Legislative Briefs
Quality Base Selection bill moves out of committee
House Bill 4127-A
What the bill does: HB 4127 would change agencies’ procurement process for public construction projects. Quality Based Selection is used by contracting agencies, including school districts, for selecting professional services. Congress established the process in 1972, and many states, including Oregon, have adopted their own versions. A school district is not allowed to ask for or use pricing policies and proposals or other pricing information to determine consultant compensation until after the contracting agency has selected the top candidate. If negotiations over compensation aren’t successful, the contracting agency can then select the second-most qualified consultant from the list and begin to negotiate again over compensation.
What’s new: The system created in the bill would allow pricing negotiations earlier in the process, saving time and money.
What’s next: OSBA along with all local governments are supportive of the change. The House will vote on the bill Tuesday.
Bill to expand definition of "child with a disability" voted off House floor
House Bill 4067
What it does: A developmental delay is defined in statute (ORS 343.035(4)) to include “a delay in cognitive, physical, communications, social, emotional, or adaptive development” that is “likely to cause a substantial delay in a child’s development and ability to function independently in society.” Currently, children from birth through the age of kindergarten eligibility can receive early intervention services because of a developmental delay. HB 4067 would add “developmental delay” to the existing list in statute of conditions eligible to receive special education services for students in kindergarten through grade three.
What’s new: On Feb. 13, the bill moved out of the House Early Childhood and Family Supports Committee with a unanimous 9-0 vote. On Monday, Feb. 19, the House voted to approve the bill with a vote of 57-0 (three members excused).
What’s next: The bill will move to the Senate and will likely be referred to a committee.
Joint Committee on Student Success meets
The Joint Committee on Student Success met again Friday and continued their work, hearing from a parent panel that spoke passionately about their students’ unmet needs within the traditional classroom setting and choosing to educate their kids with online instruction, homeschooling and charter school options. The committee moved onto presentations from Education Commission of the States, National Conference of State Legislatures and the Data Quality Campaign. The presentations included data transparency and accountability. The panelists compared some of Oregon’s data and policy choices with other states, and they offered presentations.
What the committee is doing: The Joint Committee on Student Success’ goal is to create a plan that will improve educational outcomes for all students across the state. They will also include a budget proposal that is sufficient to achieve success, sustainable in its commitment to students and accountable toward achieving the plan’s goals. The committee will travel the state, visiting 18 locations to tour district programs and talk with students, parents, board members, administrators, business leaders and teachers.
What’s next: On Friday, the committee is tentatively scheduled to discuss instructional time, college and career readiness, and Measure 98 implementation.