The start of each new year is a time to reflect on the past year and make plans for the future. It holds a special magic, with a promise of new opportunities and the possibility to change our lives for the better.
We want everyone to ring in the New Year safely and your local law enforcement departments want you to have a happy weekend too. The goal is zero deaths due to impaired driving over the New Year’s holiday weekend.
Don’t Drink & Drive this New Year’s Eve —– If you are drinking, don’t drive. If you’re driving, don’t drink. A simple rule for life can save a lot of lives. Please don’t drink and drive.
Local agencies and OSP will have extra troopers focused on impaired driving throughout the state on New Year’s Eve. If you plan to consume impairing substances, always make plans for a sober ride home such as taxis or ride share apps or designating a completely sober driver.
OSP station commanders in Oregon have shared that impaired driving has become a prolific problem in the region. They are asking for the public’s help in reducing impaired driving to keep Oregonians safe while traveling this holiday weekend.
NEW YEAR’S SAFETY
Among all the fun and noise of a New Year’s celebration, it’s important to ensure festivities are safe. If alcohol is involved, there should be people in attendance who are designated to stay sober and ensure safety. While laws can help prevent mishaps, people making the right choices and being respectful of each other will help keep people safe while still having fun. The responsibility and much of the liability of a safe party remains with the host. If you are hosting a party, there are safety measures you can implement to keep people safe and reduce liability during New Year celebrations.
Party Safety Tips:
- Use common sense. This includes not driving after drinking or using substances.
- Designate a non-drinking driver before the party.
- Utilize public transportation where available.
- Consider spending the night at the party location.
- If you are hosting a party, ensure that nonalcoholic drinks are also served.
- Communicate with neighbors before the party. Work together to respectfully address noise levels and other potential disturbances.
- Have the courage to refuse serving a friend a drink if they are acting strange or are intoxicated.
- Do not pressure friends to drink if they say no, have a drinking problem, or are already intoxicated.
- Consider the safety and welfare of pets. Loud music, people, and fireworks can result in distress.
- Ensure that pets have ID tags with current information on them and that they are safely secured before the party. Ensure pet licenses and microchips are updated so they can be easily reunited with you.
- Candles, fireworks, kids, and pets don’t mix. Keep them away from each other.
Use Caution When Consuming Alcohol
There can be misconceptions about different types of alcohol and their effects. For instance, beer and wine are just as intoxicating as distilled spirits. A 12-ounce can of beer, a five-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce wine cooler, and an ounce and a half of liquor contain nearly the same amount of alcohol.
While it is important to limit alcohol and stay hydrated, juices, sodas, and other mixers won’t help dilute alcohol; they just make alcohol tastier. Alcoholic drinks using artificial sweeteners lead to a higher rate of alcohol absorption resulting in a greater blood alcohol concentration compared to drinks made with sugar-based mixers. Carbonated mixers like club soda or tonic water cause alcohol to be absorbed more quickly. Fruit juice and other sweet mixers mask the taste of alcohol and may cause people to drink more. Use caution when mixing drinks or serving sweet beverages, these can lead to accidental over-consumption of alcohol.
When The Clock Strikes Midnight On January 1, 2024, Many New Laws Immediately Take Effect
What’s Changing in 2024? Here are some new Oregon laws taking effect
Important, new laws passed by the Oregon Legislature will take effect on New Year’s Day. These policies will directly address many of the most urgent challenges facing our state and positively impact the day-to-day lives of Oregonians, covering everything from responding to the drug crisis to converting commercial buildings to housing, expanding our nursing workforce, and more.
A selection of the new laws going into effect on January 1, 2024 is available below. More information about legislation passed in 2023 can be found here.
DRUG CRISIS
1.Improving Implementation of Voter-Approved Measure 110 (House Bill 2513): Also known as the Hope and Recovery bill. It makes changes to voter-approved Measure 110 (The Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act).
- The measure bolsters staffing and streamlines the application processes to speed up approval and get funds out the door.
- Centralizes the support hotline to get people connected to services more efficiently.
- Increases accountability by improving collection and accuracy of Measure 110 program data.
2. Educating Oregon’s Youth About the Dangers of Fentanyl (Senate Bill 238): Directs the Oregon Health Authority, State Board of Education, and Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission to develop curricula that teaches students about the dangers of synthetic opioids and laws that provide immunity or other protections related to drug or alcohol use.
3. Preventing Opioid Overdose Deaths (Senate Bill 1043): Requires health care and drug treatment facilities to provide two doses of opioid overdose reversal medicine and related medical supplies upon discharge to patients who were there for treatment for opioid abuse. The bill also establishes civil liability protections to people who administer opioid overdose medication to a person experiencing an overdose. This bill was introduced at the request of Gov. Tina Kotek by Senate President Rob Wagner.
4. Increasing Access to Addiction Treatment While In-Custody (Senate Bill 529): According to the Department of Corrections, 63% of adults entering custody report having a substance-use disorder, and 50% are classified as having a “severe” need for treatment. This bipartisan bill modifies the procedures of accepting participants into the current alternative incarceration program, requires intense addiction programs that address chronic disease, and includes a range of treatment services.
PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY
1. Preventing Organized Retail Theft (Senate Bill 340): Increases penalties for individuals convicted of retail theft that adds up to at least $5,000 in value, targets the same business or corporation over a six-month period in any part of Oregon. Individuals convicted of organized retail crimes could face up to two years in prison, and penalties increase if employees are put in danger during the theft. The measure was developed by the Organized Retail Crime Task Force, which is made up of industry and labor stakeholders negatively impacted by organized retail crime.
2. Mental Health Support for First Responders (House Bill 3426): Requires 9-8-8 crisis hotline centers to have policies and train staff on serving firefighters and other first responders.
3. Expanding DUII to Include Influence of Any Impairing Drugs (House Bill 2316): Expands Oregon’s Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII) laws. Currently, laws regarding convictions of DUII are treated differently depending on which statute you are charged under. This bill amends multiple statutes to reconcile felony DUII statutes governing repeated offenders and expands the offense of DUII to include the influence of any impairing drugs.
HOUSING
1. Converting Commercial Buildings to Housing Within the UGB (House Bill 2984): Allows local governments to convert commercial buildings within the urban growth boundary to residential housing without requiring a zone change conditional use permit.
2. Improving Financing of Affordable Housing (House Bill 2761): Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) is responsible for the planning, development, and management of affordable housing projects. This bill expands OHCS’s ability to finance certain housing development portions for households earning at or below 120% of median area income.
ECONOMY: AFFORDABILITY & CHILD CARE
1, Reducing Barriers for Early Learning Workforce (House Bill 2504): A report by the Oregon State University’s College of Public Health and Human Services released in 2019 found that early childhood professionals whose first language is not English are less likely to participate in the Oregon registry professional development system. This bill directs the Department of Early Learning and Care to develop standards and processes that reduce barriers for international early childhood professionals to enter the workforce.
2. Putting Money Back in Families’ Pockets with the Oregon Kids Credit (House Bill 3235): This bill creates Oregon’s first-ever state-based child tax credit – a fully refundable $1,000 tax credit per child between the ages of 0 and 5 for families earning $30,000 or less. 55,000 children across Oregon will benefit from this credit, with a higher representation in rural communities and communities of color. Oregon families can apply for this credit when they file their tax returns in 2024.
EDUCATION
1. Upgrading School HVAC Systems (House Bill 3031): HB 3031 works to improve air quality and eliminate airborne pathogens in schools around the state. The bill will help Oregon schools receive federal funds to upgrade their HVAC systems, assess ventilation systems, place carbon dioxide monitors in each classroom, and submit a report on ventilation and carbon dioxide levels to a mechanical engineer for review. The districts will then implement any improvements recommended by the engineer.
2. Increasing Students’ Financial Literacy (Senate Bill 3): In 2022, a study from the Oregon Department of Education studied high school graduation requirements and made a recommendation that future planning credit requirements be added.
Senate Bill 3 adds a half-credit for higher education and career path skills and a half-credit for personal financial education to graduation requirements starting in 2027.
HEALTH CARE
1. Training More Nurses (Senate Bill 523): SB 523 expands the number of institutions that can offer nursing degrees, especially in rural Oregon. It permits community colleges to offer Bachelor of Science, nursing degrees in addition to applied bachelor’s degrees. Community colleges may apply to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission for approval of the proposed BSN degree program.
2. Eliminating Costs for Breast Cancer Screenings (Senate Bill 1041): Makes medically necessary breast cancer diagnostic imaging tests and supplemental breast exams free to patients by requiring commercial insurance plans to cover those costs. While the total cost of a mammogram is usually covered by insurance, further diagnostic testing such as an MRI or ultrasound is not. These diagnostic tests can cost up to thousands of dollars to patients, even though they are absolutely essential to identifying breast cancer.
ENVIRONMENT & WILDFIRES
1. Banning Use of Polystyrene Food Containers (Senate Bill 543): SB 543 would prohibit the use of polystyrene foam containers and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in sales of prepared food. The ban was introduced in response to the significant negative impact that polystyrene has on the environment.
2. Protecting Homeowners Impacted by Wildfires (Senate Bill 82): Makes clear that insurance companies may not cancel policies or increase premiums for homeowners based on the statewide wildfire risk map. It will also improve transparency on policy renewals and premium decisions related to wildfires by requiring insurers to tell homeowners how they can lower their premiums through home hardening or other wildfire mitigation.
3. Funding Firefighter Apprenticeships (House Bill 2294): Appropriates $20 million to the Bureau of Labor and Industries to establish a grant program for local service districts and local joint committees to administer firefighter apprenticeship training pilot projects. It requires a report to the Legislature by Dec. 31, 2026.
Have a Safe and Happy New Year’s Weekend!
We’ll be back in the office on Tuesday, January 2, 2024
