Stakeholders split on SB 610 amendment to change Measure 110 funding formula; counties seek halt and reset

Senate Bill 610 with the dash‑1 amendment — a proposal that would establish an advisory board at the Oregon Health Authority and adopt an interim funding methodology for Behavioral Health Resource Networks (BURNS) — drew mixed testimony at a public hearing before the Joint Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response.

Sponsor testimony and several county officials urged lawmakers to pass SB 610‑1 to avoid large and sudden funding losses to local BURN programs, while statewide provider groups and some county partners urged caution, arguing a mid‑cycle change would upend contracts and damage nascent local service capacity.

Senator Campos (sponsor) told the committee the 2025‑29 funding formula applied by the Oversight and Accountability Council (OAC) contained a data error and produced disproportionate funding changes that would leave 18 counties with reduced funds. The dash‑1 amendment creates an advisory board of stakeholders and directs the Oregon Health Authority to adopt a funding formula by June 1, 2029; until then the dash‑1 would apply a temporary methodology (the public‑health modernization formula with a stabilizing cap and base funding) to limit abrupt shifts.

County leaders described real-world impacts. Washington County Director of Health and Human Services Amira (Amira Samantel on the record) presented a methodology overview and told the committee the public‑health modernization formula better reflects upstream drivers of addiction (poverty, education, race/ethnicity, rurality) than the OAC’s downstream indicators (arrests, deaths, hospitalizations), and said SB 610‑1 would spread losses across more counties and reduce average annual county losses. Naomi Hunsaker, Washington County behavioral‑health supervisor, said her county’s BURN network saw a 275% increase in available services from funding and warned the OAC formula would cut Washington County funding by nearly 28%, jeopardizing treatment, deflection and recovery services.

Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethel and Clackamas County government affairs manager Trent Wilson recounted similar concerns: Marion said $10.5 million was removed from its allocation and that some monies were redirected to out‑of‑region entities; Clackamas said the change was made without meaningful public comment and that the council dismissed a county letter about the formula change during its meeting.

Proponents asked the committee to adopt SB 610‑1 because they said the OAC process lacked transparency and produced harmful local disruptions. The dash‑1’s temporary approach would: (1) set a $2,000,000 base (described in testimony as $500,000 per county per year), (2) apply the public‑health modernization formula to remaining funds, (3) cap county gains/losses (testimony referenced a 19.6% cap relative to the 2022‑25 changes) and (4) redistribute any funds beyond a county’s cap.

Providers and statewide advocates urged caution. Health Justice Recovery Alliance Executive Director Tara Hurst said changing the formula mid‑cycle would betray providers that already bid and reorganized services under existing rules and could destabilize critical frontline operations. Lines for Life and the Oregon Council for Behavioral Health offered neutral testimony noting governance and operational concerns and asking to work with lawmakers on durable solutions, while Lifeworks Northwest and other providers said the procurement process appeared inconsistent and asked for a clean reset of the RFGA (requesting a newly issued RFGA with clarified criteria rather than an in‑cycle formula change).

Multnomah County representatives spoke in opposition to any change that would reduce their allocation. Multnomah Senior Manager Anthony Jordan said Multnomah contributed roughly $195 million in cannabis sales in 2024 and that community providers operating the county’s BURN network were critical to the county’s high‑need population; Jordan explained a change to the formula would reduce Multnomah’s BURN funding for 2025‑29 and that the county could not support cuts in an already constrained budget climate.

Committee members pressed for more detail on the proposed methodology and emphasized they wanted a robust public‑comment process and clear performance and equity metrics. Multiple county speakers asked that any change avoid disrupting current contracts and services and requested a transparent appeals or audit process; Senator Campos’ proposal adds an audit requirement for future formulas.

The hearing record included concrete figures presented by witnesses: testimony referenced an estimated total funding pool (about $487.7 million across a four‑year cycle), set‑asides leaving approximately $427.3 million for county allocation, a proposed base allotment of $2 million (described as $500,000 per county per year), and the redistribution of remaining funds under the public‑health modernization formula with a stabilizing cap. Washington County warned the OAC formula would reduce funding to 18 counties with an average cut of roughly 26% per county under the OAC approach versus 12% average annual loss under the SB 610‑1 methodology, as presented.

Several witnesses asked the committee to delay or reject mid‑cycle formula changes and instead work with state partners and stakeholders to revise governance and create a stable, transparent allocation process for future biennia. The committee accepted written testimony and closed the public hearing, with staff noting the committee would accept additional written material through Friday at 5 p.m.

No committee vote occurred during the hearing.