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.

Jump to topic:

• Afterschool and Summer

• Behavioral Health

• Childcare and Early Learning

• Education

• Gun Policy

• Healthcare

Afterschool and Summer

Katie Riley

A new coalition has been formed by multiple organizations to influence possible legislation that will be enacted to define a process to disperse funding from the agreement with Meta due to their liability for the negative influence of social media on mental health.  Strong support was voiced by LWVOR to fund afterschool programs because research indicates their preventive role in promoting academic and lifelong success.  Representative Dobson has agreed to sponsor the legislation.  A concept for the legislation was submitted by the September 11 deadline. 

Behavioral Health

Trish Garner

House Interim Committee on Behavioral Health:

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported on its progress addressing individuals who need residential care due to their mental illness. Attention to this issue largely arises from Oregon House Bill 2005 (2025) which broadened courts' ability to civilly commit individuals and Section 1 of House Bill 2015 (2025) which required OHA to study and develop recommendations regarding the provision of residential treatment.  Civil commitment allows a court to order an individual with severe mental illness to receive treatment against their will, either in a hospital or through supervised outpatient care.  Theoretically these individuals could be sent to the Oregon State Hospital, but the Hospital is nearly entirely filled with patients who are awaiting an evaluation as to whether they can aid and assist in their criminal defense or have been determined unable to do so. This means that there is virtually no room for civilly committed patients, which has had demonstrably negative effects on the un-housed population in Oregon. 

The residential housing which does exist for the civilly committed or seriously mentally ill is also in short supply, particularly housing which can provide health, mental health and substance abuse treatment while residing in these settings.  OHA has issued a 300+ page, 34-recommendation report OHA HB 2015 Legislative Study, Recommendations attempting to address HB 2005's mandate. One of the report's primary findings is that OHA does not currently differentiate “settings” from the “services”, which creates significant downstream impacts for beneficiaries, providers, and state oversight entities.  Read differently, the administrative and licensure requirements as well as payment mechanisms for providers of housing and health care are currently "siloed," leaving each with different reporting requirements.   

Some of the OHA Report’s recommendations include: (1) adding a new licensure type for “licensed Supported Living homes,” (2) development by Medicaid of a new reimbursement methodology for treatment services provided by residential treatment facilities and homes that use provider-based costs to develop provider-specific rates paid on a monthly basis, (3) modifying bed hold rates, and  (4) developing separate certification standards for those facilities wishing to act as a “purpose-intended” treatment facility.

Section 2 of HB 2015 (2025) required OHA to develop and implement a new licensing process for residential treatment housing for young adults in transition (YAT). It also directed OHA to create early transition plans for residents. Young adults referred to these treatment homes often have trauma histories, have been treated in 24-hour mental health treatment settings, have lived in resource homes through the Oregon Department of Health and Human Services (ODHS), and/or have experienced other types of intense circumstances. For these reasons, the youth require additional supports to transition into adulthood. OHA is on track to have the required licensing process in place by January 1, 2027.

Senate Interim Committee on Early Childhood and Behavioral Health

Dashboard for Real time Residential Treatment Bed Data: in 2023 the Oregon Behavioral Health Coordination Center (OBCC) was launched so that Oregonians could obtain real time information regarding the availability of adult psychiatric acute care, residential treatment and crisis substance abuse beds. It also tracks waitlists, room types, referral pathways and insurance information. The information is transmitted through the Oregon Behavioral Health Capacity System's (OBCS) dashboard which is operated by the Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) along with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and other community partners. The dashboard currently includes 59% or 3,605 beds in covered adult facilities. OBCC reports that it collects similar data for child and adolescent facilities through the Regional Care Management (RCM) system which is currently collecting data through a mix of manual and electronic processes. Once a data-sharing agreement is in place, it will be added to the OCBS dashboard. OBCC anticipates adding additional data points to its system, such as insurance status and outpatient data.

Youth Inpatient and Residential Treatment Capacity: There are currently only 2 acute psychiatric inpatient beds for youth - Providence Willamette Falls with 44 beds and Unity Center for Behavioral Health in Portland with 22 beds. There are 13 psychiatric residential facilitates with 265 beds that serve secure inpatient, subacute and residential treatment lasting 1 to 6 months. There are also 16 psychiatric day treatment programs operating through coordinated care organizations where admission requires pre-authorization and a hospital's certificate of need issued by OHA. Importantly, here are no organized standards for the provision of face-to-face and/or telehealth-provided healthcare. It is expected that 75 more beds will be available across the state by 2028. In 2025-26, approximately 2,360 youth were referred to psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PTRF) with 45 admissions, and 465 youth were enrolled in intensive in-home behavioral health treatment. There are several reasons why the PRTF referrals don't end in admission, but in 41.2% of these cases there is no referral follow up. Twenty percent of these referrals are admitted to other residential programs, 16% to a lower level of care and 11% are admitted to acute psychiatric inpatient units. There are 5 youth residential substance use treatment programs in Oregon, but only one is licensed to provide co-occurring treatment for substance abuse and mental health needs homes. There are currently 8 Young Adults in Transition (YAT) homes which provide 24-hour supervision and support and provide OR connect youth to needed behavioral health services. 

