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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 604
Sponsored by Senator CAMPOS; Representative CHAICHI (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: The Act creates a program in HECC to provide support for certain students. The Act
declares an emergency. The Act becomes law on July 1, 2025. (Flesch Readability Score: 64.6).
Establishes the Strong Start Program within the Higher Education Coordinating Commission for
purposes of providing support to first-year and underrepresented students at public universities in
this state.
Declares an emergency, effective July 1, 2025.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to the Strong Start Program; and declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. (1) There is established within the Higher Education Coordinating Commis-
sion the Strong Start Program to provide academic support and comprehensive services for
first-year and underrepresented students at the public universities listed in ORS 352.002.
(2) The program established under this section must provide comprehensive services to
be determined by the commission by rule, including services to assist with community
building, summer programs, academic programs and wraparound supports.
(3) The commission shall distribute moneys from the Strong Start Program Fund, es-
tablished under section 2 of this 2025 Act, to the public universities through a formula that
ensures equitable allocation of resources based on the number of students in need of support.
The formula under this subsection shall be based on prior-year fall term first-time students
who represent targeted populations who are federal Pell Grant eligible, rural, underrepre-
sented or veterans.
(4) The commission shall adopt rules to administer this section.
SECTION 2. (1) There is established in the State Treasury, separate and distinct from the
General Fund, the Strong Start Program Fund. All moneys in the Strong Start Program
Fund are continuously appropriated to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission for
purposes of carrying out section 1 of this 2025 Act.
(2) The Higher Education Coordinating Commission shall administer the fund established
under subsection (1) of this section.
SECTION 3.In addition to and not in lieu of any other appropriation, there is appropri-
ated to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, for the biennium beginning July 1,
2025, out of the General Fund, the amount of $ which shall be transferred to the
Strong Start Program Fund to carry out section 1 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 4.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
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 2189 SB604
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July 1, 2025.
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