Updated on March 3, 2025
The 83rd Legislative Session kicked off on January 21 and the DELC Government Affairs team have been busy reading and tracking bills, preparing for presentations in committees, and meeting with legislators and advocates. Over 3,000 bills have already been introduced, our team has been analyzing bills that have an impact on early childhood and DELC. Even though numerous bills have been introduced, more than half will die in committees and will not advance further in the legislative process.
Keeping a bill alive is one of the most important aspects during the session because there are many steps to take as a bill eventually becomes law. We are proud to report that all three of DELC’s priority bills are alive and in fact, all of them has received a public hearing in the House Early Childhood and Human Services Committee. Our 2025 Legislative Agenda focuses on strengthening our existing work and also creating new opportunities to more equitably serve all of our children, families, and early learning professionals. Here’s our three priority bills this session and where they stand:
- HB 2811: Continuing of DELC’s statewide Imagination Library of Oregon Program, a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five, regardless of family income. The bill received a public hearing and was joined by many supports including the Dollywood Foundation and community partners. It passed unanimously out of committee and is now in the Ways and Means Subcommittee where we wait to see when it will be voted on.
- HB 2814: Licensing statute alignment- this is a technical bill designed to improve flexibility in the child care licensing process through waivers by reducing administrative barriers, allowing the Department of Early Learning and
&Care to test new options, streamlining paperwork, supporting providers in underserved areas, and ensuring efficient operations, all while maintaining safeguards for child care. The bill received a public hearing, and we are currently waiting on the work session date.
- HB 2815: The Tribal Early Learning Plan and Fund, centers the Tribal sovereignty and self-determination to support language and culture revitalization, professional development, to meet Tribal early learning and child care goals. The Tribal Advisory Committee (TAC) recommends additional funding for the Tribal Early Learning Fund to center Tribal sovereignty and expand access to early learning and care activities within Tribal nations. The bill received a public hearing and we especially want to thank some of our Tribal leaders and partners for providing testimony; thank you to TAC Co-Chair, Julie Siestreem, Education Department Manager with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Angela Fasana, and written testimony from other Tribes.
- HB 3818: Early Childhood Suspension & Expulsion Prevention– Shifting the focus of enforcement to focusing on required inclusive practices in child care licensing. This bill will require all licensed and DELC-funded programs to contact the Prevention Program and receive services before removing a child from care. It was just first read on February 27, and we will wait for a committee assignment.
In addition to our policy bills, we will also be preparing series of presentations for our DELC Budget, SB 5514 in the Joint Ways & Means Subcommittee on Education from March 3-6. During these four days, we will talk about our programs and services, take a deeper dive into our budget, and take questions from legislators.
Questions? Contact: DELC Government Affairs team, DELC.GovAffairs@DELC.oregon.gov.
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