[HealthyTribes] 2023 legislative session - updates

[Banning Lily]

Good morning!
For those of you who are following this year's legislative session, here's an update on the latest. Feel free to forward to your colleagues and partners.
When will session end? Well, legislators set a target end date of June 15, but they are more likely to wrap up session closer to the constitutionally required sine die date of June 25th. [Sine die is the fancy wording used to mean, adjourn. Or according to Merriam-Webster, "without any future date being designated (as for resumption) : indefinitely."] The legislature must conclude/end/adjourn by 11:59pm on June 25th. The legislature can continue working up until then, but not after.
What are some key deadlines coming up?
Next Friday, May 19: Second Chamber Deadline.
What does this mean? If you remember, there was a First Chamber Deadline back in March, which was a really busy time. The First Chamber Deadline meant bills had to pass out of a policy committee (ex. House Behavioral Health & Health Care) and either go to the floor for a vote or to Rules, Revenue or Ways & Means (W&M) Committees in order to "stay alive" or continue on in the legislative process. Rules/Revenue/W&M committees are exempt from the chamber deadlines and can continue their work up until the very end of session.
For the bills that went to the floor (because they don't have a fiscal) after the First Chamber Deadline, they are now over in the second chamber and going through the process of public hearings/work sessions in that second chamber's policy committees (House or Senate Health Care committees for most of the bills HPA is tracking). By next Friday, May 19, those bills must pass out of the policy committee and move to the floor (or to Rules, Revenue or Ways & Means).
Next Wednesday, May 17: May Revenue Forecast
W&M is waiting for the May Revenue Forecast to be released on May 17 before they start scheduling bills for public hearings/work sessions, because the forecast will help indicate what money they have to spend. Unlike the federal government, Oregon cannot spend money the state doesn't have, and the budget must balance. Also known as, the state can't run a budget deficit. This article<https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/oregon-state-budget-interstate-bridge-funding/283-48b0c37a-46a5-4b9f-b741-95d6daae0fba> helps explain the budget process; Co-Chair of W&M, Sen. Steiner, shared this article in her newsletter so recommend checking it out!
W&M is made up of subcommittees and most of the bills PHD tracks will end up in the Human Service Subcommittee of W&M. Bills have to pass out of a subcommittee before they go to the full W&M committee for the final vote.
Based on previous sessions, we can expect that W&M will begin scheduling bills in the subcommittees in late May with the majority of the work/bills passing out of the committee happening in June. As mentioned, W&M has no deadline except sine die, so they can keep working up until the very end. Historically, OHA and ODHS' budgets have been along the last to pass and serve as an indicator that "sine die is imminent"/soon.
What's happening in the Senate?
Before we dive into the dynamics, here's some background. In order for the House or the Senate to vote on bills, a certain number of members need to be present, or they need to have a quorum. A quorum is 2/3 of the members of the chamber. In the Senate, that is 20 members. Democrats have 17 members and the Republicans/Independents have 13; therefore, Senate Democrats cannot reach that 2/3 threshold on their own. Which brings us to the current state.
Since May 3, the Senate has not had quorum, because Republican/Independent members have been absent. Per reporting<https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/briefs/senate-walkout-continues-for-eighth-day-after-legislative-leaders-meet/>, "Republican senators have said they walked out because bill summaries fail to comply with a state readability requirement that they be written at a middle-school level. Knopp also told the Capital Chronicle they want 20 "hyperpartisan" bills set aside, including proposals on abortion, guns and transgender health care." (HB 2002<https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/HB2002> - reproductive health & gender affirming care, HB 2005<https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/HB2005> - gun legislation)
What about Measure 113?
Per OPB<https://www.opb.org/article/2023/05/08/oregon-republican-lawmakers-walkout-measure-113-2022-election/>, "Measure 113, passed overwhelmingly by voters last year, would prevent any lawmaker with 10 or more unexcused absences this session from running for reelection." It has been reported that Republicans plan to challenge Measure 113 in court, again per OPB<https://www.opb.org/article/2023/05/08/oregon-republican-lawmakers-walkout-measure-113-2022-election/>, "Bonham has said all year he'd be willing to exceed 10 unexcused absences in order to challenge the measure in court."
But aren't policy committees like Senate Health Care still meeting?
Yes! That is because quorum requirements for policy committees are only a simple majority, which Democrats have if each of their members is present. So, public hearings and work sessions are still being held.
What's next?
Policy committees will continue to pass bills ahead of the Second Chamber Deadline, and W&M will continue to prepare the budgets, so we'll still receive requests for policy and fiscal analysis. Additionally, legislative leadership from both parties met last Wednesday and Thursday<https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023/05/11/senators-get-a-three-day-break-from-floor-sessions-amid-gop-led-walkout/> to begin negotiations. They agreed to not hold floor sessions last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to continue discussions.
Please let us know if have any questions.
Lily, on behalf of HPCDP


Lily Banning
Tobacco Policy Specialist
OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY
Public Health Division
Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention
lily.banning at dhsoha.state.or.us<mailto:lily.banning at dhsoha.state.or.us>
971-225-8429 (cell)
http://www.oregon.gov/OHA<http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTYxMjIwLjY3OTEyMDUxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE2MTIyMC42NzkxMjA1MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE2ODYxMTMwJmVtYWlsaWQ9bWlrYXlsYS5tYXJjb3R0QGRoc29oYS5zdGF0ZS5vci51cyZ1c2VyaWQ9bWlrYXlsYS5tYXJjb3R0QGRoc29oYS5zdGF0ZS5vci51cyZ0YXJnZXRpZD0mZmw9Jm12aWQ9JmV4dHJhPSYmJg==&&&110&&&http://www.oregon.gov/OHA>
Pronouns: she/her

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