Relating to developmental disabilities services; and prescribing an effective date.
SB 810 updates Oregon’s developmental disabilities statutes to strengthen the state’s Employment First framework and shift services toward competitive, integrated employment. The bill amends multiple sections of Oregon law to emphasize that employment and vocational rehabilitation services for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities should be designed to help them obtain and advance in jobs in the community, rather than in sheltered or facility-based settings. It also revises definitions and policy statements to align state law with the goal of independence, integration, community participation, and career advancement.
The bill creates a statewide Employment First advisory committee, regional committees, and interagency coordination requirements between the Department of Human Services and the Department of Education. It requires annual collection and reporting of employment outcome data, appoints a statewide coordinator, and calls for training and technical assistance to expand the number of qualified providers. It also directs transition planning for students with disabilities to include community employment opportunities and establishes a State as Model Employer program to improve hiring of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities in state government.
SB 810 also changes how state agencies may fund services. The Department of Human Services may not fund employment services or vocational rehabilitation services that occur in sheltered work settings, and the Department of Education may not provide transition services in sheltered or mock sheltered work settings. The bill updates related statutes governing rehabilitation programs, community housing, tax exemptions, and transportation exemptions to reflect the new terminology and policy direction, including replacing references to “facilities” and “severe disabilities” with “programs” and “significant disabilities” in several places.
The bill’s impact is broad across Oregon’s developmental disability service system, affecting DHS, the Department of Education, service providers, schools, and state agencies that hire workers with disabilities. It reinforces a legal preference for integrated community employment and may reduce support for segregated or sheltered work models. It also preserves and updates existing statutory structures for community housing, rehabilitation programs, and related tax and transportation provisions while tying them more closely to the state’s Employment First policy.
The overall sentiment around SB 810 appears strongly favorable. It passed the Senate committee unanimously, cleared the Senate floor with only one no vote, and passed the House committee and House floor unanimously. The bill’s findings and structure reflect a consensus around expanding opportunity, improving coordination, and increasing employment outcomes for people with developmental disabilities.
There is little visible contention in the available record, but the main policy issue embedded in the bill is the move away from sheltered work and toward competitive integrated employment. That shift can affect providers and programs that have historically relied on facility-based or segregated employment models, and the bill’s repeated references to available funding suggest implementation may depend on resources, staffing, and provider capacity. The inclusion of advisory committees, data reporting, and technical assistance indicates an effort to manage those concerns while still pushing the system toward integration.
SB 810 amends multiple Oregon statutes in chapters 307, 344, 427, and 825 to align state law with Employment First principles for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. It changes definitions, policy statements, and agency duties to prioritize competitive integrated employment, prohibits state funding for sheltered work settings in several service categories, requires interagency coordination and data reporting, and updates related provisions on rehabilitation programs, community housing, tax exemptions, and transportation exemptions. The bill also creates new programmatic duties for DHS and the Department of Education, including advisory committees, regional coordination, and a State as Model Employer initiative.
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan or at least near-unanimous support. It advanced out of committee on unanimous votes in both chambers and passed the full Senate and House with overwhelming margins, including a 51-0 House vote and a 27-1 Senate floor vote. The bill’s framing in terms of independence, inclusion, and employment opportunity suggests a generally positive reception among legislators.
The principal point of contention is the bill’s policy shift away from sheltered and facility-based employment toward competitive integrated employment, which may be viewed as limiting by providers or stakeholders invested in existing sheltered work models. The bill also relies on available funding for several implementation pieces, including staff specialists, training, and technical assistance, so resource needs and provider capacity are likely practical concerns. No specific objections are recorded in the provided transcripts or vote history, but the structural changes to service delivery and funding priorities are the main areas where disagreement would be expected.