Bill > SB690

Introduced Session

AN ACT Relating to perinatal public health; creating new provisions; amending ORS 105.136; and declaring an emergency. Whereas Oregon ranks first in the nation for families with children experiencing unsheltered homelessness and there are additional Oregon children who experience severe housing insecurity; and Whereas the number of families with children experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Oregon is 14 times higher than the national average and nearly three times higher than the next highest state; and Whereas current varied methodologies for calculating and defining homelessness can lead to undercounting and can present barriers to families accessing resources; and Whereas the population at highest risk of eviction in the United States is families with babies and toddlers who experience an eviction rate twice as high as adults without children; and Whereas homelessness and housing insecurity for families with babies under one year old cre- ates toxic stress for caregivers and interferes with early relational health affecting the brain growth of babies; and Whereas adversity in the perinatal period leads to long-lasting effects on healthy social, emo- tional and cognitive development, increasing the likelihood of poor academic performance, worse health across the life course and homelessness into adulthood; and Whereas providing stable housing for families with babies is necessary to maximize babies’ brain development and their future success in learning, emotional regulation and overall health; and Whereas further data reporting on the status of Oregon’s rate of unsheltered homelessness among children is needed to allow the Legislative Assembly to determine the effectiveness of perinatal housing programs and to determine further actions; and Whereas critical investments in keeping parents of infants stably housed is integral to prevent- ing early childhood adverse experiences and to addressing social and structural determinants of health for Oregon’s most vulnerable population; now, therefore,

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Dacia Grayber (D)*,  Travis Nelson (D)*,  Courtney Neron Misslin (D)*,  Lisa Reynolds (D)*,  Tom Andersen (D),  Willy Chotzen (D),  Lisa Fragala (D),  Mark Gamba (D),  Sara Gelser Blouin (D),  Annessa Hartman (D),  Zach Hudson (D),  Em Levy (D),  James Manning (D),  Susan McLain (D),  Hoa Nguyen (D),  Deb Patterson (D),  Sue Rieke Smith (D),  Ricki Ruiz (D),  Thuy Tran (D), 

Effective date, July 24, 2025. (on 08/08/2025)

Official Document