The Oregon Legislature adjourned March 7, passing major policies during a short session often reserved for technical amendments and minor budget reallocations. This included reforming Measure 110, addressing behavioral health workforce safety, and funding for substance use disorder treatment, criminal justice efforts, housing, and more.

Major behavioral health policy and funding came through House Bill 4002 (policy) and its companion bill, HB 5204 (funding). HB 4002 set in place reforms to Measure 110, creating an unclassified misdemeanor for the possession of small amounts of drugs like fentanyl and meth, punishable by a maximum of six months in jail. However, the legislation’s intent is to encourage law enforcement to make direct referrals for individuals to a treatment provider. Such “deflection programs” will be defined at the county level and are subject to local buy-in. Counties have the option, but not the mandate, to set up deflection programs. To-date, 23 of Oregon’s 36 counties have committed to set up programs. HB 5204, authorized funding to help counties implement deflection programs in addition to funding for crisis stabilization centers. This included $10 million for a Multnomah County “drop off” center, though plans for such a center remain unclear.

Other policies and subsequent funding under these bills included:

• Establishing the CCBHC model in Oregon statute, beginning expansion statewide
• Creating a task force on workplace safety issues within behavioral health
• Funding the United We Heal apprenticeship program ($4.8M)
• Funding behavioral health workforce education at Oregon’s six public universities ($4M)
• Studying barriers to SUD treatment and opioid use disorder medication for Oregon youth
• Eliminating certain prior authorization requirements for utilization management for SUD medications
• Allowing pharmacy prescribing and dispensing of “early refills” of medications for opioid use disorders
• Creating a task force on behavioral health accountability focused on regional collaboration of behavioral health resources

Two major housing packages passed during the 31-day session. Governor Kotek’s priority this session was pushing through a housing package that would send millions of dollars to create new housing and streamline development. Through Senate Bill 1537, the Housing Accountability and Production Office (HAPO) was created, which directs the office to assist local governments with housing production. In addition, it established the Housing Infrastructure Support Fund, the Housing Project Revolving Loan Fund, and created a one-time opportunity for expanding urban growth boundaries by certain amounts. The legislature also passed a housing package (SB 1530) that focused on providing funds to support housing related expenditures like shelters, climate preparedness, and other infrastructure development.

HB 4092 (passed): Requires the Oregon Health Authority to conduct a study to assess the funding required for Community Mental Health Providers to deliver their County Financial Assistance Agreements (CFAAs). In addition, the bill provides $300,000 to the Oregon Council for Behavioral Health to evaluate behavioral health statutes, rules, and state contracts affecting behavioral health providers, CCOs, and CMHPs, and make recommendations to reduce administrative burden.

Key legislation this session put into motion task forces and other efforts that impact Cascadia’s work. We will seek opportunity to stay informed on, or become involved with, many of the above initiatives as they take form, including the workplace safety task force, the regional reliability task force, the OCBH administrative burden work, as well as any funding opportunities as we approach the 2025 session.