Midway Point Overview of the 2026 Oregon Legislative Session
Oregon’s 2026 short legislative session kicked off at the beginning of February. OCB has been active in this first half of session. Please click the bill links below to view and read our testimony on each. Let’s take a look at our position on each, and where it is at to date.
Bill: SB 1505
Position: Opposed with testimony in writing and in person
Summary: Last session, HB 3838 was hotly debated within the IDD community, and the concept is back again in 2026, now with a sole focus on IDD. This bill proposes to establish a Workforce Standards Board specific to the IDD community. It would take processes like rule making and wage setting that currently have many opportunities for public input and participation and put them in the hands of the 11 Governor-appointed members of the Board. We oppose this idea because it consolidates power away from the people who use and rely upon these services.
Current Status: Nothing has publicly happened on this bill since it was heard on February 4th. There has no doubt been much discussion behind closed doors. Both the Committee and SEIU (the bill’s chief supporter) have stated on record that an amendment is in the works to narrow the scope of this bill to IDD services. No amendment is currently available on OLIS. Because this bill was introduced by the Senate Rules Committee, it is not subject to many of the deadlines that would have already ended other bills. We expect to see an amendment, and also a fiscal impact statement on this bill at some point. These will most likely followed very quickly by a Work Session to move it out of the Senate Rules Committee and on to a Ways and Means Subcommittee.
Bill: SB 1576A
Position: Supported with written testimony
Summary: This bill is another concept returning from the 2025 session. It would direct two state agencies, the Department of Consumer and Business Services and the Housing and Community Services Department to set rules for making housing easier to access and use for people with disabilities. We supported SB 1576A because people who use Home and Community-Based Services through Brokerages need more accessible housing.
Current Status: This bill was passed out of committee and approved by vote of the Oregon Senate. It is now referred to the House Committee on Housing and Homelessness for hearing and consideration by the Oregon House.
Bill: HB 4040A
Position: Opposed HB 4040 Section 16 with written testimony
Summary: This bill was dubbed the Super Mega Omnibus Bill pre-session, and with good reason—it included dozens of concepts from all around the healthcare sphere. We provided testimony on Section 16, which would modify the IDD system to allow parents paid to support their minor children through the CEN (Children’s Extraordinary Needs) program to provide those services either as a DSP (Direct Support Professional) directly employed by an agency, or as a PSW (Personal Support Worker) directly employed by someone else. Currently, CEN providers need to be employed as DSPs through a state certified agency. This bill does not add funding to the program or change any terms of it other than making the allowance for these services to be provided by PSWs. We oppose this change because we believe that parent providers of minor children should have the outside support of a provider agency to navigate changes in care needs and in the system. Observing these services provided by parents in the adult setting tells us that kids and their families without that outside link risk isolation and services that are less effective at changing with their needs.
Current Status: This concept was amended to only change the structure of the IDD system to allow CEN providers to be PSWs. Previous language about special wages for that population has been amended out. With that change, this section of the bill no longer had a determined fiscal impact statement, and will move forward as part of the engrossed bill. HB 4040A will, however, make its next stop in the Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Human Services. This means that the overall bill must have a price tag associated with it. Because it will be heard in Ways and Means, it will not be heard in a Senate policy committee. HB 4040A awaits a hearing date. If approved by the current subcommittee and full Joint Committee On Ways and Means, the bill will then need to be voted on by both the House and Senate chambers.
Bill: SB 1532A
Position: Supported SB 1532A with written testimony and verbally at the hearing.
Summary: This is an omnibus bill related to changes to the Human Services programs. The section we’re interested in has to the with a proposal to direct the state to develop a different rate specific to providers who are living in the same household as the person to whom they provide services. There are very likely administrative pieces included in the rate model that don’t apply to services in this same-household setting. It’s important that we make sure to align what we are paying for with what is provided. We support SB 1532A because it asks community partners to work with the Office of Developmental Disabilities services to make that alignment.
Current Status: SB 1532A was passed out of committee and approved by vote of the Oregon Senate. It is now referred to the House Committee On Early Childhood and Human Services. A public hearing is scheduled for February 24th, which means that testimony can be submitted in writing or presented virtually or in person.
Bill: HB 4115A
Position: Supported HB 4115 with written testimony
Summary: HB 4115 changes the law to allow a criminal records check on certain caregivers to last for three years rather than two years. It also requires that certain valid criminal records checks be allowed to be “portable” to other care settings. That means that a worker who passed a criminal history records check for one position may be able to use that criminal history check to apply to a new position, in some circumstances. Currently, the criminal history background check process is overburdened, and can hold up necessary services. We approve these changes as reasonable ways to ease some of the systemic burden, and free people up to receive the care they need.
Current Status: HB 4115A has been passed out of its initial committee, but has been sent to the Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Human Services. This means that the bill must cost money. Because it will be heard in Ways and Means, it will not be heard in a Senate policy committee. HB 4115A has a Work Session scheduled for February 23rd. If approved by the current subcommittee and full Joint Committee On Ways and Means, the bill will then need to be voted on by both the House and Senate chambers.
Oregon Department of Human Services Budget Rebalance
Summary: Every odd year, Oregon passes a budget to cover the subsequent two years. During the even years, like 2026, the legislature takes a look at that budget and makes any necessary adjustments. This year, the planned budget is no longer supported by the amount of revenue coming in, which has dropped. The Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Human Services has heard presentations from ODDS and ODHS about adjustments needed and options for reducing funding through budget cuts. A public hearing on the topic was held on February 3rd, which you can watch here.
Current Status: The committee has yet to propose or adopt budget changes, but will do so before the end of session.
While our focus at OCB has been on the bills that most directly impact people with IDD living in Oregon’s communities, there has been plenty going on on the larger political stage that demands our attention. Oregon’s Republican and Democratic legislatures are largely at odds as to how to fund the critical services that matter to Oregonians, both in the Human Services world and well beyond. There is always the threat of a walkout, especially in a short session that has to wrap up by March 8th. Time to complete the business at hand is running very, very short. We will continue to follow all of these developments, and encourage you to engage in the bills and issues that matter most to you.