March 11, 2021

Oregon’s 2022 legislative has concluded, and it was a success in that historic investments were made, no walkout stalled or prematurely ended the State's business, and ONA's priority bill all passed! It was a session of ambition to tackle workforce and housing issues. This all in less than the 35 days that the Oregon Constitution allots for lawmaking in the even year, the so-called short session.
 
The sections below speak to topics of high priority for ONA's advocacy in the short session and what the bills - all of which we're pleased to say made it through the legislative process - do. Overall, the success in this session is an illustration of and a promise of making Oregonians healthier, as well as getting Oregonians what they deserve. We look forward to building on the over the next year and beyond.

ONA Legislative Wins

Nursing Workforce Omnibus Bill (HB 4003)

A bill to support nurses and help address the state’s nurse staffing shortage passed with almost unanimous support through the Oregon Senate and House of Representatives and will become official when signed by the Governor.

House Bill 4003, sponsored by ONA-member Rep. Rachel Prusak, will expand programs supporting nurses’ mental health and wellness; create a nurse internship license to augment the workforce and offer practical experiences for nursing students; extend emergency licensure of nurses for an additional 90 days following the end of the public health emergency declaration; and look at other innovative long-term solutions.

Medicaid Redetermination and Bridge Plan (HB 4035)

Another bill put forward by Rep. Prusak is on its way to the Governor’s desk. HB 4035 protects Oregonians who are underinsured and regularly go on and off Medicaid due to income. The bill specifies that state agencies will conduct outreach and enrollment assistance to help Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members navigate the redetermination process and deal with redetermination cases in incremental phases to prevent dramatic loss of coverage, especially for those most vulnerable.

For the duration of the Public Health Emergency, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) paused the practice of recalculating Medicaid recipients’ incomes to determine eligibility for coverage, a process known as redetermination. This practice ensured that Oregonians with income fluctuations just above and below the eligibility line were able to maintain coverage when they needed it most. With the Public Health Emergency set to end in April, it is estimated that approximately 300,000 Oregonians will lose coverage.

HB 4035 will help address this coverage vulnerability by also directing a task force to develop a new bridge plan that would provide an affordable health insurance option for those who regularly enroll and disenroll in OHP due to changes in income. Broadening and ensuring health care access, as this achieves, is a longtime mission of ONA and positions the state for an even greater step forward that we advocate: the step of a public option and eventually universal coverage.

Treating Racism as a Public Health Crisis (HB 4052)

Oregon has a long history of systemic racism. In fact, Oregon’s founding as a state is rooted in racist ideals, and while the Black exclusionary laws are no longer on the books, the damaging impact of these and other racist policies remain.

In 2021, the legislature declared by House resolution that racism is a public health crisis, an effort ONA strongly advocated for. HB 4052 builds on this landmark decision by creating a pilot program for two culturally and linguistically specific mobile health units to provide culturally responsive health care to underserved populations. The bill also charges the Oregon Health Authority with evaluating and making recommendations for how these programs could be expanded statewide.

Emergency Heat Relief (SB 1536)

Climate change has had severe effects on our state and created a public health crisis, the nature of which disproportionately impacts vulnerable Oregonians.  The state’s record-breaking heatwave last June killed mostly lower-income or older residents who didn’t have access to air conditioning and couldn’t leave their homes.

ONA agreed with many voices in housing and environmental justice advocacy that vital assistance should be provided to Oregonians most at risk for heat-related illness, injury, and death by supporting the distribution of air conditioners, air purifiers, and the installation of heat pumps and related upgrades. The bill also limits restrictions on installing portable cooling devices in certain residences, requires certain residential landlords to provide community spaces for cooling, and requires rented spaces in certain facilities to provide sufficient electrical service for heating and cooling.

SB 1536 (and HB 4058, which at a late stage of the session had become merged with the Senate bill) received wide support from the Senate and House and is now awaiting the Governor's signature.

Farmworker Overtime Pay (HB 4002)

After many hotly debated sessions and hundreds of pages of testimony, Oregon is poised to be the eighth state to require overtime pay for farmworkers after the bill passed along party lines in the House and Senate. The Governor is expected to sign the landmark bill.

ONA joined a coalition of advocacy organizations calling for the long-overdue correction of pay provisions for farmworkers. As essential workers, farmworkers are already chronically underpaid and face significant health risks due to their jobs. HB 4002 ensures farmworkers receive overtime pay as other workers do; after a phase-in period, they will make time-and-a-half when working beyond 40 hours in a week.

If you have any questions or want ot get more involved, contact ONA political organizer Russell Lum at Lum@OregonRN.org.