Substance Treatment for Youth: Tony Vezina, Executive Director of the 4D Recovery Program, testified that access to treatment remains a significant problem and as is the case now, young people should not simply be placed into smaller versions of adult programs. OHA acknowledged that adolescent care often cannot support itself under current reimbursement structures. Oregon's Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission (ADPC) will shortly be presenting a 2026-2030 comprehensive plan that describes care provided across several agencies, including OHA, the Department of Corrections and more. OHA is working with the Oregon Youth Authority to develop substance abuse programs in schools. As stated by OHA, Oregon needs a clear strategy to identify needs and meet them where they are. Along with OHA and the ADPC, the Oregon Department of Education has established a formal advisory committee for K-12 school policy and guidance work. In January 2026 the 25-29 member System of Care Advisory Council (SOCAC) issued a 2026-2029 strategic plan (SOCAC System of Care Strategic Plan 2026-29) with the goals of (1) improving access, (2) co-creating systems with providers, youth and families, and (3) creating sustainable infrastructure that increases capacity and credibility and (4) transforming systems that serve children, youth and families.

Childcare and Early Learning

Katie Riley and Trish Garner

During recent legislative days the topic of childcare was covered in reports on how the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) operates, including how the Early Learning Council focuses on policy and Early Learning Hubs coordinate services at the regional level.  It was mentioned that the Employment Related Day Care waitlist was lengthened by adding student eligibility.  Currently a bachelor’s degree is  required  for staff but this is seen as a hindrance to hiring as salaries are too low for people with these qualifications.  Childcare deserts (care does not exist for 2/3  of children) still exist in 34 of the 36 counties for infants and toddlers although there have been increases in care.  For the preschool population (3-5 yrs old), childcare deserts exist in 9 of the counties; a decrease from 27 in 2014. 

The purpose of DELC has been to consolidate state childcare programs and early care and education programs into one place. For example, the Employment Related Day Care program was moved to DELC.  DELC services are free or provided at low cost. They are individualized to meet family needs and include parenting education, respite, home visiting, infant and toddler childcare, preschool programming and screening of and referrals to other community supports. In 2025 DELC reported that it had made 17,607 family assistance visits and provided support for 1,866 programs. DELC is continuing to field its pilot program "Every Child Belongs" [authorized in 2021 by House Bill 2166  and Senate Bill 236] which seeks to prevent suspensions and expulsions for children in early childhood programs. It offers infant and early childhood mental health consultation, classroom assistance, progressional training and family support.  Providers can easily access services through everychildbelongs.org. A significant problem still exists which impedes meeting needs where and when they exist in that there is no general data available as to the number of similar programs, families at risk and who is receiving services. A final report on these programs is expected to be available in April 2027.

Education

Jean Pierce

On September 9^th, the House Education Committee heard a presentation from the National Center on Educational Outcomes about how Oregon’s high opt out rate (89% participation) from standardized tests affects reporting to the federal government which requires a  95% participation rate. 

There are very different ways of interpreting Oregon’s high opt out rate:

• Some believe this is not a problem, since high-stakes standardized tests should be phased out

• Not having a representative sample of students taking the tests means that the results are hard to interpret. Because of this, Oregon has been excluded annually from Harvard and Stanford’s Education Score Card, which tracks student performance in states after the pandemic.

• The effects of deviating from the required 95% can be magnified if states – like Oregon – treat the missing data as “non proficient”, substituting 0’s for actual scores.

• According to a 2024 article, many of the students who opt out would have been expected to score well if they had taken the test seriously. This would lower the test results – particularly for 11^th graders, who are more likely to opt out than younger students.

  
  

The committee also heard a report from Andrea Lockard, from the Office of Research, Assessment, Data Account, and Reporting (RADAR) who described what is meant by interim assessments which are required by SB 141. These tests are administered three times per year, help track progress during the year, and can be used to inform teachers about the need to adjust to meet individual differences of students who are currently in their classes.

The Senate Education Committee heard from two Umatilla High School students who met with others from each state to create a “Students First Act”, which includes provisions that

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) organizations must address all known biases in AI products used in public schools

• Teachers must prioritize human connection in the learning environment

• Schools must protect the professional expertise and autonomy of teachers

• Schools must ensure the data privacy of students

Oregon was one of the first states to issue guidelines for districts, which are encouraged to develop AI policies. The Oregon Department of Education has published recommendations regarding the use of AI by students or teachers to generate content. While recognizing that AI can be used to promote equity, ODE guidelines recognize dangers of bias, inaccuracy, plagiarism, and threats to student data privacy. 

