Our team at OCO believes every child deserves the opportunity to thrive. That’s why we’re proud to stand behind an informed slate of endorsed bills aimed at improving the lives of Oregon’s youth and families. From early childhood education to housing security, gun safety, and youth empowerment, these efforts reflect our data, as well as our commitment to creating a more equitable and secure future for all children in our state.
This year, we’re focusing on several key areas that are critical to the well-being of Oregon’s children. Here is a bit more about the vision behind our advocacy and why these priorities matter.
The first few years of a child’s life are vital to their future success. We’re advocating for policies that ensure access to quality early learning programs, behavioral health services, and family support resources.
Every child deserves a safe place to call home and nutritious food to eat. We’re supporting initiatives that address houselessness and hunger, particularly during the critical first 1,000 days of life. By addressing these issues, we can prevent long-term challenges, creating a stronger foundation for Oregon’s children.
A well-supported workforce is essential to providing high-quality care and education for Oregon’s children. We echo the need to invest in training, professional development, and adequate compensation for early childhood educators, ensuring they have the tools and resources necessary to succeed.
We’re committed to supporting programs that promote healthy eating, equitable access to clean energy, and later school start times to improve students’ health and academic performance.
We’re endorsing a package of gun safety measures that will improve wellbeing and safety for Oregon’s youth. These policies aim to reduce gun violence and create safer communities for Oregon’s children, ensuring they can grow up free from harm.
We believe in empowering young people to shape their futures. From participatory budgeting initiatives that give students a voice in school funding decisions to programs that increase access to public transit, we’re working to ensure that youth have the access and opportunities they need to succeed.
Looking Ahead: 2025 Endorsed Bills
While we’re focused on the current legislative session, we’re also laying the groundwork for future advocacy work. Our 2025 Endorsed Bills outline an agenda for advancing equity, opportunity, and well-being for Oregon’s youth and families.
How You Can Help
These legislative priorities represent a bold vision for Oregon’s future, but they can’t become reality without community support. Here’s how you can get involved:
Contact your legislators and urge them to support these critical bills.
Share this blog post to spread the word about these important initiatives.
Donate to Our Children Oregon to help us continue our advocacy work.
Together, we can create a state where every child has the opportunity to thrive.
Thank you for standing with us as we fight for Oregon’s children and families.
Name:
Bill Number:
Main Sponsor:
Name:
Maintain Investments in Child Care Facility Expansion
Budget Number:
Agency Budget Bill
Main Sponsor:
Children’s Institute
Name:
Early Learning & Behavioral Health Scholarship Program
Budget Number:
Agency Budget Bill
Main Sponsor:
Children’s Institute
Name:
Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education
Bill Number:
HB 2682
Main Sponsor:
Alliance for Early Intervention (staffed by Children’s Institute)
Name:
EI/CSE Funding
Budget Number:
SB 5515
Main Sponsor:
Alliance for Early Intervention (staffed by Children’s Institute)
Name:
Healthy Families Oregon Service Expansion
Budget Number:
SB 420 and SB 5514
Main Sponsor:
Healthy Families Oregon Coalition
Name:
Upstream Initiative: Ensuring No Child is Houseless or Hungry for the First 1,000 Day
Bill Number:
TBD
Main Sponsor:
The Oregon Health and Education Collaborative
(The Collaborative)
Name:
Birth to 5 Early Literacy Fund
Budget Number:
SB 5514
Main Sponsor:
Children’s Institute with Reach Out & Read
Name:
Early Childhood Workforce Development Fund
Bill Number:
HB 3011
Main Sponsor:
Oregon Council of Presidents, Oregon State University
Name:
Farm to School Funding
Budget Number:
SB 5515 and SB 5502
Main Sponsor:
Farm to School Network
Name:
Housing Alliance Legislative Priorities
Bill Number:
Main Sponsor:
Housing Alliance
Name:
Youth Pass
Budget Number:
TBD
(Draft likely coming in April)
Main Sponsor:
1000 Friends of Oregon, the Multnomah Youth Commission, Move Oregon Forward
Name:
Dealer Licensing Study
Bill Number:
HB 3076
Main Sponsor:
Alliance for a Safe Oregon
Name:
Waiting Periods
Budget Number:
SB 429
Main Sponsor:
Alliance for a Safe Oregon
Name:
Raise Age to 21
Bill Number:
SB 697
Main Sponsor:
Alliance for a Safe Oregon
Name:
Firearms in Public Areas
Budget Number:
SB 698
Main Sponsor:
Alliance for a Safe Oregon
Name:
School Participatory Budgeting
Bill Number:
LC 2376
Main Sponsor:
Participatory Budgeting Oregon
Name:
DHS Grants for Regularization
Budget Number:
SB 703
Main Sponsor:
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
Name:
Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Bill Number:
HB 3079
Main Sponsor:
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
Name:
Tensy’s Law
Budget Number:
SB 538
Main Sponsor:
Advocates for Disability Supports
Name:
The FAIR Energy Act
Bill Number:
HB 3179
Main Sponsor:
Community Energy Project
Name:
Oregon SLEEP (Starting Later for Educational Excellence and Progress) Act
Budget Number:
HB 2359
Main Sponsor:
Multnomah Youth Commission
Name:
Building Child Care for a Better Future Act
Bill Number:
SB 2013
Main Sponsor:
Senators Wyden and Warren and Rep. Davis
