---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to older foster children."
description: "Modifies independent living requirements for older foster children. Authorizes the Department of Human Services to exempt an individual placed in a household by the department before the individual turned 18 from applicable background check requirements after the individual attains 18 years of age."
jurisdiction: "us/states/or"
legislature: "Oregon Legislative Assembly"
session: "2025R1"
identifier: "SB 944"
citation: "Oregon SB 944 (2025R1)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 2
action_count: 23
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2025-01-28T19:02:06+00:00"
last_action: "2025-06-20T20:17:59+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/7407bf4d-3dbb-4f31-baaf-68575f9bdf8e"
source_url: "https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Measures/Overview/SB944"
source_hash: "ed0f4cafe247299efe896bffb19ba6425fdbeb2149bd8ce7860bca1b797a0800"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-or"]
---

# Oregon SB 944 (2025R1) — Relating to older foster children.

Modifies independent living requirements for older foster children. Authorizes the Department of Human Services to exempt an individual placed in a household by the department before the individual turned 18 from applicable background check requirements after the individual attains 18 years of age.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB944/Introduced)
2. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB944/Enrolled)

## Votes

- Heard and Reported Out — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- Third reading. Carried by Scharf. Passed. — **52–0** (pass) · lower
- Heard and Reported Out — **9–0** (pass) · lower
- Third reading. Carried by Linthicum. Passed. — **26–0** (pass) · upper

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-01-28T19:02:06+00:00** Introduction and first reading. Referred to President's desk. `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2025-01-28T19:37:34+00:00** Referred to Human Services. `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-20T16:16:00+00:00** Public Hearing held.
- **2025-03-20T15:47:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2025-03-27T16:11:03+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-27T19:39:46+00:00** Second reading. `reading-2`
- **2025-03-31T19:15:19+00:00** Carried over to 04-01 by unanimous consent.
- **2025-04-01T19:07:22+00:00** Third reading. Carried by Linthicum. Passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-04-01T20:08:54+00:00** First reading. Referred to Speaker's desk. `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2025-04-07T17:30:40+00:00** Referred to Early Childhood and Human Services. `referral-committee`
- **2025-04-24T15:01:00+00:00** Public Hearing held.
- **2025-05-20T15:02:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2025-05-22T18:40:57+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-05-27T19:09:56+00:00** Second reading. `reading-2`
- **2025-05-28T20:23:29+00:00** Rules suspended. Carried over to May 29, 2025 Calendar.
- **2025-05-29T22:05:03+00:00** Rules suspended. Carried over to June 2, 2025 Calendar.
- **2025-06-02T20:50:42+00:00** Rules suspended. Carried over to June 3, 2025 Calendar.
- **2025-06-03T19:20:55+00:00** Third reading. Carried by Scharf. Passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-06-04T19:32:26+00:00** President signed. `passage`
- **2025-06-04T22:59:38+00:00** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2025-06-11T21:26:16+00:00** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2025-06-20T18:52:40+00:00** Chapter 317, 2025 Laws.
- **2025-06-20T20:17:59+00:00** Effective date, January 1, 2026.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/7407bf4d-3dbb-4f31-baaf-68575f9bdf8e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Oregon legislature records).