The Senate Committee on Human Services opened a public hearing on Senate Bill 937, which would require the Oregon Department of Human Services to distribute $350,000 annually to the Oregon Foster Youth Connection for foster-youth advocacy and support; the measure declares an emergency and would take effect on passage.

Supporters said the bill aims to preserve a youth-led advocacy structure after the group’s prior sponsorship ended and a new request-for-proposals process changed how the state would contract for the work. Committee members were told the funding had previously flowed through a sponsoring nonprofit and was used for leadership trainings, advocacy work and biennial policy institutes that brought youth to the Legislature.

“Thank you, madam chair and members of the committee. Senate Bill 9 37 requires the Department of Human Services to distribute $350,000 annually to the Oregon Foster Youth Connection for foster youth advocacy and support,” Matthew, a staff presenter, told the committee. Committee leadership described the bill as straightforward: “this bill is exactly what it says that it is.”

Witnesses and committee members discussed a recent change in sponsorship that, according to testimony, left youth organizers no longer in control of the program’s administration. Committee members said the department issued an RFP for the work; witnesses described a dispute over whether the RFP followed a change in contract requirements and whether the timing related to the Wyatt temporary lodging litigation affected the process. Department of Human Services staff were not present to testify during the hearing.

Committee members requested documents and asked staff to post the prior contract details to the legislative record to clarify who received funds previously and how the dollars were used. The chair said the committee would make the contract and related materials available in the legislative information system.

The public hearing was opened and closed; no committee vote was taken during this session.

Ending: The bill will return to the committee for further consideration and to allow youth and other stakeholders to testify at a later date on a time more convenient for them.