Governor Tina Kotek hosted a signing ceremony on Tuesday for six bills passed during the 2023 legislative session to address the behavioral health crisis in Oregon.

“As your Governor, I’m fighting for a behavioral health system that supports healing and recovery no matter where you live,” Governor Kotek said. “And to the friends and family who have watched a loved one struggle with an untreated mental health issue or addiction, I recognize your suffering and am moved by your hope. Know that I am focused on improving outcomes across our state.

“That’s why today is so important. The bills I am signing mark progress towards building a behavioral health continuum of care that incorporates harm reduction, suicide prevention, stronger tools against substance abuse among youth and adults, and improvements to the implementation of Measure 110.”

Governor Kotek has signed the following:

• SB 238: Requires the Oregon Health Authority, State Board of Education, and Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission to collaborate on developing curricula for school districts related to dangers of synthetic opioids.
• SB 1043: Requires hospitals, sobering facilities, and detox facilities to provide two doses of opioid overdose reversal medication and necessary medical supplies to administer medication to specified patients upon discharge or release.
• HB 2395: Expands access to emergency short-acting opioid overdose reversal medications, like Narcan and naloxone, including by allowing law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical services providers, educators, school administrators and others to store and administer this life saving medication in the event of an overdose.
• HB 2513: Strengthens Measure 110 by increasing staffing and improving application processes to speed up approval and get funds out the door, centralizing the support hotline to get people connected to services more efficiently, and improving program data collection and accuracy.
• HB 2757: Establishes the 9-8-8 Trust Fund for improving the statewide coordinated crisis system, including maintaining and improving 9-8-8 suicide prevention and behavioral health crisis hotline.
• HB 3610: Establishes the Task Force on Alcohol Pricing and Addiction Services to study and report on: alcohol addiction and prevention; distribution of resources for alcohol addiction treatment; overall funding for alcohol addiction treatment programs; cost of alcohol addiction to the state; and additional funding options for alcohol addiction treatment.

Arden Sleadd of Grants Pass testified against HB 2757 to the House Committee On Behavioral Health and Health Care, saying “With inflation and the cost of living so high, this bill would make it worse by imposing a cell phone tax. The state has been flush with cash. Budgets are about priorities. If the majority party prioritized Oregon's budget better, we wouldn't have to increase taxes on hard-working Oregonians.”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2023-08-10 06:17:55

Last Update: 2023-08-10 07:02:31