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AARP AARP States Oregon Community

Update from the Oregon State Capitol

mcloughlin.stateofOregon


By Jon Bartholomew, Government Relations Director

This week at the Oregon capitol, AARP advocated on our member's behalf on a number of important issues. Some of the legislation we have supported is moving forward, but other legislation will not.

  • Advance Directives modernization - this legislation is moving through the process and was moved from one committee to another this week.
  • Memory Care facility standards - AARP was involved with stakeholder conversations that led to the creation of a proposal to have a task force take a deep dive into licensing and regulation of Memory Care facilities in Oregon. This bill moved from one committee to another this week, and is expected to keep moving forward.
  • Housing - there are two bills that moved forward from one committee to another this week. One is a Senate bill to allow local communities to use Inclusionary Zoning rules to provide more affordable housing. The other is a House bill that includes certain protections for tenants. There is still a lot of conversation about these proposals that AARP is part of.
  • Senior and Disability Transit - a bill to help rural communities pay for improved transit services has died in committee.
  • Non-discrimination of family caregivers in employment - This bill died in committee this week. It would have prevented discrimination against employees or job applicants simply on the basis of caregiving responsibilities outside the workplace.
  • Elder abuse - a bill to allow counties to establish "Elder Abuse Fatality Review Teams" died in committee, but is expected to be revived for the 2017 session.
  • Budget - We are continuing to advocate for restoration of the Gatekeeper program, funding for a position of Elder Abuse Resource Prosecutor, and to prevent any cuts in long term supports and services. While no decisions have been made yet on any of these issues, a modestly positive revenue forecast that came out this week is encouraging that we can accomplish our objectives.

Editor's Note - We are giving you weekly roundups of our work for you at the Legislature. If you visit the capitol, you may be interested in the murals painted there. Here is a link to an Oregonian story about those

[Photo: State of Oregon]

About AARP Oregon
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