Currently, the state appears to have no laws regarding the use of AI in public schools.  Other states have policies regarding:

• Regulating AI use in schools

• Ensuring safe and effective AI usage in education

• Protecting student data privacy

• AI research and exploration

Presenters noted the importance of including students in developing AI policies.

The Senate committee also heard a presentation from the Oregon Media Literacy Coalition, which urged legislators to adopt laws similar to those of Washington State. The goal would be for Oregon to identify best practices for social media and AI literacy, to develop a web repository for resources, and to include students in the effort.

Gun Policy                         

Marge Easley

On September 9, the Task Force on Community Safety and Firearm Suicide Prevention, created by SB 1503 with an initial $250,000 budget allocation in 2024, presented its second annual report to the Senate Interim Committee on Judiciary. The task force has met monthly since October 2024 and is staffed by the Oregon Department of Justice. Its members include thirteen individuals with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise as well as four non-voting legislators.

This latest report expands on five key policy recommendations to deal with Oregon’s suicide crisis, which will hopefully provide a framework for meaningful legislation in 2027 and beyond:

• Mandatory County Suicide Fatality Review Boards

• Voluntary Firearm Storage

• Dedicated resources for the Oregon Health Authority to implement the Adult Suicide Intervention and Prevention Plan (ASIPP)

• Creation of structures to support science-based suicide treatment

• Creation of sustainable state funding for community violence intervention (CVI) programs

  
  

The complete report can be found here.

Healthcare

Christa Danielson  and Trish Garner

Healthcare leaders have mapped a system overhaul to improve care and spend less. Join them to learn about and comment on their proposals, including such key pillars as primary care and behavioral health. Tasked by Governor Kotek, the Health System Sustainability Group is led by former Governor Kitzhaber. Register HERE

Senate and House Interim Health Care Committees:

Both Senate and House Interim Health Care Committees were presented the same information. If one were to summarize what took place in these Committees, it would be that a lot of moving parts are heading into virtually uncharted territories. The challenges posed by US House Bill 1on the delivery of health care in Oregon will be considerable.  State health care agencies are struggling to lessen the impact of the blow. At least one point is clear, however, the delivery of health care through Medicaid will no longer exist as we now know it. Medicaid faces cuts of $421 million in 2027-2029 and $868 million in 2029-2031.

OHA estimates that up to 200,000 Oregonians who are otherwise eligible could lose

Medicaid coverage over the next ten years. because of its new work Unless exempt, every six months, Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members must prove they are receiving income over $580 a month from work, are enrolled in higher education at least half time, or are participating in a combination of work, volunteering, education or training programs that add up to at least 80 hours a month. It is estimated that approximately 600,000 OHP members will be subject to these requirements. To stem this loss, OHA is attempting to increase automatic verification, such as using technology so people can automatically upload payroll documents, and enhancing member access through the ONE online account and the Oregon ONE Mobile app. It is also developing a variety of sources that will advise OHP members of the work and activity rules, including a state-wide “Stay Connected, Stay Covered” media campaign.

At the same time as these impacts are being analyzed, Oregon's private insurance companies are suffering from increasing costs and decreasing revenues.  Approximately 100,000 Oregonians have recently lost insurance with the closure of Providence and Pacific Source (with small market exceptions). Moda will be narrowing its geographic coverage, and Health Net will shortly be leaving the Oregon market. in 2025 insurance carriers had losses amounting to approximately $700 million which pushed up insurance rates. Final rates for 2027 are anticipated to increase by 21.6%. Private insurance enrollment has declined by 15%.  In 2027 individual medical claims costs are projected to go up 8.5%. 

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) presented information on the status of Oregon’s federal "Section 1115" waiver. Applications for these waivers must be filed by states every 5 years and Oregon's current waiver expires on September 30, 2027. A Section 1115 waiver allows a state to depart from federal healthcare rules administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Examples of waiver departures include allowing states to change benefits, expand eligibility and test new healthcare models. Oregon's current waiver allows payment for certain health-related social needs such as housing assistance, nutrition support, and other social services that affect health outcomes. The waiver also covers the Oregon Health Plan Bridge Program for adults with incomes 138–200% of the federal poverty level and supports individuals with disabilities, children and young adults and adults and other medically fragile individuals. If Oregon's waiver renewal is not approved, those services will be phased out.

Questions to ask as we move forward toward the long session in January 2027:

• How do we protect Oregonians who currently receive Medicaid benefits?  

• How do we obtain reasonably priced private health insurance coverage?

• How will we address the loss of services we may lose from changes in federal health care policy?

• Is it time to move towards state-based healthcare coverage for all?

Please see the Legislation Tracker for 2026 Social Policy bills for which the League submitted testimony.

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.