Governor Brown holds ceremonial bill signing for Senate Bill 584, a City of Portland initiative

Press Release
The legislation was prompted by a series of complaints to the Ombudsman’s Office, alleging that state-certified minority- and women-owned firms were acting as fronts for non-certified firms on City projects.
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Photo of Oregon Governor Kate Brown, Auditor Mary Hull Caballero, and Ombudsman Margie Sollinger at the ceremonial bill signing for Senate Bill 584

Yesterday, Auditor Mary Hull Caballero and Ombudsman Margie Sollinger were honored to attend Governor Kate Brown’s ceremonial bill signing for Senate Bill 584.

Senate Bill 584 allows public contracting agencies, including the City of Portland, to take enforcement actions against certified minority- and women-owned business enterprises that engage in fraudulent or otherwise prohibited conduct on public contracts.

State Senator Michael Dembrow (D - District 23 - Portland) introduced Senate Bill 584 and State Representative Lew Frederick (D – District 43 – Portland) provided instrumental support in ensuring passage of the Bill. The Bill received widespread backing from diverse stakeholders and passed unanimously in both chambers. The Governor signed the bill into law on May 21, 2015.

The legislation was prompted by a series of complaints to the Ombudsman’s Office, a division of the Auditor’s Office. The complaints alleged that state-certified minority- and women-owned firms were acting as fronts for non-certified firms on City projects. Prior to the passage of Senate Bill 584, the City was unable to effectively pursue enforcement actions or otherwise hold these types of firms accountable for fraudulent conduct.

Photo of Oregon Governor Kate Brown, Portland City Auditor Mary Hull Caballero, and Ombudsman Margie Sollinger.

Recognizing that fraud displaces legitimate firms from accessing City contracts and undermines the City’s efforts to promote social equity in contracting, the Portland City Council approved the Ombudsman’s proposed legislation as an Initiative on the City’s 2015 State Legislative Agenda. Chief Procurement Officer Christine Moody provided key testimony in public hearings, and the City’s Office of Government Relations expertly shepherded the bill from inception to passage.