Senate Health Care advances multiple bills, sending several to Ways and Means; votes recorded

The Oregon Senate Committee on Health Care on April 3 adopted amendments and approved sending multiple bills to the Senate floor or to other committees for further review, including the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.

The committee held work sessions on funding and policy bills ranging from direct appropriations to changes in health-system reporting and regulation. Several bills received roll-call votes recorded on the transcript and were carried forward with motions to refer to Ways and Means or to other committees.

Votes at a glance

- Senate Bill 1001 (appropriation to Coast Community Health Center): Vice Chair Hayden moved to adopt the -1 amendment and the amendment passed on a roll call. The committee then moved SB 1001, as amended, to the floor with a “do pass” recommendation and requested referral to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means by prior reference. Roll-call names recorded on the transcript include Senator Campos (Aye), Senator Lipps (Aye), Senator Reynolds (Aye), Vice Chair Hayden (No on the floor referral vote), Chair Patterson (Aye). Outcome: moved to floor, referred to Ways and Means (motion passed).

- Senate Bill 1050 (appropriation to Southern Coos Hospital and Health Center): The committee adopted a motion to move the bill to the floor with a “do pass” recommendation and referral to Ways and Means by prior reference. Recorded responses included both aye and no votes; the motion passed and the bill was sent to Ways and Means.

- Senate Bill 609 (minimum reimbursement rates for certain providers under the Oregon Health Plan): The committee adopted a -1 amendment (which changes the reimbursement concept to parity with average rates paid by health plans in Oregon, adjusted for geography, and directs OHA to seek federal approvals). The committee then moved SB 609 as amended to the floor with a due-pass recommendation and requested referral to Ways and Means. Motion passed on recorded roll call.

- Senate Bill 533 (limits on manufacturer restrictions for 340B drug acquisition): The committee moved SB 533 to the floor with a “do pass” recommendation; the motion passed on the roll call recorded in the transcript.

- Senate Bill 835 and Senate Bill 841 (tribal data collection/sharing amendments): The committee adopted the -1 amendments to both bills (which require OHA to collaborate with Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes on standards and data use agreements before collecting or releasing tribal affiliation data). Both bills, as amended, were moved to the floor with due-pass recommendations requesting referral to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means (motions passed).

- Senate Bill 537 (workplace violence prevention in health-care settings): The committee moved SB 537 to the floor without recommendation requesting referral to the Senate Committee on Rules; the motion passed.

- Senate Bill 844 (omnibus health provisions including overdose reporting and psilocybin service confidentiality changes): The committee adopted the -1 amendment and moved SB 844 as amended to the floor with a due-pass recommendation requesting referral to Ways and Means; the motion passed. Committee discussion noted a sizable fiscal impact with a federal funding component.

- Senate Bill 1162 (certificate of need requirement for hospice programs): The committee adopted a -1 amendment (delaying an operative date) and moved the bill as amended to the floor with a due-pass recommendation requesting referral to Ways and Means; the motion passed.

Formal actions recorded in the transcript were motion-driven with roll calls. The committee chair and vice chair presided over votes and the clerk called roll names as recorded on the public transcript.