Legislative Briefs
Culturally significant garb
What it does: Oregon is home to nine federally recognized tribes, as well as other urban Native American communities. In 2019, the Oregon Department of Education recorded 7,010 American Indian/Alaska Native students enrolled in Oregon schools. House Bill 2052 would allow students to wear traditional, culturally significant items at school events but does not prevent school districts from prohibiting an item or object that would cause a disruption or replace a graduation cap or gown.
What’s next: The bill moved out of the House Education Committee without opposition and is scheduled for a House floor vote Tuesday, March 9.
Language requirements
What it does: In the 2019-20 school year, 51,122 English-language learners were enrolled in Oregon schools representing about 8.9% of Oregon's K-12 students. House Bill 2056 would remove the requirement for students to take four credits of English and allow these students to fulfill their graduation requirements by taking four credits of language arts in their native languages.
What’s next: The bill moved out of the House Committee on Education on a 9-1 vote and is scheduled for a House floor vote Tuesday, March 9.
Protecting children
What it does: Senate Bill 409 would expand certain laws that require the report and investigation of sexual conduct in schools to include sexual conduct between students. It would also create civil action for damages resulting from the failure of a school employee to report suspected sexual conduct.
What’s next: The Senate Committee on Judiciary and Ballot Measure 110 Implementation will hold a public hearing Thursday, March 11.
School money
What it does: The State School Fund is the major source of funding for the general operations of school districts and educational service districts. The Oregon Department of Education Grant-in-Aid programs provide technical assistance, funding and oversight of programs relating to K-12 education, early learning and youth development. Senate Bill 5513 and Senate Bill 5514 are the two budget bills that will allocate money into the State School Fund and ODE Grant-in-Aid programs.
What’s next: The Joint Ways and Means Education Subcommittee is holding a series of public hearing on both bills. These initial hearings will be for invited testimony from agency directors and staff to inform the committee members on the budgets’ intricacies. Broad public input will be invited during future meetings.
Legislative notes:
House Bill 2828 (Feb. 8 Legislative Briefs) would require the Oregon Department of Education to provide technical assistance to school districts in the adoption and implementation of a child sexual abuse prevention instructional program. The bill moved out of the House Education Committee without opposition and will move to the House floor, where it is expected to pass.