Note:  Education reports after January, 2024, are included in Social policy reports. Education reports prior to February, 2024, can be found HERE.

Please see the Legislation Tracker for 2026 Social Policy bills.

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Behavioral Health

Trish Garner

SB 1533  received a “do pass with amendment 1” recommendation in the Senate Committee on Human Services. It generally permits a court to limit, deny, or prohibit contact between a foster child and the foster child's sibling to ensure safe and appropriate contact between the siblings. It modifies Oregon’s Foster Children’s Sibling Bill of Rights by enhancing contact between siblings, except when a court order has determined otherwise. It also expands the Oregon Foster Children’s Bill of Rights to include the right to (1) be protected from abuse, exploitation, neglect, intimidation and inappropriate use of restraint or seclusion, (2) have access to a free and appropriate public education; (3) be assigned an attorney to represent the child’s interests; and (4) maintain, have access to and be able to transport to their personal belongings. 

SB 1547 A   has been passed in the Senate.  The bill responds to a  2024 legislative direction to the System of Care Advisory Council that it examine the possibility of establishing a bachelor’s level youth and family behavioral health license. That is what SB 1547 does. The  measure authorizes the Oregon Board of Psychology to issue licenses to “behavioral health and wellness practitioners“ after completion of relevant education, clinical hours and training. HB 1547 also sets standards for licensure. These practitioners are specifically prohibited from engaging in the practice of psychology, medicine, or diagnosis or treatment of a mental disorder. Practitioners are required to practice under qualified supervisors, and communications between the practitioners and clients is privileged. HB 1547 is commonly referred to as the “Ballmer” bill because the Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health in Portland OR will be providing the education for these practitioners.

SB 1579 was heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a Work Session is scheduled for February 16. The measure makes submitting a false report about child abuse a Class B misdemeanor. Making such a false report if the person has a prior conviction for having done so previously can result in a Class A felony charge, and  two or more prior convictions for making a false report of child abuse carries a Class C felony. 

HB 4028 was heard by the House Committee on Behavioral Health, and in a Work Session it unanimously adopted  the proposal with a “do pass” recommendation.  The bill had initially been scheduled to be referred to Ways and Means, but that referral was rescinded.  This legislation targets the auditing process for outpatient behavioral healthcare treatment. It requires the Oregon Health Authority, insurers and coordinated care organizations (CCO’s) to develop written claim filing requirements including detailed and specific information. (CCO’s are regional networks which receive and manage state and Medicaid funding and distribute it to health care providers based on their services.) The claim filing requirements must be made available to all providers.  HB 4028 also mandates that providers must be given 30 days advance notice of any changes in these requirements.  The lookback and compliance deadlines are identified. The CCO’s cannot claim recoupment based on clerical errors. The same criteria must be used for all behavioral health and medical and surgical claims. This latter provision reiterates Oregon’s policy of parity, which means that claims for behavioral and mental health treatment must be processed the same as medical claims. 

HB 4039  passed the House Committee on Health Care with a “do pass with amendment 1” recommendation. The bill changes how the Oregon Health Authority sets payment rates for coordinated care organizations (see definition of CCO in report regarding HB 4028). HB 4039-1 mandates that CCO’s establish a transparent, data-driven process when developing capitation rates, which are the set amounts of Medicaid funds Oregon pays a CCO per member, per month to cover that person’s healthcare. The bill also requires that CCO’s use a part of their income or reserves to address social determinants of health and health disparities.  Finally, the Oregon Health Policy Board is mandated to establish a review process for collecting public comment when setting rates.  

HB 4059 received a “do pass with amendment 3” recommendation and a referral to the Rules Committee from the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services.  The bill seeks to modify what constitutes “threatened harm” when determining whether a child has been abused and places limits on jurisdiction when the state investigates certain reports of child abuse.  The current standard is whether a child faces a “substantial threat of harm.”  Proponents argue that this standard is vague and set too low. For example, Oregon’s Department of Human Services gets more complaints of potential neglect or abuse than other states (about 100 a year for each 1,000 children, compared to a national average of 70). Children and families who are investigated often experience lasting trauma, even when the abuse is unfounded and Oregon’s child welfare workers are overworked.  Disability Rights Oregon was opposed on the grounds that it might lead to more domestic violence and abuse. (See Oregonian article). Amendments offered different standards for triggering such investigations. One standard required demonstration of an imminent and severe threat to the child, and another required a threat of harm that places a child at severe risk to welfare and is likely to occur in the future. The Committee landed on the “severe risk” standard (HB 4059-3).

