Ways and Means approves slate of retroactive federal grant applications, reports and project spending limits

The Joint Interim Committee on Ways and Means met Wednesday, Nov. 19, and approved a package of subcommittee recommendations that included retroactive submission approvals for multiple federal grants, acknowledgment of two agency reports and several other expenditure-limit requests.

The general government subcommittee asked the committee to approve in block eight federal grant applications from six state agencies — the Department of Education; Oregon Health Authority; Department of State Police; Department of Corrections; Department of Veterans' Affairs; and Department of Transportation — with the understanding that agencies will return to the Legislative Assembly for approval of any necessary federal-funds expenditure limitations or position authority if funds are awarded. Senator Anderson presented the block recommendation.

Representative Reschke registered a procedural objection to retroactive approvals, saying, “I think this is a, I don't, I'm gonna vote no on these … I think that it makes a mockery of our process if executive agencies can always continually be late and turn their homework in late.” Staff responded that agencies are required to send a notification letter 10 days before applying and that analysts would check each grant for matches and multi‑year obligations.

The committee also acknowledged two reports: one on workers' compensation premium assessment rates from the Department of Consumer and Business Services and one from the Department of Administrative Services on compensation-plan changes. Senator MacLean described the proposed compensation changes to the Workers' Compensation Board and said the package would increase other‑funds expenditure limitations by about $1.3 million to align salaries with the state's general structure.

Other approvals included:

- A retroactive Oregon Health Authority application to support recovery housing for young adults under the State Opioid Response program, $592,771 to expand recovery housing with outpatient treatment and peer support (OHA identified Fourth Dimension Recovery as a partner). Senator Starr asked whether the partner was selected competitively; staff said they would obtain that information from the agency.

- Natural Resources Subcommittee recommendation to use insurance settlement proceeds to rebuild two Department of Forestry facilities destroyed in the February 2021 wildfires: an increase of $1,000,000 in other‑fund capital construction limitation for the Klamath Fire Cache warehouse and $5,000,000 for the North Cascades Santiam unit headquarters replacement (phase 1).

- A retroactive Department of Aviation submission for planning and design funding for the Oregon Precision Air Lifeline Project in the Columbia River Air Services corridor (about $2.4 million); the department said the application was prepared on time but became stuck in the director's outbox.

- A retroactive award and request to increase federal funds expenditure limitation by $200,000 for on‑site Susan Harwood safety-training grants administered by the Department of Consumer and Business Services.

Most motions passed after brief discussion and recorded 'aye' votes from members who were listed on the record (Representative Valderrama and Representative Levy were repeatedly recorded voting 'aye'). The committee chair announced each motion passed; no formal roll-call tallies beyond the named aye votes were provided in the transcript.

The committee adjourned after completing the scheduled work sessions. Agencies that received retroactive approval were reminded to return to the Legislative Assembly for any required spending-limit or position-authority approvals if funds are awarded.