Senate Committee advances four health measures, refers two to Ways and Means

The Senate Committee on Health Care on Thursday, Feb. 27, voted to advance four health-related measures after work sessions that ranged from technical statutory changes to funding requests for programs aimed at providers and patients.

The committee recommended a “do pass” for Senate Bill 873, which would repeal the Oregon Medical Board’s Volunteer Emeritus license; Senate Bill 874, which defines “Oriental medicine” in statute to include acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine; Senate Bill 531, a $1.6 million appropriation to the Oregon Wellness Program; and Senate Bill 718, which would establish a Parkinson’s disease registry at the Oregon Health Authority. Two of the measures — SB 531 and SB 718 — were sent to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means by prior reference for additional fiscal review.

Why it matters: the measures range from clarifying statutory language to creating new statewide programs. The wellness funding is a one-time appropriation intended to support confidential counseling for licensed health-care workers; the Parkinson’s registry would create a reporting requirement for providers and an advisory committee to guide data collection.

Senate Bill 873 and Senate Bill 874

Senate Bill 873 would repeal the Oregon Medical Board’s Volunteer Emeritus license, a credential previously used to allow out-of-state physicians to practice on a…