Rep. Ben Bowman

Digest: The Act increases some amounts that are protected from debt collectors. The Act changes some laws about bad debt collection methods. (Flesch Readability Score: 63.2). Increases certain exemptions from garnishment and execution. Modifies provisions relating to unfair debt collection practices. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

Digest: The Act makes a small group to look at the youth behavioral workforce. (Flesch Readability Score: 77.8). Directs the System of Care Advisory Council to establish a subcommittee on the youth behavioral health workforce. Requires the subcommittee to submit an initial report to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to behavioral health not later than September 15, 2024, and a final report to the Legislative Assembly not later than December 15, 2025. Sunsets December 31, 2025. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

Digest: The Act tells the State Treasurer to stop investing moneys in companies that deal in thermal coal. (Flesch Readability Score: 65.1). Directs the Oregon Investment Council and the State Treasurer to make efforts to eliminate certain investments in thermal coal companies. Provides that divestments must be accomplished without monetary loss to the investment funds. Provides that investments may be retained in a thermal coal company that is transitioning to clean energy. Requires an annual report to the Legislative Assembly on actions taken pursuant to this Act.

Digest: Creates a fund to help the electronic chip industry. The Act becomes law 91 days after adjournment. (Flesch Readability Score: 63.8). Establishes the Semiconductor Talent Sustaining Fund [ and subaccounts of the fund ]. Requires the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to allocate moneys from the fund [ and subaccounts ] to provide education, training and research to assist the semiconductor industry. [ Requires the commission to establish a statewide semiconductor industry consortium for the purpose of developing a comprehensive statewide strategy to guide investments and build educational pathways and research capacity for the semiconductor industry and to make recommendations to the commission on how best to allocate moneys in the Semiconductor Talent Sustaining Fund and subaccounts. ] [ Requires the consortium to submit a report to the Legislative Assembly every two years detailing progress and investments made to improve semiconductor education and research. ] [ Requires the commission to award a series of grants to identified entities. ] Exempts some programs receiving federal financial assistance from certain provisions. Sunsets the Semiconductor Talent Sustaining Fund [ and subaccounts ] on January 2, 2030. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.

Digest: The Act requires PBMs to be licensed and changes the definition of a PBM. The Act changes the way PBMs can audit drug stores. The Act requires PBMs to report certain information each year to DCBS. The Act makes changes to the way 340B drugs are covered by insurance. The Act protects certain information that is provided to or developed by the OPDP from being released to the public. (Flesch Readability Score: 65.3). Requires pharmacy benefit managers to be licensed by the Department of Consumer and Business Services beginning January 1, 2025. Modifies the definition of "pharmacy benefit manager" and imposes new requirements on pharmacy benefit managers. Restricts audits of pharmacy claims for reimbursement. Requires pharmacy benefit managers to report specified information to the department on an annual basis. Imposes new requirements with respect to the insurance coverage of 340B drugs. Protects from public disclosure certain information provided to or developed by the Oregon Prescription Drug Program. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

Digest: The Act requires the OHA to study how much money local mental health programs need to comply with state laws. The Act requires the OHA to contract with a certain council to work with a group of people who provide mental health and substance use treatment. The Act requires the group to study the impact of state laws on the providers' ability to do their jobs. The Act requires the council to report to the legislature, by certain dates, the group's findings and any ideas for changes to state laws. The Act goes into effect when the Governor signs it. (Flesch Readability Score: 67.2). Requires the Oregon Health Authority to conduct a study to determine the funding required for each community mental health program to provide the services and perform the functions required by law related to individuals with behavioral health disorders in specified age groups. Requires the authority to compile a report of the findings from the study by January 1, 2025, and every five years thereafter. Requires the authority to contract with the Oregon Council for Behavioral Health to work with a group of mental health and substance use treatment providers to study the statutory and regulatory framework for behavioral health systems and make recommendations for changes to the laws to address redundancies, contradictions and outdated language, to define and clarify the roles and responsibilities of behavioral health system partners and to ensure a regulatory framework that is better for providers and consumers of behavioral health services. Specifies the membership and duties of the group. Requires the group to submit reports to the Legislative Assembly no later than December 15, 2024, and December 15, 2025. Sunsets January 2, 2026. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

Digest: The Act would create the CHIPS Child Care Fund. The Act would tell the Oregon Business Development Department to work with the Bureau of Labor and Industries to make a program to help fund child care. The Act would create a work group related to funding child care. (Flesch Readability Score: 76.0). Establishes the CHIPS Child Care Fund. Appropriates moneys from the General Fund to the Oregon Business Development Department for deposit in the CHIPS Child Care Fund. Directs the department to enter into an interagency agreement with the Bureau of Labor and Industries to develop and administer a financial support program for the construction workforce. Directs the department to establish a work group to adopt recommendations for requiring certain businesses to make a financial contribution to the CHIPS Child Care Fund. Requires work group to report to the committees of the Legislative Assembly related to child care and workforce development by November 15, 2024. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

Digest: Makes change for how long a person is considered a student for an act to be sexual conduct. Changes law on July 1, 2024. (Flesch Readability Score: 67.7). Modifies the length of time by which a person is considered a student for purposes of determining if conduct is prohibited sexual conduct. Takes effect July 1, 2024.

Digest: The Act applies to insurers and other entities that pay for drugs for people who have insurance. The Act requires insurers and others to count toward any costs that an insured person must pay for their drugs, the amounts paid from coupons or by other third parties. (Flesch Readability Score: 60.5). Requires an insurer, a pharmacy benefit manager[ , the Public Employees' Benefit Board, the Oregon Educators Benefit Board ] and a health care service contractor to count payments made by or on behalf of an enrollee for the costs of certain prescription drugs when calculating the enrollee's contribution to an out-of-pocket maximum, deductible, copayment, coinsurance or other required cost-sharing for the drugs.

Digest: States a state policy on offshore wind energy. Tells the state agency on energy to make a road map on standards for offshore wind energy. Makes a person involved in an offshore wind energy or port project meet certain labor and supply chain standards. Tells the state agency on land use to assess state policies that may be used in federal reviews of offshore wind leasing decisions. (Flesch Readability Score: 61.0). Declares a state policy to support engagement between offshore wind developers and impacted organizations, communities and tribes. Declares a state policy regarding offshore wind energy development and labor and supply chain standards. Declares a state policy that the interconnection of offshore energy projects be carried out in a manner that promotes electric grid reliability and resilience. Directs the Land Conservation and Development Commission to exercise its rulemaking authority to support these state policies. Directs the State Department of Energy to develop an Offshore Wind Roadmap that defines standards to be considered in the processes related to offshore wind energy development and approval. Requires a developer or contractor involved in an offshore wind energy project, port development project that is necessary for the development of an offshore wind energy project or project related to manufacturing or supply chain that is located on port property and that facilitates the construction, operation or maintenance of an offshore wind energy project to meet certain labor and supply chain standards. Allows a developer or contractor to use a workforce development agreement to comply with the requirements. Directs the Department of Land Conservation and Development to conduct an assessment of the state enforceable policies that may be used in the federal consistency review of offshore wind leasing decisions and related actions. Directs the department to submit a report on the department's activities to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to marine renewable energy and coastal resources not later than September 1, 2025. Modifies certain biennial appropriation made from the General Fund to the Department of Land Conservation and Development. Modifies limitation on expenditures for certain biennial expenses for the Bureau of Labor and Industries. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.