Spartacus omnibus outlines multi‑phase preparedness plan; committee adopts amendment process but vote tally not recorded

Representative Paul Evans described House Bill 4,121, the so‑called 'Spartacus' preparedness omnibus, as a strategic plan to modernize statewide emergency preparedness by strengthening training facilities, establishing resilience hubs, creating an all‑hazards personnel and credentialing database, and building a disaster recovery authority framework.

Evans said the bill phases facility investments and training capacity across multiple phases and that he was not seeking immediate bonding this session but outlined a multi‑phase plan that would request approximately $60 million in an initial phase, $40 million in a second phase and $40 million in a third phase over the coming decade. He described proposals to standardize training grounds, create a public assistance grant program, and mirror FEMA models for an individual assistance account so Oregon can better distribute any future block grants.

LPRO flagged a dash 2 amendment that adds a $20 million grant to DPSST, increases the lottery bond amounts, and requires criminal record checks (rather than offering fingerprinting as an option) for OEM employees and others working with OEM. Vice Chair Watanabe moved to adopt the Dash 2 amendment dated Feb. 3, 2026; Rep. Evans explained the committee was replacing the bill text with the intended version but that the motion was procedural and would not advance the bill beyond committee at this time. Representative Lewis stated he would vote no on the amendment out of caution. The transcript shows the clerk being called to record the vote but the tally is not included.

The work session closed and the committee adjourned; the transcript records no final committee action to pass HB 4,121 out of committee during the meeting.