Oregon Department of Human Services has agreed not to house foster children in hotels or its offices unless it is an emergency, according to a settlement of a lawsuit announced on Tuesday.

SALEM — A state legislative panel on Tuesday advanced a measure changing the way Oregon handles class-action lawsuits, setting up a vote in the House that could come as soon as this week. The measure is a top priority for Democrats, who are using their expanded House and Senate majorities to quickly push through several measures that were blocked in earlier years.