The Senate Rules Committee adopted the dash-5 amendment to Senate Bill 690 on June 12 and moved the amended bill to the Senate floor with a do-pass recommendation. The dash-5 replaces the original measure and focuses on housing stability for pregnant people and families with infants.

Senator Lisa Reynolds, the bill sponsor, told the committee the amendment “seeks to prioritize the needs of babies when it comes to our housing programs” and described two main changes: first, a court must reschedule an eviction trial for nonpayment when a tenant provides documentation that they meet specified criteria (as described in the amendment); second, the Oregon Judicial Department, in consultation with Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), must include information about eviction protections for people who are pregnant or who have given birth in the last year on public notices for tenants facing eviction for nonpayment. The amendment also directs OHCS, when adopting rules or policies for housing-stabilization programs, to prioritize families with children under 12 months of age.

Senator Reynolds said the dash-5 does not create new programs or request new funding: “This bill does 2 fairly simple things at no and not seeking any additional funding,” she told the committee, adding the intent is to make existing programs work better for families with infants. Chief of staff Christopher McMoran, who helped negotiate the amendment with stakeholders, emphasized the collaborative process and the fact the amendment “does not create any new programs. It does not ask for any funding.”

Committee staff asked for and later provided a fiscal and revenue analysis of the dash-5; staff reported a minimal fiscal impact and no revenue impact. Committee members voiced support for the approach, and several noted the amendment resulted from collaboration among the sponsor, OHCS, landlords and tenant advocates.

The committee adopted the dash-5 amendment by roll call and then voted to move SB 690 as amended to the Senate floor with a do-pass recommendation. Committee comments during floor motioning praised the amendment as an “elegant solution” to align program practice with policy intent and to reduce eviction risk for families identified for rent-support programs.

If enacted, the amendment would change court scheduling for eviction trials based on provided documentation, require improved public notice content about perinatal eviction protections, and direct OHCS to prioritize infants (under 12 months) when implementing housing stabilization supports. Committee testimony stated the measure was intended to reduce eviction risk for families who have been deemed eligible for rent support but face landlord actions in the lag between eligibility determination and payment.

The amended bill will proceed to the Senate floor for further consideration; committee staff named Senator Harnell as the carrier of the bill.