The Oregon Legislative Assembly convened on February 1st for a short session scheduled to end on March 7th. As a core part of our ongoing advocacy work, PANOW is following several bills that have implications for health and equity are line with our 2022 policy priorities: Access to Care, Housing, Medicaid Flexibility, and Social Health.
Emergency Heat Relief for Renters SB 1536 and Communities HB 4058
Passage of both bills will bring relief and remove barriers to vulnerable communities and tenants in accessing life-saving cooling equipment.
Public Health System Response to Pandemic SB 1554
Directs OHA to study public health system response to COVID-19 pandemic
Race & Ethnicity Data Collection SB 1569
Directs Department of Revenue to develop schedule allowing personal income taxpayers to voluntarily report taxpayers’ self-identified race and ethnicity identifiers
Public Option Health Coverage HB 4035
If passed, instead of using the federal platform (healthcare.gov), Oregon would be responsible for performing all marketplace functions for the individual health insurance market through a website established and maintained by the state.
Racism as a Public Health Crisis HB 4052
This kind of declaration is an important first step because the focus is placed on systems and structures rather than dismiss inequalities as the fault of individuals. Reintroducing HB 4052 this year due to lack of support from last year legislative session signifies the importance lawmakers have placed on this legislation which will provide funding for culturally and linguistically mobile health units
Community Information Exchange HB 4150
This bill instructs Health Information Technology Council (HITOC) at OHA to convene a stakeholder group and to explore options to bring the concept of Community Information Exchange to reality in a confidential and secure way