[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 138 (Wednesday, September 28, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 28, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 SENATE RESOLUTION 271--RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED OREGON OPTION PROJECT

  Mr. HATFIELD submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Governmental Affairs:

                              S. Res. 271

       Whereas Federal, State and local governments are dealing 
     with increasingly complex problems which require the delivery 
     of many kinds of social services at all levels of government;
       Whereas historically, Federal programs have addressed the 
     Nation's problems by providing categorical assistance with 
     detailed requirements relating to the use of funds which are 
     often delivered by State and local governments;
       Whereas although the current approach is one method of 
     service delivery, a number of problems exist in the current 
     intergovernmental structure that impede effective delivery of 
     vital services by State and local governments;
       Whereas it is more important than ever to provide programs 
     that respond flexibly to the needs of the Nation's States and 
     communities, reduce the barriers between programs that impede 
     Federal, State and local governments' ability to effectively 
     deliver services, encourage the Nation's Federal, State and 
     local governments to be innovative in creating programs that 
     meet the unique needs of the people in their communities 
     while continuing to address national goals, and improve the 
     accountability of all levels of government by better 
     measuring government performance and better meeting the needs 
     of service recipients;
       Whereas the State and local governments of Oregon have 
     proposed a pilot project, called the Oregon Option, that 
     would utilize strategic planning and performance-based 
     management that may provide the new models for 
     intergovernmental social service delivery;
       Whereas the Oregon Option is a prototype of 
     intergovernmental relations, and it has the potential to 
     completely transform the relationships among Federal, State 
     and local governments by creating a system of 
     intergovernmental service delivery and funding that is based 
     on measurable performance, customer satisfaction, prevention, 
     flexibility, and service integration; and
       Whereas Oregon is well prepared to begin work on the Oregon 
     Option, and the project has the potential to dramatically 
     improve the quality of Federal, State and local services to 
     Oregonians; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the Sense of the Senate that the 
     proposed Oregon Option project has the potential to improve 
     intergovernmental service delivery and that the Federal 
     Government should work cooperatively with the State and local 
     governments of Oregon to fully implement the Oregon Option 
     proposal.

 Mr. HATFIELD. Madam President, a very interesting meeting took 
place in my State earlier this month. During the week of September 19, 
over 100 officials from Federal, State and local government met in 
Portland to begin work on a project called the Oregon Option. I believe 
this project has the potential to vastly improve intergovernmental 
service delivery in my State, and today I am submitting a sense of the 
Senate resolution that urges the Federal Government to continue to be 
an active partner in this effort.
  Oregon proposes a new and revolutionary basis of intergovernmental 
service delivery. When the Oregon Option is implemented, Federal grants 
or transfers to State and local government in my State will be based on 
results rather than procedures. The different governments will agree on 
a set of outcome-based performance measures, which will be based on the 
ingenious Oregon Benchmarks model, and on the level of funds that each 
government would provide to achieve those performance goals. 
Regulations, at the Federal, State, and local level would be 
dramatically streamlined. This pilot project would give Oregon's State 
and local governments more flexibility in responding to the specific 
problems faced in the communities of the State in exchange for greater 
accountability, in the form of performance measures.
  Madam President, my State has learned that current Federal programs 
create disincentives for State and local government to work to prevent 
human service problems. State and local governments receive billions of 
Federal dollars to subsidize human service programs, but these 
governments are penalized--because they lose these Federal funds--if 
they spend money on programs that prevent people from needing human 
service payments in the first place. Additionally, federally supported 
programs at the State and local level tend to be too rule-driven. 
Millions of dollars end up mired in regulatory process instead of being 
available for services to people.

  The Oregon Option proposal elevates the traditional debate about 
intergovernmental relations to a new level. This proposal is not about 
finding more Federal funding for State and local programs; it is also 
not merely a request for more waivers of Federal regulations. Instead, 
this proposal recognizes that the current relationship among our 
governments has focused on procedure and compliance rather than on 
whether we are serving the citizens of our Nation.
  Madam President, I believe the Oregon Option builds on the greatest 
strengths of Federal, State, and local government. The Federal 
Government plays a very important role in setting national goals and 
protecting our Nation's most needy people. However, one of the things I 
have learned over my career is that States and local governments are 
better at knowing how to create programs to meet these goals in ways 
that fit the State or community. State and local governments are the 
innovators. By using the performance-based and measurable benchmarks, 
the Oregon Option creates a good balance between protecting the intent 
and goals of Federal policy and allowing States and local governments 
the freedom to find appropriate solutions to community problems.
  Madam President, the work on this project is just beginning, and the 
100 officials who meet in Portland are very committed to this project. 
At the conclusion of this 3-day meeting, the Federal, State and local 
participants selected five benchmarks as the starting point for 
exploring this new intergovernmental relationship, and task forces have 
formed to begin to outline the important goals and barriers in 
achieving these benchmarks. I look forward to working with them and 
with my colleagues in the Senate as this project moves forward.

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