Updated March 6, 2024

Policy and Regulatory Update Call Invite

OPCA’s Policy Team is inviting you to join them as they kick off OPCA’s Policy and Advocacy Update Call where they will provide monthly updates on important policy and regulatory issues that matter to health centers.

Attendees will have direct access to federal and state-level policy and regulatory updates from OPCA staff and national experts.

When: Every second Wednesday of the month at 12:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email (check spam/junk) containing information about adding the calendar invite and joining the meeting

State Update

Five days remain: This week marks the final stretch of the state’s 2024 legislative session which kicked off 30 days ago.

Pharmacy legislation: This session we saw the introduction of two bills focused on pharmacy operations. HB 4028 was introduced by OPCA and sponsored by Representative Rob Nosse (D-Portland). The bill would have prohibited pharmaceutical manufacturers from imposing contract pharmacy restrictions on 340B Covered Entities. The bill was scheduled for a vote on the House floor where a bipartisan group of lawmakers voiced their support for local FQHCs but unfortunately were influenced by PhRMA, citing concerns that aligned with manufacturers’ talking points and ultimately killing the bill.

HB 4149 is a reboot from a 2023 effort to reform how pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) operate in Oregon. This 2024 attempt is a narrowed version of last year’s bill but imposes key provisions including state licensing for PBMs. The bill has bipartisan support and if passed will give the state more authority to investigate complaints and impose penalties. HB 4149 is scheduled for a vote on the House floor tomorrow, March 7.

School-based health center modernization: School-based health center (SBHC) advocates and operators came together around HB 4070 which would have authorized ten SBHC planning grants and ensured inflationary increases are baked into future funding. Despite strong support from advocates and lawmakers the bill appears to be stalled in the legislature’s budget writing committee. With the clock running out on this session, it doesn’t appear that HB 4070 will make it across the finish line in 2024.

Measure 110 reform: On February 29, the House debated for over two hours the merits of two bills that comprise the Measure 110 reform package, HB 4002 (policy) and HB 5204 (funding).

In the highly emotional debate, lawmakers shared personal stories and first-hand accounts about substance use disorder. Whether they were citing concerns or support for the bills, it was clear that each member understood the gravity of the situation with behavioral health in Oregon. With just seven of the 60 voting against HB 4002, and even fewer against HB 5204, the House passed the measures along to the Senate.

The next day, the Senate held a similarly emotional and passionate debate about the measures. Ultimately, both bills passed on a similarly bipartisan basis. The bills now go to the Governor’s desk for her to sign into law.

This graphic from the Oregon Senate Democrats demonstrates the flow of how the changes will play out in the public safety sector. Many behavioral health investments were part of the package as well, including $85.4 million for shovel-ready infrastructure projects, $40.5 million for the Criminal Justice Commission’s work to create the new Oregon Behavioral Health Deflection Program, and more.

The measures passed with bipartisan support. Immediately following the House vote, the coalition behind a ballot measure to repeal Measure 110 announced they would end the campaign, should this package pass the Senate and be signed into law by Gov. Kotek.

Housing: On Day 25 (February 29) of this 35-day short session, lawmakers in the Senate passed two bills of a three-bill $369 million housing package, a top priority for Gov. Tina Kotek. Chair of the Senate Housing & Homeless Committee, Sen. Kayse Jama (D-Portland) celebrated the moment in a press release, stating, “The goal of the package is to stabilize and house Oregonians living on the streets and put affordable housing within reach for everyone.”

These two bills comprise major investments in housing production and stability. Included are: $94.3 million for shovel-ready infrastructure projects, $75 million for a new fund to loan to local governments for low- and moderate-income housing, $65 million for emergency homeless shelters, and $34 million for homelessness prevention.

Capitol Hill

CHC funding update: The House of Representatives will begin the floor debate on the CHC funding bill around 1:30 PM ET today, March 6. The debate is expected to last for around forty minutes. Voting would begin around 3:30 PM ET.

Congressional Action on Health Center & Primary Care Workforce Funding: Over the weekend, Congressional leaders posted the text of a six-bill minibus that includes health center funding (starting on page 899). The bill includes $4.4 billion for health centers through December 31, 2024. This is the largest jump in health center funding in years! As a reminder, this is health center mandatory funding, and we haven’t yet seen at what level Congress will fund the discretionary side.

Unfortunately, left out of the package were measures that had been on the table to reform PBMs and increase price transparency in health care. “It is a real missed opportunity that these critical, bipartisan provisions will be unnecessarily delayed until December or longer,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden said in a statement, referring to the PBM provisions.

Senate Bipartisan 340B Workgroup Releases 340B Draft Legislation and RFI: Senators Thune, Capito, Stabenow, Baldwin, Moran and Cardin, also known as the “Gang of 6” released a discussion draft of the Supporting Underserved and Strengthening Transparency, Accountability, and Integrity Now and for the Future of 340B Act or “SUSTAIN 340B Act.” Additionally, the Senators released an  explanatory document, which includes a request for information to support the development of legislation. The working group requested feedback by Wednesday, April 1st, 2024, to Bipartisan340BRFI@email.senate.gov. OPCA is encouraged by Congress’ progress to address the existing challenges in the 340B Program. For questions, please reach out to Marty Carty, mcarty@orpca.org