Relating to adults in custody; declaring an emergency.
Summary
HB 2747 requires the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) to provide adults in custody at specified correctional institutions with online access to certain educational opportunities. Those opportunities include adult basic skills development, professional and technical education, and programs that can lead to college credit, a degree, a certificate, an industry-recognized credential, a license, or an apprenticeship. The bill updates the existing statute governing correctional education access and moves the implementation deadline to September 1, 2026.
The measure also directs DOC to adopt rules for eligibility and participation criteria for online access. It includes a statement that the law does not create a legally enforceable right for adults in custody to demand access to the programs, even though the department must make the access available at the listed facilities. The bill contains an emergency clause, making it effective on passage.
Impact
HB 2747 amends ORS 421.074 and adds new provisions requiring DOC to provide online educational access at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, Snake River Correctional Institution, Oregon State Correctional Institution, Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution, and Deer Ridge Correctional Institution. It also appropriates $4,955,957 from the General Fund for the 2025-2027 biennium to support online access at the Oregon State, Eastern Oregon, and Deer Ridge facilities. The bill affects DOC operations, correctional education programming, and state spending, while leaving program eligibility and participation details to agency rulemaking.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill in committee, with unanimous votes at both recorded stages: 8-0 and 7-0. The bill advanced with amendments and was referred to Ways and Means, indicating general agreement on the policy direction but continued attention to funding and implementation details. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to suggest organized opposition in the materials supplied.
Contention
The main points of contention appear to be scope, timing, and funding. The bill was narrowed from an earlier version that would have required access for all adults in custody to a version limited to certain institutions, suggesting debate over how broadly to extend online education. The appropriation and the need for DOC rulemaking also indicate practical concerns about cost, eligibility, security, and how online access would be administered in correctional settings. Because the bill expressly disclaims a legally enforceable right to access, lawmakers may also have been trying to balance educational expansion with operational discretion for DOC.