $11,000,000), and the septic loan assistance program (established in 2015) that requires continued funding to avoid program lapse. Rainey also described resource‑recovery and industrial symbiosis legislation (HB 3246) and PFAS product restrictions including a firefighting foam ban (Senate bill 91) slated to take effect July 2026.

Doyle and Pablo Nieves Valenzuela said the County is monitoring a range of other bills (transportation, land use, middle‑housing, ADU changes and continuing education proposals for land‑use planners) and is coordinating with regional partners including the Washington County legislative caucus, AOC, LOC and county counsel. Staff asked the Board whether any further direction was needed; commissioners asked staff to provide cost estimates and implementation impacts for bills that could impose new responsibilities on county departments.

Several commissioners thanked staff for the briefing and noted particular interest in housing, behavioral health, and public‑safety levy work. Staff said they will return with additional information, continue testimony where requested, and set a date for County Day at the Capitol in April so commissioners can meet legislators and review budget requests.

No formal Board votes or policy decisions were recorded in this segment; the session served as an information and direction‑seeking briefing from staff to the Board.