HB 4083A unanimously passed the House Behavioral Health Committee with a “do pass with amendment 2” recommendation.  The bill arose out of Governor Tina Kotek’s Behavioral Health Talent Council, chaired by First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson, a former social worker. It was designed to “cut the red tape” for behavioral health worker licensure and ease a bottleneck that has formed due to a lack of qualified clinical supervisors.  HB 4083-2 retains the first portion of the initial version of the bill but eliminates the second. This means that the Oregon Health Authority is required to create a uniform process to credential behavioral health care providers. The State Board of Licensed Social Workers, however, will not join the Board of Psychology and the Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists in being supervised by the State Mental Health Regulatory Agency. These professionals very strongly opposed this portion of the bill. 

Criminal Justice

By Marge Easley and Sharron Noone

The League is carefully monitoring the many bills in House and Senate Judiciary this

session that seek to protect Oregonians from the actions of federal immigration officers.

Thus far we have submitted supportive testimony on three of those bills. The latest

testimony was on SJR 203, heard on 2/11 with a work session scheduled for 2/16. The

bill, sponsored by Sen. Manning, would refer to voters a constitutional amendment that

prohibits secret police in Oregon, forbids the wearing of masks by all levels of law

enforcement, and requires identification on officers’ uniforms. 

We previously reported on HB 4114 (League testimony), which allows a civil suit against a federal or out-of-state law enforcement officer, and on HB 4138 (League testimony), which requires law enforcement agencies to enact policies regarding identification on officers’ uniforms. The former bill passed with an amendment  on 2/11 on a 5-3 vote, while the latter is scheduled for a work session on 2/16.

On other criminal justice matters the League submitted recent testimony on HB 4045,

which requires communications providers to respond quickly to search warrants related

to stalking or domestic violence. Social media providers must respond within 72 hours,

while all others must respond within 5 days. The bill was heard on 2/9, and the

amended bill passed out of committee on 2/11. We also hope to see SB 1515

(modifications to the wrongful conviction petition process) successfully pass out of

committee at its 2/16 work session. (LWVOR testimony)

Education

By Jean Pierce

HB 4079 requires public schools to inform parents, students, and community members when ICE is present on the campus. This would assure immigrants that they have accurate information to base decisions protecting their children. included a number of technical fixes recommended by the chief sponsor of the bill. The League submitted testimony in support of the bill. HB 4079-5 received a DO PASS as AMENDED recommendation

SB 1538  creates a new protected class in educational antidiscrimination law (schools cannot discriminate based on immigration or citizenship status), and guarantees admission to Oregon school districts’ instructional programs  The -7 amendment removed a requirement which the League had supported in testimony – that districts model their policies after those developed by the Oregon DOJ. Nevertheless, the League still  supports SB 1538-7, which received a DO PASS  as AMENDED recommendation from Senate Education. 

The House Education work session for HB 4149, for which the League wrote supportive testimony, was carried over until Monday, Feb. 16.

After hearing a number of concerns about SB 1555, the Senate Education Committee did not hold a work session on the bill. It would have eliminated the Quality Education Commission and made other significant changes related to how public education is funded. While there is no question that the current system of determining the level of funding is flawed in Oregon, concerns were shared that the bill raised a number of issues that could not be resolved in the short session. Chair Fredericks announced that he was creating a work group to consider how best to restructure school funding.

The House Education Committee considered three bills which would require additional moneys:

•  In a public hearing for HB 4112, that would restore funding for outdoor school, the point was made that this would honor Measure 99 - when voters requested an outdoor school education fund consisting of 4% of the  Oregon Lottery Economic Development Fund. 

• HB 4050 would fund a study of processes used by other jurisdictions to align school funding with provider costs. This was referred to Joint Ways and Means

• HB 4124  In January, 2026, a HECC report on spending and efficiency in Oregon Public Universities found: 

  • Tuition rates have increased, and Oregon relies more than its peers nationally on tuition revenue.  

  •  The overall growth in spending has exceeded that of consumer-based inflation. This is consistent with the national experience for higher education institutions and other public, labor-intensive entities in Oregon.  

  •  Proportionally, spending on instruction and research has fallen from 43% to 37% while spending on public service and institution support has grown from 14% to 19%.   

  •  Over the past decade, staffing has grown while enrollment has declined with significant variation by university. Staffing grew the most in academic and student support areas while also growing in institution support areas   

  •  When considering cost efficiency, the number of degree/certificate programs offered has grown significantly while student to staff and student to faculty ratios have declined. Degree productivity (i.e., the number of completions per 1,000 student FTE) and degree completion spending (i.e., the number of completions per $100,000 in spending) have both increased, suggesting improved efficiency.

With this in mind, HB 4124 would require HECC to study and make recommendations to address the purpose of different types of institutions and opportunities for collaboration, restructuring, or integration. The recommendations need to address workforce needs, program duplication, employment supports, funding strategies, and metrics of affordability. It is hoped that the recommendations would lead to policies which make higher education in Oregon more affordable to students while maintaining the quality of programs. 

