Sen. Arnie Roblan

Establishes grant program under which Department of Education awards grants to school districts for percentage of certain student transportation costs for which school district does not receive any amount in distributions from State School Fund or any amount related to transit activities . Takes effect July 1, 2018.

Requires community colleges, public universities and Oregon Health and Science University to provide certain rights to students ordered to federal or state active duty for 30 or fewer consecutive days. Declares emergency, effective on passage.

Imposes tax on rental price of construction, mining, earthmoving or industrial equipment, together with attachments and other equipment and tools, that is mobile and held primarily for rental. Directs Department of Revenue to administer heavy equipment rental tax program. Provides for pro rata distribution of two percent of gross tax revenues among counties that do not otherwise receive qualified heavy equipment rental tax revenues. Provides for distribution to counties of net tax revenues attributable to rentals made from locations in county. Directs county treasurer to distribute tax moneys to local taxing districts in accordance with property tax and interest distribution percentage schedule. Provides for temporary annual payments by or to equipment owner of any difference between heavy equipment rental tax and ad valorem property tax that would be assessed on such equipment if such equipment were subject to ad valorem property tax. Requires department to submit report regarding heavy equipment rental tax experience, including proposed tax rate to maintain revenue neutrality with respect to replacement of ad valorem property tax by heavy equipment rental tax, to interim committees related to revenue no later than July 1, 2022. Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Specifies that amount in account established for higher education expenses is disregarded for purposes of determining account owner's financial eligibility to receive assistance or benefit authorized by law, other than means-tested state financial aid for higher education, to extent permitted under federal law. Directs Higher Education Coordinating Commission to study potential effects on financial aid programs of excluding amounts in accounts established for higher education expenses from determination of expected family contributions and to study policies to incentivize saving for higher education expenses among families at or below median income. Applies to eligibility determinations made on or after January 1, 2019. Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Provides that outside compensation of employee of Oregon Health and Science University, public university or community college is not included in employee's salary for purposes of Public Employees Retirement System. Declares emergency, effective on passage.

Provides that person commits crime of strangulation if person knowingly impedes normal breathing or circulation of another person by applying pressure to chest of other person. Increases penalty for crime of strangulation when victim is family or household member. Punishes by maximum of five years' imprisonment, $125,000 fine, or both. Directs Oregon Criminal Justice Commission to classify felony strangulation as crime category 5 if committed against family or household member .

Establishes Small Business Expansion Loan Fund to be administered by Oregon Business Development Department for purpose of making loans of early stage growth capital to individuals and business entities with 50 or fewer employees that may not be able to obtain adequate traditional commercial or private financing to meet operational and growth needs. Provides that no individual loan may be made for amount greater than $2 million. Authorizes Oregon Business Development Commission to transfer moneys in Oregon Business Development Fund to Small Business Expansion Loan Fund when reasonable and financially appropriate for purpose of making loans under Act.

Requires Department of Human Services to disregard as resources moneys held in specified pension and retirement accounts in determining eligibility for temporary assistance for needy families.

Requires each public university to establish advisory body to advise university president on recommendations to governing board regarding resident tuition and mandatory enrollment fees. Requires public university to provide specified training and information to advisory body. Requires advisory body to document consideration of specified impacts of recommended resident tuition and mandatory enrollment fees before making recommendation to president of university to increase resident tuition and mandatory enrollment fees by more than five percent annually . Requires advisory body to provide meaningful opportunities to participate in process and deliberation of advisory body to recognized student government and other students enrolled at public university. Requires advisory body to provide written report to president of university setting forth recommendations, deliberations and observations of advisory body regarding resident tuition and mandatory enrollment fees. Specifies contents of report. Requires governing board to receive and consider written reports from advisory body when determining tuition and mandatory enrollment fees. Provides that if Higher Education Coordinating Commission must approve request by governing board to increase total of resident tuition and mandatory enrollment fees for undergraduate resident students by more than five percent, that public university will provide commission with written reports from advisory body and any other information or materials commission determines are necessary for commission to reach determination. Declares emergency, effective on passage.

Allows Health Licensing Office to issue residential care facility administrator license to qualified applicant. Renames Nursing Home Administrators Board as Long Term Care Administrators Board. Prohibits board from carrying out disciplinary action against licensee unless at least one board member who represents type of license held by licensee is present at board meetings related to disciplinary action. Requires individual currently employed as residential care facility administrator in Oregon , or individual seeking employment as residential care facility administrator in Oregon prior to January 1, 2022, to apply for residential care facility administrator license by July 1, 2019. Allows Health Licensing Office to issue provisional residential care facility administrator license to qualified individual. Requires individual who holds provisional residential care facility administrator license to obtain residential care facility administrator license not later than January 1, 2022. Declares emergency, effective on passage.