Vocational Rehabilitation

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Legislative Community Partner Calls

February 16

• HB 5026 Appropriates moneys from General Fund to Department of Human Services for certain biennial expenses.
• SB 30 Requires Bureau of Labor and Industries, in consultation with Employment Department to conduct study that identifies apprenticeship opportunities in this state and evaluates best practices for keeping up-to-date list of available opportunities on webpages of bureau and department.
• SB 241 Requires state agency or local government, before providing assistance or benefits to residents of this state who do not have regular access to, or face barriers in attaining, shelter or housing, employment, health care, child care, food, clothing or other basic necessities to fully inform resident of assistance or benefits available from funded federal programs and require resident to apply for or enroll in federal program of assistance or benefits.
• SB 415  Directs Office of the Governor to establish plan to implement recommendations for improvements to workforce development system.

March 16 

• SB 415 Directs Office of the Governor to establish plan to implement recommendations for improvements to workforce development system. Plan to be developed within 180 days of effective date of this bill. Also establishes program within Higher Education Coordinating Commission to create career pathways to high quality jobs in clean energy workforce.
• ​SB 572 Requires Higher Education Coordinating Commission to work with Portland State University and community colleges to establish post-secondary program for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• HB 2804 Requires Department of Human Services to conduct annual assessment of workforce capacity and needs in each division of department and report results to interim committees of Legislative Assembly no later than February 1 each year.
• HB 3304 Requires Department of Education, in collaboration with certain other agencies, to establish criteria for recognizing student internship programs. Makes student internship programs eligible for career and technical education revitalization grants. Modifies references in certain career and technical education funding provisions to focus on high demand jobs. Removes cap on number of students that may participate in youth apprenticeship programs per biennium.​
• ​HB 3559 Expands ASPIRE programs to include career pathway options.

April 20

• SB 57​1 Requires employer to offer contribution to ABLE account in lieu of contribution to retirement account.
• SB 572A [Original bill] Requires Higher Education Coordinating Commission to work with Portland State University and community colleges to establish post-secondary program for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Specifies requirements of program. Appropriates moneys to commission for allocation to Portland State University to support Career and Community Studies program. Appropriates moneys to commission for allocation to community colleges that participate in establishing program for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Declares emergency, effective July 1, 2023. [SB 572A Substantial changes to include other populations of persons with disabilities, an advisory committee, and a report.]
• SB 575 Directs Department of Education to develop and implement statewide education plan for students who are eligible for special education and who have experienced disproportionate results in education due to historical practices.​ Requires school districts to establish special education advisory council. Authorizes use of moneys from Student Investment Account for councils. Requires all statewide education plans to include strategies that provide for alignment with other statewide education plans.
• SB 633 Establishes program to provide high-quality services and improved outcomes through regional centers for special education and related services. Sunsets program June 30, 2029. Declares emergency, effective July 1, 2023.
• HB 2175 Appropriates moneys to Department of Education for distribution to certain school districts for certain career and technical education programs.
• HB 3563A Engrossed Creates Oregon Youth Works Advisory Board to advise on and oversee implementation and alignment of youth workforce development programs for which Higher Education Coordinating Commission is responsible.
• HB5019 Enrolled From the 4/10/2023 news release: HB 5019 includes a suite of policy changes and investments intended to address Oregon's housing needs and provides funding to expand and strengthen the ODHS Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program.

May 18

• HB 3563A – Oregon Youth Works. (It still fails to mention Vocational Rehabilitation as a specific partner in serving this population.)
• HB 3564 A Engrossed – Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) membership and other minor revisions.
• HB 3565 – Oregon Tribal Student Grant Program.​ 
• SB 420  Directs Department of Human Services to provide specified services to individuals with brain injuries and to convene Brain Injury Advisory Committee.
• SB 571 A Directs Oregon 529 Savings Board to provide information to designated beneficiaries of ABLE accounts regarding potential impact to benefits and services if contributions are made to workplace retirement account.
• SB 572 A  Requires Higher Education Coordinating Commission to work with Portland State University and community colleges to establish post-secondary program for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• SB 736 INTRO Requires Department of Education to conduct study to identify how to increase access to advanced instruction for purpose of preparing students for college and career.
• SB 819 A  Modifies abbreviated school day program requirements. Requires that parent or foster parent must give informed and written consent for student with disability to be placed on program. Prescribes duties of school district superintendent and Department of Education in relation to abbreviated school day programs. ​
  

June 15 - TBD​

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Ado​pte​d ​​Po​​licies

• VR-PT 23​-01 ​​Transportation Mileage Reimbursement Rate (1/1/2023)​​
  
• VR-PT 22-01 Post-Employment Services Update (4/1/2022)
  
• VR-PT ​21-03 Vehicle purchase, insurance and modification ​(10/1/2021)​​
  
• ​​​VR-PT 21-02 Eligibility to Work in the United States​ (3/30/2021)​
• ​VR-PT 21-01​​ Use of Electronic Signatures​ (3/5/2021)​​
  
• VR-PT 20-05 Prior​ approval for IPE Purchases (8/28/2020)
  
• VR-PT 20-04 Warranty payment (7/2/2020)
  
• ​​VR-PT 20-03​​ Official case record and documentation of case notes​ (7/2/2020)​
• VR-PT 20-01​ ASL Interpreter Guidelines (2/14/2020)
  
• VR-PT 19-03 Change in Hearing Aid Purchase Process (12/6/2019)​
• VR-PT 19-01​ Industrial Hemp Update (7/5/2019)
  
• VR-PT 17-04​ Procedures for Pre‐Employment Transition Services (8/15/2017)
  
• VR-PT 17-03 Allotments for Pre‐Employment Transition Services (8/15/2017)​
• VR-PT 17-02​ Program Income (6/16/2017)
  
• VR‐PT 17‐01​ Purchases for Equipment and Other Expenditures (2/27/2017)​
  
• VR-PT 15-07 Services to Persons who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (10/2/2015)​​
  
• VR-PT 15-06​ Self-Employment (9/18/2015)
  
• VR-PT-15-05​ Authority to Work (8/24/2015)
  
• VR-PT 15-03 Transition Policy Definitions​ (9/1/2015)
  
• VR-PT 15-02 Transition Policy (7/20/2015)​
  
• ​VR-PT 15-01 Supported Employment (4/21/2015)
  
• VR Policy 3.1 Time to Plan (1/1/2015)
  

Action Requests

Informa​​tion Memorandums

• VR-IM 23-05 Access to Services and Bilingual and Multilingual Staff Roles (4/28/2023)​
  
• VR-IM 23-04 Dispute Resolution Changes (4/14/2023)
  
• VR-IM ​23-03 Educational Goal, Credential Attainment and Measurable Skills Gain (3/24/2023)
  
• VR-IM 23-02 Services for DACA Recipients (2/10/2023)
  
• VR-IM​ 23-01​ Temporary, Seasonal, On-Call Employment (2/10/2023)
  
• VR-IM 21-02 Microenterprise| Technical​ Assistance Guide​ (9/17/2021) ​​
  
• VR-IM 20-02​ Applicant SSN Validation (5/18/2020)
• VR-IM 19-13​ 20 Hour Recommendation Supported Employment (10/30/2019)​
  
• ​VR-IM 19-05 All SPOTS Purchase Instructions
  
• VR-IM 19-04​ SPOTS Purchase for Client Services​​
  
• VR-IM 18-15 IDD Community Benefits Counselors (10/12/2018)
  
• VR-IM 18-13​ Prior Approval for Non-Client, Non-AFP Purchases (10/2/2018)​​
  
• VR-IM 18-05 ​Wage Verification at Placement and Closure 
  
• VR-IM 18-04 Pre-ETS Data Collection (3/16/2018)
  
• Pre-ETS Tracking Sheet (3/16/2018)
  
• VR-IM 18-03​ Pre-ETS Consent and Information Release (3/16/2018)
• DE1723 Pre-ETS Consent and Information Release Form (3/16/2018)
• DS1723 Servicios de transción previos al empleo Consentimiento y permiso para divulger información (3/16/2018)
  
• VR-IM 18-01 WSO Standards 2.0 (1/​2/2018)
• Worksource Oregon Operational Standards 2.0 (12/1/2017)
• VR-IM 17-08 Supported Employment Procedures Manual (6/30/2017)
• Supported Employment Manual​ (3/14/2017)
• VR-IM 17-07​ Letter of Guardianship and Limited Judgment Order (12/14/2017)
  
• VR-IM 17-06​ Using Secure Email (10/20/2017)
  
• VR-IM 17-05 Subminimum Wage Report (9/5/2017)
  
• VR-IM 17-03​  Job Stabilization (3/1/2017)​
  
• VR-IM 17-02 Supported Employment Timelines (3/1/2017)​
  
• VR-IM 15-06​ Participant Identity Verification (7/9/2015)​    
• VR-IM 15-05​ No Marijuana-Related Employment Assistance (6/29/2015)

Employment Policy for Individu​​als with IDD

Regulat​​​​ions​

• Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA)
• Code of Federal Regulations (Title 34, Subtitle B, Chapter III, Part 361
• Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs)
• Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Subscribe to email updates

For questions or comments on policy out for public comment, email ​vr.policy@odhsoha.o​regon.gov

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For information about services and policy visit the Client Information page

To speak with your counselor or branch manager contact your local Vocat​ional Rehabilitation office​​​

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