Gun Policy  

By Marge Easley

Following the spirited House Judiciary hearing on 2/2, we will be closely watching for

any amendments to HB 4145 (modifications to the gun permitting portion of Measure

114) at its work session on 2/16.

Healthcare  

By Christa Danielson and Trish Garner

SB1527  would provide access to screening with colposcopy when there is an abnormal pap.    LWVOR filed testimony in support. The bill passed the Senate unanimously.

SB 1529  was heard in the Senate Committee on Health Care and a Work Session has been scheduled (February 16^th). The initial draft of SB 1529 was a study bill, but amendment 1 requires that when contract negotiations present a risk of a gap in insurance coverage for more than 30,000 Oregonians, state-regulated health plans and providers must participate in mediation and binding arbitration. Final contract terms will be set by the Governor or a designee.  Failure to comply with these provisions can result in a civil penalty. The measure is opposed by the Hospital Association of Oregon and the Oregon Independent Medical Coalition. These entities point to the inherent imbalance in power dynamics between insurers and providers and also argue that the bill fails to set clear standards. The Hospital Association of Oregon, which represents Oregon’s 60 community hospitals, states that the bill was presented with good intent, but as a practical matter, SB 1529 will interfere with hospitals’ ability to obtain terms that are essential for sustaining hospital services and preserving access to care. The process will also be especially onerous for smaller providers and clinics who do not have the negotiating power of larger systems.

SB1575 adds new requirements for obtaining an initial license to operate and maintain a hospice program. Requires a hospice program to apply for a new initial license after a change in ownership. Prohibits individuals who have been excluded from participation in Medicare or Medicaid or have been found liable for fraud or abuse from holding an ownership interest in a hospice program. SP 1575 limits Private Equity from acquiring community based hospice providers. It will strengthen vetting requirements to ensure a hospice has appropriate qualifications and protects the Oregon  licensing process. We hope to be able to write testimony when this bill gets to the house as the League of Women Voters believes that health care is a human right and private equity ownership of hospice programs is by nature profit driven leading to poor overall care. 

SB1598  protects access to evidence-based preventive services by saying that health insurers must continue to pay for recommended vaccines. The bill would also respond to recent Federal changes. The bill does not in any way mandate getting vaccines. This bill would ensure continuity of coverage and support patient choice. The bill  also allows Oregon to act quickly in response to new outbreaks. The bill keeps decisions private between patients and providers.  The bill reinforces science-based care but also maintains flexibility and trust in the provider-patient relationship. The bill is scheduled for a work session and we will continue to follow in hopes of writing testimony in the house. 

HB 4003 was heard by the House Committee on Health Care. A Work Session was scheduled but no longer appears in the legislative calendar, which means the bill has stalled and will not pass in this legislative Session. The measure may seem to be simply technical, but it is far from it. The bill relates to the “prioritized list” which determines what charges Medicaid will cover. Everything below the line is not covered, and everything above the line is covered. The Oregon Health Evidence Review Committee  or HERC, composed of 13 governor-appointed and senate-confirmed volunteer members, currently develops this list based on (1) the comparative benefits of each service to the population to be served, (2) evidence-based guidelines and (3) the comparative effectiveness of services as demonstrated by research. This system for the delivery of care is one of the key provisions of the Oregon Health Plan proposed by Governor John Kitzhaber and has been used in Oregon since the 1990’s. He is therefore not in favor of changing the prioritized list process and in fact testified against HB 4003. He states that because funds available to provide health care are limited, they must be “rationed” by either dropping people or by cutting benefits or payments to providers. Governor Kitzhaber asserts that when faced with this limit, the prioritized list does so by using a transparent, accountable, and evidence-based process. (Governor Kitzhaber in Willamette Week). 

The Oregon Health Authority and proponents of HB 4003 state that the federal Center for Medicaid Services (CMS) has mandated that Oregon must stop using the list, while those opposed claim that the CMS changes are minimal and don’t require a legislative response. They also aver that that the Oregon Health Authority can comply with the new CMS requirements by relying on the HERC process which already defines benefits based on medical necessity. The bill is strongly opposed by many coordinated care organizations. 

Housing 

Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona

Momentum is gaining now with housing bills on a fast track to hold public hearings, work sessions, amend, vote and send bills to the next chamber or elsewhere. Due to funding shortfalls bills that did not advance last session are being heard this session. 

