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Committee hears testimony to codify McKinney‑Vento protections into Oregon law (HB 4149)
Summary
Sponsors and advocates urged the House Committee on Education to codify McKinney‑Vento protections into state law to secure immediate enrollment, school stability, transportation, and liaison duties for homeless students; practitioners described local gaps in capacity and urged passage to protect vulnerable youth if federal supports change.
House Bill 4149 would enshrine the McKinney‑Vento protections for students experiencing homelessness into Oregon statute, requiring school districts, education service districts, and charter schools to adopt policies that ensure immediate enrollment, school‑of‑origin stability, transportation supports, liaison designation, and dispute resolution, sponsors and witnesses told the House Committee on Education on Feb. 9.
Representative Emerson Levy, co‑sponsor, said the bill largely codifies existing federal McKinney‑Vento requirements to preserve protections for homeless students regardless of potential changes in federal policy. "This just simply codifies the federal law into state law," Levy said, adding the bill reflects careful drafting to be "not one inch above the federal law and not one inch below." Representative Pam Marsh, chair of the Housing and Homelessness Committee, cited local data from Jackson County (1,647 students identified under McKinney‑Vento) and said codification would provide clarity and continuity for districts.
Practitioners from nonprofits and the Oregon Department of Education described the program's benefits and current capacity gaps. Cheyenne Nichols of the Maslow Project recounted outreach and enrollment work and urged the committee to pass the bill to protect students' access to school stability, nutrition, and services. Sarah Arbuckle, formerly with ODE's McKinney‑Vento team, and Lexi Morales, ODE state coordinator for houseless and unaccompanied youth, noted that many local McKinney‑Vento liaisons serve part‑time and that districts rely on federal funding streams and local partners to provide essentials to students.
Advocates emphasized metrics cited in testimony: 21,122 students identified as experiencing homelessness in the 2024‑25 school year and a 61.3% graduation rate for those students, both used by witnesses to argue for statewide statutory clarity and support. The Department of Education declined to take a policy position but provided operational context and urged that the statute mirror federal protections while clarifying state expectations.
After questions from committee members about scope and fiscal impact, the public hearing was closed and the committee scheduled work sessions to continue deliberation.
