A10
OREGON
East Oregonian
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Oregon lawmakers pass heat wave relief law
By PETER WONG
Oregon Capital Bureau
SA LEM — Oregon
lawmakers passed a measure
meant to ensure that future
extreme heat waves, such
as the one last summer that
accounted for more than 100
deaths, will not have similar
results.
Senate Bill 1536, which
got final clearance on Friday,
March 4, would allow
tenants to use portable cool-
ing devices — defined as air
conditioners and evaporative
coolers, either mounted in a
window or sitting on a floor
— with some conditions and
exceptions.
It also sets aside millions
Lawmakers
approve
stimulus
payments
Some low-income
workers would
receive one-time
payments of $600
By ELLIOT NJUS
The Oregonian
SA LEM — O regon
law ma kers on Fr id ay,
March 4, approved a $600
one-time stimulus payment
to low-income workers who
were on the job in the early
days of the pandemic.
The payments would go
to Oregonians who claimed
the Earned Income Tax
Credit in 2020, a tax break
for low-income working
households. The Oregon
Department of Revenue
said about 245,000 Orego-
nians would be eligible, with
payments limited to one per
household.
House Bill 4157 passed
by wide margins in both
chambers of the Oregon
Legislature, with a hand-
ful of Republicans join-
ing majority Democrats in
supporting the bill. It now
goes to Gov. Kate Brown for
signing.
The state Department of
Revenue would make the
payments automatically for
most eligible workers by the
end of July.
The payments evolved
from a 2021 plan for larger
stimulus payments — up
to $2,000 — to essential
workers who stayed on the
job during the pandemic,
and those who rejoined the
workforce last fall.
Sponsors of the latest
bill, though, said more
targeted payments would
have been administratively
burdensome and would have
required workers to apply.
Payments could have been
delayed by months or years
as a result.
Directing the money to
low-income working fami-
lies, they said, would help
ease the sting of rapid hikes
in expenses like rent, gas
and groceries.
“Cash payments make
a huge difference in the
lives of working families,”
said Sen. Kathleen Taylor,
D-Portland.
The pay ments, plus
administrative costs, are
expected to amount to
nearly $150 million, paid
from federal pandemic
aid approved by Congress
last year.
for the Oregon Department
of Energy, Oregon Health
Authority and Oregon
Depar tment of Human
Services to help pay for cool-
ing systems, provide portable
air conditioners and promote
community shelters for cool-
ing and heating.
The final votes were 22-3
in the Senate and 49-9 in the
House.
T he bi l l combi ne s
elements of a separate bill
(House Bill 4058) that
was considered Feb. 4 in
the House Committee on
Environment and Natural
Resources. Chairwoman
Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, said
lawmakers decided to merge
them into one bill.
“Oregon has been a place
where we didn’t think we
needed cooling devices. But
conditions are changing —
and rapidly,” Marsh said.
“Protecting the health and
safety of vulnerable residents
now requires us to make sure
they have access to both cool-
ing and heating. We must do
everything we can to make
sure we never see the kind
of suffering we saw in the
summer of 2021.”
The heat wave occurred
June 26-29, 2021; the Legis-
lature adjourned its regular
session on June 26.
Tenants would still face
some restrictions. Among
them: Compliance with
building codes, state and
federal laws; compliance
with written standards for
device safety; no damage to
the premises, and no power
usage beyond what a build-
ing’s electrical system can
handle.
Tenants, not landlords,
would be liable for injuries or
damages caused by devices
they install.
Re nt a l u n it s w it h
construction permits after
April 1, 2024, would be
subject to new requirements
for cooling in at least one
room.
This provision prompted
Rep. Kim Wallan, R-Med-
ford, to vote against the
bill. She said it would add
to the already high cost of
housing construction.
Proposed spending
The bill also sets aside
these amounts in the state
budget:
• For the Department of
Energy, $15 million plus
$6.6 million in other funds
for grants to the governor’s
regional solutions teams and
Oregon’s federally recog-
nized tribes for heat pumps
and other devices. Another
$10 million, plus $5.6 million
in other funds, would go
toward rebates to contractors
for installation of residential
heat pumps. About 25% of
that money is for housing
built for people who earn less
than the area median income,
and 25% for loans to housing
owners whose tenants earn
80% or less of the area’s
median income.
Cooling centers would
get $2 million, and a study
of cooling needs in public
housing. manufactured home
parks and recreational vehi-
cle parks would get $500,000.
• For the Oregon Health
Authority, $5 million for
distribution of portable air
conditioners and air filters,
with priority going to people
who rely on state and federal
medical assistance.
• For the Department of
Human Services, $2 million
for grants to organizations
that run community shelters
for cooling and warming.
Chamber of
Commerce
PO Box 1 • 101 Olson Rd. • Boardman, OR 97818 • 541-481-3014
www.boardmanchamber.org • email: info@boardmanchamber.org
This newsletter proudly sponsored
by the following businesses:
