Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 417 § 417.270 — Policy

Policy on equal access; documentation of expenditure for males and females; identification of disparities; equal access plan. (1) The Legislative Assembly hereby acknowledges that females under 18 years of age often lack equal access, both individually and as a group, when compared with males under 18 years of age, to the facilities, services and treatment available through human services and juvenile corrections programs provided by or funded by the State of Oregon. (2) The Legislative Assembly therefore declares that, as a matter of statewide concern, it is in the best interests of the people of this state that equal access for both males and females under 18 years of age to appropriate facilities, services and treatment be available through all state agencies providing or funding human services and juvenile corrections programs for children and adolescents. (3) Recognizing this concern, the Legislative Assembly further declares that: (a) Any state administrative agency that regularly provides services to minors shall, when the agency submits its annual budget to the Legislative Assembly, specify the percentages of moneys allocated to, and expended for, the two separate groups, males under 18 years of age and females under 18 years of age; (b) All state agencies providing human services and juvenile corrections programs shall identify existing disparities in the allocations of moneys and services to, and expended for, the two groups, males under 18 years of age and females under 18 years of age, and shall document such disparities, if any, for the purpose of reporting the information to the next odd-numbered year regular session of the Legislative Assembly; and (c) The state agencies described in subsection (1) of this section shall: (A) Develop a plan to implement equal access to appropriate services and treatment, based on presenting behaviors, for both males under 18 years of age and females under 18 years of age, by January 1, 1995; and (B) Monitor the implementation and results of newly enacted legislation intended to improve services for females under 18 years of age. (4) As used in subsection (3)(b) of this section, disparities include, but are not limited to, disparities in: (a) The nature, extent and effectiveness of services offered for females under 18 years of age within the areas of teen pregnancy, physical and sexual abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, services offered for runaway and homeless females under 18 years of age and services offered for females under 18 years of age who are involved in gangs or other delinquent activity; and (b) The equity of services offered to at-risk children and youth with respect to gender within the areas of physical and sexual abuse, alcohol and drug abuse and services offered to runaway and homeless children and youth. [1993 c.461 §1; 2011 c.545 §50]