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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 2788
Sponsored by Representatives NERON, RUIZ, Senator REYNOLDS (Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: Directs DHS to give grants to service providers to help people who are noncitizens
change their immigration status.The Act goes into effect on its passage. (Flesch Readability Score:
60.2).
Directs the Department of Human Services to provide grants to nonprofit service providers to
assist individuals who are noncitizens to change their immigration status or obtain lawful permanent
resident status. Requires the nonprofit service providers to report on the number of individuals who
succeed in changing their immigration status or obtaining lawful permanent resident status. Directs
the department to provide every individual served by the department information about, and a re-
ferral to the grant program.
Declares that it is state policy to help Oregonians who are eligible under federal law change
their immigration status or obtain lawful permanent resident status.
Appropriates moneys from the General Fund to the department for the purpose of providing
grants.
Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to immigration; and declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. (1) As used in this section, “noncitizen” means an individual who is not a
citizen or national of the United States. “Noncitizen” includes:
(a) An individual who is a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status
issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
(b) An individual who otherwise meets the eligibility criteria to receive the Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals status issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration
Services.
(c) An individual from Iraq or Afghanistan who was provided with the status of special
immigrant by the United States Department of Homeland Security under:
(A) Section 1059(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, P.L.
109-163, 119 Stat. 3443-3444;
(B) Section 1244(b) of the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act of 2007, P.L. 110-181, 122 Stat. 397;
or
(C) Section 602(b) of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009, P.L. 111-8, 123 Stat. 807.
(2) The Department of Human Services shall provide grants to nonprofit service provid-
ers to assist individuals who are noncitizens to change their immigration status or obtain
lawful permanent resident status.
(3) A grant provided under this section must be used to offset the costs of immigration
legal services or the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services fees associated with
the process for changing an immigration status or obtaining a lawful permanent resident
status.
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 2725 HB2788
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(4) A nonprofit service provider that is awarded a grant under this section shall use the
grant moneys to:
(a) When providing services to an individual who has an adjusted gross income for the
prior tax year that is not greater than 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, offset
for the individual all costs and fees described in subsection (3) of this section.
(b) When providing services to an individual who has an adjusted gross income for the
prior tax year that is greater than 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, offset for
the individual the costs and fees described in subsection (3) of this section in the following
amounts:
(A) $1,500 for an individual who has an adjusted gross income for the prior tax year that
is not greater than $60,000.
(B) $1,000 for an individual who has an adjusted gross income for the prior tax year that
is greater than $60,000 and not greater than $70,000.
(C) $750 for an individual who has an adjusted gross income for the prior tax year that
is greater than $70,000 and not greater than $80,000.
(5) When determining an individual’s eligibility for assistance, a nonprofit service pro-
vider shall, to the extent possible, use an individual’s participation in a government means-
tested program to determine whether the individual meets the income eligibility criteria
under subsection (4) of this section.
(6) A nonprofit service provider that is awarded a grant under this section shall ensure
that an individual assisted by the provider under this section who succeeds in changing the
individual’s immigration status or obtaining a lawful permanent resident status is informed
of the federal public assistance programs, including assistance with health care, nutrition,
housing, homelessness and utilities, that the individual may be eligible for.
(7) A nonprofit service provider that is awarded a grant under this section shall report
to the department:
(a) The number of individuals assisted by the provider under this section who succeed in
changing their immigration status or obtaining a lawful permanent resident status, including
the number of individuals who become citizens; and
(b) The number of individuals referred to the nonprofit service provider under section 3
of this 2025 Act and assisted by the provider under this section who succeed in changing
their immigration status or obtaining a lawful permanent resident status, including the
number of individuals who become citizens.
(8) Nothing in this section prohibits a nonprofit service provider that receives a grant
under this section from providing an individual with additional financial assistance to assist
in covering the costs and fees to change an immigration status or obtain a lawful permanent
residentstatus.
(9) The department may adopt rules to carry out this section.
SECTION 2. The Legislative Assembly declares that it is the policy of this state to help
Oregonians who are eligible under federal law change their immigration status or obtain
lawful permanent resident status, by the following Pathways to Protection and Citizenship
goals:
(1) By 2027, uptake 20 percent of eligible individuals.
(2) By 2029, uptake 50 percent of eligible individuals.
(3) By 2031, uptake 100 percent of eligible individuals.
[2] HB2788
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SECTION 3. (1) The Department of Human Services shall aim to provide information
about, and a referral to, the grant program established under section 1 of this 2025 Act to
every individual who is served by the department or a department’s contracted partner or
who is enrolled in the department’s online eligibility system.
(2) In referring an individual to the grant program established under section 1 of this
2025 Act, the department may not inquire into or collect information about an individual’s
immigration or citizenship status or country of birth.
(3) In referring individuals to the grant program established under section 1 of this 2025
Act, the department shall prioritize individuals who are enrolled in state-funded public as-
sistance programs with equivalent federal public assistance programs that individuals may
become eligible for if the individuals change their immigration status or obtain a lawful
permanent resident status.
SECTION 4. Notwithstanding section 3 of this 2025 Act, during the biennium beginning
July 1, 2025, the Department of Human Services is not required to make changes to the
department’s online eligibility system to carry out the provisions of section 3 of this 2025
Act if the department finds that the costs of those changes are estimated to be more than
$100,000 for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025.
SECTION 5.In addition to and not in lieu of any other appropriation, there is appropri-
ated to the Department of Human Services, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, out of
the General Fund, the amount of $ , for the purpose of providing grants under
section 1 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 6.This 2025 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2025 Act takes effect
on its passage.
[3]