1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 935
Sponsored by Senator LIEBER
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act extends the deadlines for a task force to report back to the legislature. (Flesch
Readability Score: 73.1).
Extends the dates by which the Joint Task Force on Regional Behavioral Health Accountability
must provide draft recommendations and submit a final report to the interim committees of the
Legislative Assembly related to health. Extends the sunset date for the task force.
Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to the Joint Task Force on Regional Behavioral Health Accountability; amending sections
16 and 17, chapter 70, Oregon Laws 2024; and declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. Section 16, chapter 70, Oregon Laws 2024, is amended to read:
Sec. 16. (1) The Joint Task Force on Regional Behavioral Health Accountability is established
to make recommendations to the Legislative Assembly to improve the governance of behavioral
health systems and strengthen evidence-based and equitable funding decisions and accountability of
behavioral health systems.
(2) The task force consists of 26 members appointed as follows:
(a) The President of the Senate shall appoint two members from among members of the Senate,
one from the majority party and one from the minority party.
(b) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint two members from among mem-
bers of the House of Representatives, one from the majority party and one from the minority party.
(c) The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall appoint one member from the Judicial De-
partment.
(d) The Governor shall appoint 21 members as follows:
(A) One member representing the Oregon Health Authority;
(B) One member representing the Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission;
(C) One member representing the Department of Human Services;
(D) One member representing coordinated care organizations;
(E) One member representing providers of psychiatric care in clinical settings;
(F) One member representing Oregon counties;
(G) One member representing Oregon cities;
(H) One member who provides county mental health services or who represents county mental
health providers;
(I) One member from a large labor organization representing behavioral health workers;
(J) One member who is a behavioral health provider or who represents private and nonprofit
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 2291 SB935
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
behavioral health providers;
(K) One member who provides nonprofit substance use disorder treatment or who represents
nonprofit substance use disorder treatment providers;
(L) One member from a large labor organization representing nurses;
(M) One member who is a licensed doctor or who represents licensed doctors with experience
in behavioral health or substance use disorder treatment programs, care delivery or funding;
(N) One member from a business coalition representing the hospital industry;
(O) One member from a business coalition representing the insurance industry;
(P) One member from a business coalition representing pharmacists;
(Q) One member representing a consumer of behavioral health services;
(R) One member with extensive experience in Oregon Indian tribes and a deep understanding
of Oregon’s rural and urban tribal populations, appointed after consultation with the Commission
on Indian Services;
(S) One member who is an emergency response transportation provider;
(T) One member representing long term care facilities; and
(U) One member with experience in regional behavioral health system governance.
(3) The task force, in collaboration with any other task forces that are charged with scopes of
work that overlap or intersect with the charges of the Joint Task Force on Regional Behavioral
Health Accountability, shall develop recommendations to:
(a) Improve collaboration and accountability across federal, state and local behavioral health
and substance use disorder treatment programs and funding;
(b) Ensure equitable outcomes in publicly supported treatment settings across Oregon commu-
nities;
(c) Provide greater cost efficiencies in the continuum of care of Oregon’s behavioral health
system;and
(d) Establish broad access to methadone and other opioid use disorder medications through mo-
bile devices, telehealth and pharmacy-based services to measurably increase the engagement state-
wide of individuals with opioid use disorder in opioid use disorder treatment.
(4) Recommendations developed under subsection (3) of this section should include:
(a) Any statutory changes needed to ensure that federal, state and local funds are being spent
to maximize outcomes and resource efficiency;
(b) Policy changes recommended based on a comparative analysis of policies in other states that
spend less on treatment but demonstrate better behavioral health and substance use disorder treat-
ment outcomes, including better outcomes for groups that are disproportionately impacted by health
inequities; and
(c) Any governance changes that would facilitate greater alignment of spending decisions be-
tween federal, state and local behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment programs.
(5) A majority of the voting members of the task force constitutes a quorum for the transaction
of business.
(6) Official action by the task force requires the approval of a majority of the voting members
of the task force.
(7) The task force shall elect one of its members to serve as chairperson.
(8) If there is a vacancy for any cause, the appointing authority shall make an appointment to
become immediately effective.
(9) The task force shall meet at times and places specified by the call of the chairperson or of
[2] SB935
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
a majority of the voting members of the task force.
(10) The task force may adopt rules necessary for the operation of the task force.
(11)(a) The task force shall provide draft recommendations developed under subsections (3) and
(4) of this section to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to health no later
than [September 15, 2025] .
(b) The task force shall submit a final report of the task force’s recommendations, in the manner
provided by ORS 192.245, to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to health
no later than [December 15, 2025] .
(12) The Legislative Policy and Research Director shall provide staff support to the task force,
including by:
(a) Researching and providing analysis on current behavioral health funding streams that sup-
port the continuum of care across Oregon communities;
(b) Reviewing strategies that have been successful in other states, including through the use of
federal Medicaid waivers or Medicaid demonstration projects;
(c) Reviewing data related to the challenges faced by individuals receiving substance use disor-
der treatment in publicly supported treatment settings; and
(d) Reviewing the responsibilities of county and state agencies and the accountability of county
and state agencies for providing behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment.
(13) Members of the Legislative Assembly appointed to the task force are nonvoting members
of the task force and may act in an advisory capacity only.
(14) Members of the task force who are not members of the Legislative Assembly are not enti-
tled to compensation or reimbursement for expenses and serve as volunteers on the task force.
(15) All agencies of state government, as defined in ORS 174.111, are directed to assist the task
force in the performance of the duties of the task force and, to the extent permitted by laws relating
to confidentiality, to furnish information and advice the members of the task force consider neces-
sary to perform their duties.
SECTION 2. Section 17, chapter 70, Oregon Laws 2024, is amended to read:
Sec. 17. Section 16, chapter 70, Oregon Laws 2024, [of this 2024 Act] is repealed on January
2, [2026] .
SECTION 3.This 2025 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2025 Act takes effect
on its passage.
[3]