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Committee hears veterans crisis‑card concept and files three committee legislative concepts
Summary
Representative Rick Lewis presented LC225 (veterans crisis card task force) and veterans groups described a county rapid‑response veteran advocate model; the committee also voted to introduce three committee LCs (LC126 on fuel storage, LC129 on volunteer database transfer, LC184 creating an Office of Resilience & Emergency Management). The filing motion passed by recorded roll call.
Representative Rick Lewis described a legislative concept (LC225) to create a task force that will return to the committee by September with recommendations on a veterans crisis card and associated crisis‑response team. Lewis said the concept aims to allow dispatch and responding officers to be alerted that a person may be a veteran in crisis and enable timely notification of trained veterans advocates who can assist on scene.
Veteran presenters (Jerry Law, Tim Fortner) described a pilot model of county‑based volunteer crisis teams that would be dispatched alongside law enforcement and be available to respond within a targeted time (presenters cited a 60‑minute target) to de‑escalate and move a veteran to a safe zone when no crime has been committed. Presenters emphasized the program is not an immunity or "get out of jail" card; it is intended to improve outcomes by pairing trained veteran advocates with law enforcement responses.
Later in a committee work session Vice Chair Watanabe moved to file three committee legislative concepts for pre‑session filing: LC126 (evaluate and prioritize geographically dispersed emergency fuel storage sites), LC129 (transfer Oregon Volunteers in Disaster database to Oregon Department of Emergency Management) and LC184 (create an Office of Resilience & Emergency Management within DHS and establish public assistance grant programs). The clerk called the roll and members recorded ayes; the motion passed and the concepts were introduced as committee bills for pre‑session filing.
Action recorded: the committee voted to introduce and file LC126, LC129 and LC184 as committee measures; the vote was taken by roll call and the motion carried.
