House Bill (HB) 2122-A, the “CCO 2.0” bill, was pulled from the floor and sent to the House Rules Committee. The bill had its first hearing following the first-chamber deadline on May 4. The Coordinate Care Organization (CCO) community remains opposed to the bill, and it seems that none of the proposed amendments go far enough in addressing their concerns. Representative Mitch Greenlick and Speaker Tina Kotek both spoke in favor of the bill at the public hearing, citing previous efforts to bring greater transparency to CCOs in previous sessions. The two legislators were followed by CCO lobbyists sharing their successes under the current model and fears about what changes to their governance structure could mean for the system as a whole. The fact that the hearing was scheduled on the same day the revised federal American Health Care Act passed out of the U.S. House of Representatives seemed fortuitous for the CCO representatives, as they could point to uncertainty at the federal level as a further reason to not move too quickly on this bill. As there were a number of bills on the agenda, the discussion was cut somewhat short on HB 2122-A, and a future meeting has not yet been scheduled.
Tobacco retail licensure (TRL) appears to have hit a stall this session. After multiple iterations of the bill, the Governor’s office has been working with stakeholders in an effort to reach consensus. Examples of key sticking points include maximum fees and local preemptions. However, still lacking language that parties can agree upon, it seems likely that the issue will be shelved yet again. AOC members continue to work on this issue at the local level, with Klamath County having just passed an ordinance, and others preparing for future votes.
Finally, Senate Bill (SB) 754-A, “Tobacco 21,” was scheduled for a work session multiple times the week of May 1, and carried over just as many times. There are multiple amendments posted to the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS), though rumors suggest the bill is likely to pass out of the House Health Care Committee without any additional tweaks.
Contributed by: Stacy Michaelson | AOC Health & Human Services Policy Manager