Committee approves amended House Bill 50 22 amid fee increase concerns

In a pivotal moment during the Oregon State Legislature's Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Services meeting, lawmakers advanced House Bill 5022, despite concerns over fee increases and ethical implications. The committee adopted the dash 1 amendment to the bill, which now moves forward with a recommendation for approval to the full committee.

Co-chair raised the motion to adopt the amendment, which passed without objection. However, dissent emerged when a committee member expressed strong reservations about the bill's provisions. "I'm concerned about the fee increases," they stated, highlighting the troubling dynamic of the board using funds raised from Physician Assistants (PAs) to lobby against them. This raised questions about the ethics of such actions, even if not technically a violation.

Additionally, the member criticized what they termed a "Salesforce boondoggle," referring to a costly reset of a system that had already consumed a million dollars without delivering results. Despite these objections, the motion to move HB 5022 as amended passed, with Senator Gumpos assigned to carry it through the full committee and onto the House floor.

The discussions reflect ongoing tensions in the legislature regarding funding and ethical practices within health services, setting the stage for further debate as the bill progresses.