THE 2026 CHILDREN'S AGENDA IS CLOSED
A Future for Oregon's Children: Our 2026 Legislative Priority
Oregon’s children deserve to grow and thrive. Yet the data shows we are falling short. Oregon’s youth deserve more support and investment. Currently, only 39% of 3rd graders are proficient in English Language Arts, and only 26.4% of 8th graders are proficient in math. Oregon ranks 43rd in education and 32nd in economic well-being nationally, with 15.7% of youth facing unmet mental health needs.
This year, these persistent challenges meet a pivotal moment. The 2026 short legislative session occurs in the shadow of federal legislation (HR 1) that has created a severe state budget deficit by undermining basic needs programs. Oregon now faces a fundamental choice: will we preserve our ability to invest in children, or will we automatically pass along federal tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest while forcing cuts to the very services that could improve these outcomes?
The 2026 Children’s Agenda, representing over 135 organizations statewide, is focused on this single, overarching priority: Protecting Oregon’s fiscal capacity to meet its commitments to children and families.
Our work this year is centered on the urgent need for the state to strategically “disconnect” from recent federal tax codes to safeguard funding for the programs that ensure child wellbeing—from the early care, learning, and engagement that improve proficiency to the behavioral health and family support that address core needs. A child’s ability to succeed in school is directly connected to their family’s economic security and mental health.
Below, you will find our focused legislative priorities for this critical short session. Each reflects the dedicated collaboration of advocates, community organizations, and families who know we must act with clarity and purpose to secure a better future for every child in Oregon.
How We Measure Well-Being:
Our Children Oregon uses the following 5 intersecting domains to measure the well-being of Oregon’s children, youth and their families, and to determine which areas an agenda item will have the most impact.
Economic
Well-Being
Economic Well-Being
Mental &
Physical Health
Mental & Physical Health
Education
Education
Family & Community
Family & Community
Climate & Sustainability
Climate & Sustainability
2026 Children's Agenda Items
Click each block to see which of our partners submitted the agenda item, who’s supporting it, and links to learn more.
*These links are updated as information is made available, so please check back to see how each concept is progressing.
FILTER:
Addressing Counterfeit Carseats
SUBMITTED BY:
Rep. Hai Pham
DETAILS:
HB 4092
With the rise of third-party vendors, Oregon has seen a flood of non-compliant car seats on online markets which pose a significant safety threat to the family and the child. The biggest risk of using a non-complaint car seat is that it may not work well in a crash and it has not been tested to meet the safety standards set out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or meet Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 213. The goal of this proposed concept is to ensure sellers and manufacturers are responsible for clear disclosure requirements and to allow impacted families and the Attorney General to seek damages if harm has been done.
Disconnect from Federal Tax Changes
SUBMITTED BY:
DETAILS:
SB 1507
More Details
As a result of the passing of H.R. 1, multiple regressive tax provisions have been integrated into our federal tax system that harms working class families and cushions the wallets of the extremely wealthy and major corporations. Oregon is currently fully connected to the federal tax codes, resulting in the state losing over $1 billion in the current (2025-2027) budget, meaning that working Oregonian families will face the brunt of the economic chaos. This includes (but not limited to):
An estimated 236,000 – 363,000 Oregonians are at risk of losing their health coverage due to the projected cuts to Oregon Health Plan (state Medicaid program) 340,000 Oregonians will lose or see a reduction in their SNAP benefits over the next 2 years. The Oregon legislature can mitigate the harm from the Trump Administration and fight for working families by selectively disconnecting from Congress’s giveaways to the ultra-wealthy and closing loopholes to prevent cuts to the critical services that Oregon families rely on.
Landlord Confidentiality/Tenant Privacy
SUBMITTED BY:
Coming Soon.
In the course of applying for and retaining housing, Tenants share a lot of personal/private information – financial information, SSN or ITN, information about disability or protected class, information about domestic or sexual violence status, immigration status, and more. Right now, there is no Oregon law requiring that Landlords keep this information confidential. If this sensitive this information were to fall into the wrong hands (abuser, ICE, fraudster, etc) it could have a devastating impact. Solution: Require confidentiality protections of specific private information, that may not be disclosed without consent or a court order. Certain exceptions apply (as required for affordable housing providers by grantors for grant eligibility; to do reference and background checks, in actions between the landlord and tenant).
Nicotine Pouch Regulation, Flavors Hook Oregon Kids
SUBMITTED BY:
For decades, the tobacco industry has used menthol cigarettes – which mask the harshness of tobacco smoke – to hook generations of young people. Then, they introduced fruit and candy flavored vapes, hooking millions more kids on addictive nicotine. And now they are onto their next trick: nicotine pouches like Zyn. These new products are poised to be the next money maker, setting up young people for a lifetime of addiction while the tobacco industry profits. Use of nicotine pouches are rapidly rising among youth and Oregon has no state regulations to protect your kids from the danger of nicotine pouches. This bill would bring their regulation in line with other products like Cigarettes, E-cigarettes and vape products, Cigars, & Chewing Tobacco.
