ODHS Reduction Exercise Released
Oregon is looking to slim down its 2025-2027 budget. As previously shared, revenue reductions and new costs associated with the federal House Resolution 1 (HR 1) have landed Oregon approximately $373m over budget for the current biennium. Legislators will have to take action during the upcoming 2026 short session. They have asked state agencies to come up with lists of possible reductions from which they can choose to re-balance the budget. State agencies were asked to submit those lists to legislators by November 3rd. Oregon’s upcoming November legislative days, scheduled for November 17-19, will offer the first opportunity for legislative committees to begin to process the lists that they have received.
The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) is the second largest state agency, after the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). The Office of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS) is a program within ODHS. The ODHS reduction list contains potential reductions from all of the programs under ODHS, including ODDS. The Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Services will take up discussion of the ODHS budget reduction list on November 17th at 8:30am. You can join virtually and watch the hearing in real time here, or check back later to view a recording of the proceedings.
In anticipation of this hearing, the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Services has published various agency reduction lists under their Meeting Materials tab. This includes the ODHS reductions list, which can be viewed in full here.
There are 96 ranked reduction options on the full ODHS list. We count 28 direct IDD service system reductions, included below with their rank on the overall list. Note that there is a short narrative about each reduction available to read in the full document in the right-hand column (column 17).
IDD Reductions List Items
#7: 90 day delay in hiring (ODDS)
#21 Position Reductions (ODDS)
#23: Close SACU Jody
#24: Close SACU Elliot 1
#25: Reduce Contracts
#29: Delay AWC for 90 days (7/1/26 start date)
#30: Delay AWC for 90 days (7/1/26 start date) - Positions
#31: Delay AWC for 180 days (7/1/26 start date)
#32: Delay AWC for 180 days (7/1/26 start date) - Positions
#35: Reduce SACU costs by 8%
#44: Reduce Waiver and K-Plan Ancillary Services by 50% (with cap)
#46: Eliminate Relief Care services
#50: Re-estabalish a 50 hour work week for PSWs. Will need to be bargained.
#53: Do not proceed with 7/1/2026 Legislatively Approved Rate Increase for Adult 24 Hour Group Homes
#54: Eliminate ability to disregard parental income
#59: Change eligibility criteria for applicants with Autism diagnoses to level 2 & 3 (eliminate eligibility for level 1)
#63: Eliminate Enhanced Employer Supports contract
#64: Delay 7/1/2026 Legislatively Approved Rate Increase for Employment by 6 months
#66: Delay 7/1/2026 Legislatively Approved Rate Increase for DSA by 6 months
#67: Delay 7/1/2026 Legislatively Approved Rate Increase for Community Transportation Services by 6 months
#69: Delay 7/1/2026 Legislatively Approved Rate Increase for Adult Supported Living Services by 6 months
#71: Delay 7/1/2026 Legislatively Approved Rate Increase for Children 24 Hour Group Home by 6 months
#72: Delay 7/1/2026 Legislatively Approved Rate Increase for Adult 24 Hour Group Homes by 6 months
#74: Delay 7/1/2026 Legislatively Approved Rate Increase for Children's Foster Care Services by 6 months
#76: Delay 7/1/2026 Legislatively Approved Rate Increase for Children's Host Homes by 6 months
#81: Eliminate Personal Support Worker over time hours for those at the 40 hour limit
#84: Reduce all employment services by 10%
#87: Reduce Supported Living services rates by 8%
There are painful cuts on this list. An item’s presence on this list does not mean that it will be cut. Nor does an item’s omission from this list mean that it is safe from cuts. Legislators have said that they will need to hear from communities about the unseen impacts of reduction list items. As we process this, the IDD community will need to find our voice to speak out about the most harmful reductions suggested. Listen to the Ways and Means Human Services Committee hearing on November 17th at 8:30am to learn more.