Senate Committee on Housing and Development 

SB 5702:  The LIFT Homeownership Program has a proven track record in increasing affordable homeownership in Oregon communities. It has stimulated the construction of 1,200 permanently affordable, entry-level homes across the state. SB 5702 would allocate $100 million in Article XI-Q bond funding to further expand the pipeline of permanently affordable homeownership opportunities. It will open the door to new construction or the conversion of existing non-housing structures into housing units. By using a land trust model, these homes will remain permanently affordable. A public hearing was held by the Joint Subcommittee on Capital Construction on Feb. 13. 

House Interim Committee on Housing and Homelessness 

HB 4036 would preserve existing affordable housing through an appropriation of $100 million in Article XI-Q general obligation bonds. A newly-established Housing Opportunity, Longevity and Durability (HOLD) Fund will allow Oregon Housing and Community Services to construct, acquire, renovate, and furnish affordable housing that is at risk of loss, which is owned or will be owned or operated by the state. Preserving existing affordable housing is a key component of Oregon’s housing strategy. Without timely investment these properties are at risk of falling into disrepair, converted to market-rate housing and destabilizing low-income residents. On Feb. 12, the House Interim Committee passed the bill with amendments, and referred it to Ways and Means. 

Eviction Prevention:  The Oregon Housing Alliance, Oregon Law Center, League of Oregon Cities, Community Action Partnership of Oregon, and Senator Khanh Pham are proposing the restoration of $10 million in funding for eviction prevention. Last session, $129 million was cut from programs that provide emergency rent assistance and services that assist tenants facing eviction, including legal defense, outreach and education, and a hotline. Every million dollars in rent assistance keeps 2,300 families housed and is much more cost effective than returning homeless families and individuals to housing.  

Housing Bill Updates

House Interim Committee on Housing and Homelessness  

HB 4123 would add clear provisions to Oregon’s Landlord Tenant law regarding the disclosure of confidential information on certain personally identifying, financially sensitive and other private information. The House Committee on Housing and Homelessness held a work session on February 10 with a Do Pass recommendation. Amendments would allow landlords to share tenant contact information with repair and maintenance workers and release confidential information if required by an administrative or judicial warrant. (See also the Privacy and Protections Section of the Governance Legislative Report.)

Senate Committee on Housing and Development

SB 1576 would require the Department of Consumer and Business Services to adopt rules to conform to the state building code so that it aligns with federal fair housing accessibility requirements and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards. The Committee held a work session on February 10.  

Immigration/Migrant/Refugee/Asylum  

Other BIlls

Reproductive Healthcare

Trish Garner

SB 1568-2  was passed by the Senate Committee on Early Childhood and Behavioral Health with a “do pass” recommendation. It requires that Medicaid coverage include a minimum of 12 visits by doulas, 24 hours of doula services or a comparable combination of visits and service hours, as well as coverage for these services of up to $3,750 per a 12-month period.  Lactation counseling services must be covered without prior health care providing referral. 

The House Judiciary Committee voted to advance HB 4088-A  with a “do pass with amendment 4” recommendation. It declares that it is Oregon’s policy to make sure people are allowed to get reproductive health care and gender identity treatment services. Unless a fugitive, the Governor cannot surrender an individual to another state if they are charged in that state for engaging in these activities. Publicly-funded agencies and state employees are proscribed from cooperating with investigations into reproductive and gender-affirming care. State licensing authorities cannot revoke a midwife’s license if they face a criminal conviction or discipline in another state for providing these health care services. Individually identifiable information about these activities in an investigation is considered confidential and privileged, unless it is available to the public or if the individual consents to the disclosure. Disclosure of public records regarding providers of these services is expanded from a person’s name, and home or professional address to also include images and home telephone numbers. As might be anticipated, there was an abundance of testimonies which were filed supporting and opposing the measure – the number was 417. LWVPDX filed testimony in support of the measure. It remains unclear exactly how the conflict between federal and state law will be resolved.

HB 4155 was unanimously passed with a “do pass with amendments 1 and 5” recommendation by the House Committee on Health Care but it was also referred to the Ways and Means Committee. At the conclusion of the hearing, Committee members appeared to express some doubts about its final passage during this legislative Session. The measure requires employers and individuals to reimburse the cost of certain fertility treatment services. Although the measure initially included the Public Employees’ Benefit Board (PEBB) and the Oregon Educators Benefit Board (OEBB), the HB 4155 Dash 5 Amendment removed them unless they opt to provide coverage. The HB 4155 Dash 1 Amendment also expanded the types of reproductive services that would be covered, including egg retrieval, intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization. It excluded certain services such as embryo transfer services.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: What is your passion related to Social Policy? You can help. Volunteers are needed.  We particularly need help tracking legislation concerning 

• Basic Needs: Food

• Basic Needs: Income

• Juvenile Justice

• Public Safety

Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency, Governance, and Natural Resources, and Revenue report sections.