Non-federal Medicaid match funding for Nurse-Family Partnership
SUBMITTED BY:
BUDGET ASK:
$1.6 million
More Details
Nurse-Family Partnership works by having specially trained nurses regularly visit young, first-time parents-to-be, starting early in the pregnancy and continuing through the child’s second birthday. Parents, babies, families, and communities all benefit. Legislators should preserve NFP services for families across Oregon by directing state dollars to pay the non-federal match funding required by Medicaid. Cost: $1.6 million for FY27.
Outdoor School budget restoration
SUBMITTED BY:
DETAILS:
HB 4112
At Outdoor School, 5th or 6th-grade students leave their classrooms, moving into the outdoors to learn, immersed in nature, and led by skilled educators. While there, educators guide students to learn about the natural sciences of soil, water, plants, and animals specific to the local ecology, examine the historical and present use of the land, and discover how they can make healthy and informed choices for themselves and future generations. Restoring the $6 million cut last session will put the total Outdoor School funding cut in alignment with the agency cuts suggested by the Governor. This additional funding is vital to ensuring that the most vulnerable Oregon students have access to this important part of their education.
Primary Elections for First Time Voters
SUBMITTED BY:
And Rep. Gorsek
DETAILS:
SB 1574
More Details
Currently new voters who will be 18 by the general election are not able to nominate and be involved in the primary process that informs their ballots for the general election. Our bill would allow 17 year olds to participate in primaries if they will be 18 by the general election. This bill would amplify young people’s priorities for the 2026 legislative session. This bil is commonsense and allows 17-year-olds who will already be joining the voting process to have agency in who will be on their ballot. Nineteen other states, including Washington, D.C., already allow 17-year-olds to participate in primaries before their first general election. We want Oregon to join these states in expanding and strengthening our democracy this session. This will also create a more involved and informed set of young voters who will be able to apply their learning from school directly to voting and build that habit early.
Protecting Employment Related Daycare
SUBMITTED BY:
BUDGET ASK:
More Details
The Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) program—a lifeline for over 12,000 Oregon families—faces collapse. The Department of Early Learning and Care, DELC, estimates a deficit of up to $73-$88 million. Without action, the program is projected to run out of money by January 2027. ERDC serves working families who depend on this subsidy to find work or stay employed, and providers depend on ERDC to run their business. Legislators should fund the Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) program shortfall to protect the over 12,000+ Oregon families receiving child care support
Restore Funding for Eviction Prevention and Emergency Rent Assistance
SUBMITTED BY:
Coming Soon.
Stable housing is critical to the safety and wellbeing of children. The 2025-2027 state budget includes only $44.6M for the essential services that keep Oregonians housed: emergency rent assistance, legal aid for households facing eviction, and tenant outreach and education. This represents a 74% cut from the $173.2M that was needed to maintain the established level of statewide services. As a result, over 20,000 fewer households will receive support to stay in their homes during the current biennium, as compared with the previous two years.
Safeguarding Students and Families
SUBMITTED BY:
DETAILS:
HB 4079
This legislation will create requirements for schools to utilize their incident reporting systems to keep students and families updated on federal action that may take place on campus and impact students and learning. Most guidance right now for communication is advisory and does not set a consistent standard for outreach and updates. This leaves communication around federal action highly discretionary and inconsistent. To avoid confusion or missed opportunities to re-assure and support students and families this bill creates a framework for using current communication and incident reporting tools to include potential federal enforcement actions. This includes sharing updates, sharing any school procedures that were followed and any resources for follow-up care that are available.
School Meals for All
SUBMITTED BY:
DETAILS:
SB 1581
Together, we’re building a movement for school meals in Oregon that reflects our values as Oregonians. No matter where they live in the state, a child shouldn’t experience hunger at school. We will eliminate unequal access to school meals for children in Oregon, improve school food practices and support thriving communities throughout the food system. We are bringing legislation to Oregon’s session to solidify a statewide commitment to universal school meals. With the passage of the Student Success Act in 2019, Oregon was a leader in addressing child hunger and nutrition through school meals. The pandemic proved that universal school meal policies were overwhelmingly popular, simple, and achievable. As of December 2023, nine other states have passed Universal School Meals for All policies. Oregon can once more be a leader with the success of a comprehensive Universal School Meals for All campaign.
Learn More & Get Involved
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We’ve made a handy bill tracker that will be updated as proposed bills progress along during the session. View and bookmark the page for daily updates on bill progress.
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2026 Session Recap
Politicians love to say that “children are our future.” But when the gavel fell, ending Oregon’s 2026 legislative session last week, did they follow through for children?
Thank you to all our Children's Agenda Partners
Our partners give us the support we need to fight for real legislative change.
