l9n/ Oregon

2026 Regular Session

House Bill 4070

Requires the Oregon Health Authority and coordinated care organizations to ensure that access to behavioral health treatment in the medical assistance program is comparable to access to medical and surgical treatment and that limitations are applied to behavioral health treatment no more stringently than to medical and surgical treatment.

Became law as Chapter 44, Oregon Laws 2026, signed March 31, 2026, 57 days after it was filed. In force from June 5, 2026.

What it does

The synopsis the Legislative Assembly published with the bill.

<b>Digest: The Act makes changes to laws about mental health and substance use disorder treatment. The Act changes a law about quality reviews of CCOs. The Act says who can be reimbursed for telehealth services. (Flesch Readability Score: 70.9).</b> [<i>Digest: The Act makes changes to laws relating to mental health and SUD treatment. (Flesch Readability Score: 76.5).</i>] Requires the Oregon Health Authority and coordinated care organizations to ensure that access to behavioral health treatment in the medical assistance program is comparable to access to medical and surgical treatment and that limitations are applied to behavioral health treatment no more stringently than to medical and surgical treatment. Prohibits the authority or a contracted external quality review organization, under certain circumstances, from making a negative finding about or imposing a penalty on a coordinated care organization based on documents or templates created by the authority for use by a coordinated care organization. Modifies certain statutes to clarify roles and responsibilities for the delivery of behavioral health services and to update terminology. <b>Modifies the types of providers that may be reimbursed in the state medical assistance program for the cost of health services delivered using telemedicine. Becomes operative on January 1, 2027. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.</b>

Its course

February 2 to April 6, 2026, on one scale. In the top row each mark is a day something happened; taller marks are busier days.

Each committee stop sits inside its chamber.

Every action19 actions on 17 days

In the House of RepresentativesFeb 2 to Feb 1816 days

Waiting for a committeeFeb 2 to Feb 20 days

Behavioral HealthFeb 2 to Feb 1614 days

In the SenateFeb 18 to Mar 313 days

Waiting for a committeeFeb 18 to Feb 191 day

Early Childhood and Behavioral HealthFeb 19 to Feb 278 days

Back in the House of RepresentativesMar 3 to Mar 52 days

With the GovernorMar 5 to Mar 3126 days

Votes

Yeas to nays, as the Legislative Assembly recorded them. Committee votes are set in.

  • House of Representatives, third reading41–0

    Passed · Feb 18 · 19 present

  • Senate, third reading26–1

    Passed · Mar 3 · 3 present

  • House of Representatives, concurrence53–0

    Agreed to the other chamber's changes · Mar 4 · 7 present

Amendments

Each amendment offered, and what became of it.

  • House of Representatives committee amendmentAdopted

    Adopted Feb 16

  • Senate committee amendmentAdopted

    Adopted Feb 27

Text

Each version as the Legislative Assembly printed it.

l9n doesn't hold this bill's text yet.

What happened

In l9n's words, one line for each step. Every action as the Legislative Assembly published it is below.

In the House of Representatives Feb 2 – Feb 18

  1. Feb 2Introduced
  2. Sent to Behavioral Health
  3. Feb 5Heard in Behavioral Health
  4. Feb 12Heard in Behavioral Health
  5. Feb 16Behavioral Health recommended it as amended
  6. Feb 17Read a second time
  7. Feb 18Passed the House of Representatives, 41 to 0

In the Senate Feb 19 – Mar 3

  1. Feb 19Arrived in the Senate
  2. Sent to Early Childhood and Behavioral Health
  3. Feb 24Heard in Early Childhood and Behavioral Health
  4. Feb 26Heard in Early Childhood and Behavioral Health
  5. Feb 27Early Childhood and Behavioral Health recommended it as amended
  6. Mar 2Read a second time
  7. Mar 3Passed the Senate, 26 to 1

Back in the House of Representatives Mar 4 – Mar 5

  1. Mar 4The House of Representatives agreed to the Senate's amendments and passed it again, 53 to 0
  2. Mar 5Signed in the House of Representatives

To the Governor Mar 6 – Apr 6

  1. Mar 6Signed in the Senate
  2. Mar 31Signed by the Governor
  3. Apr 6Became chapter 44 of Oregon Laws 2026, in force from June 5, 2026
All 19 actions, as published
  1. Feb 2First reading. Referred to Speaker's desk.House of Representatives
  2. Feb 2Referred to Behavioral Health.House of Representatives
  3. Feb 5Public Hearing held.House of Representatives
  4. Feb 12Work Session held.House of Representatives
  5. Feb 16Recommendation: Do pass with amendments and be printed A-Engrossed.House of Representatives
  6. Feb 17Second reading.House of Representatives
  7. Feb 18Third reading. Carried by Nosse. Passed.House of Representatives
  8. Feb 19First reading. Referred to President's desk.Senate
  9. Feb 19Referred to Early Childhood and Behavioral Health.Senate
  10. Feb 24Public Hearing held.Senate
  11. Feb 26Public Hearing and Work Session held.Senate
  12. Feb 27Recommendation: Do pass with amendments to the A-Eng. bill. (Printed B-Eng.)Senate
  13. Mar 2Second reading.Senate
  14. Mar 3Third reading. Carried by Anderson. Passed.Senate
  15. Mar 4House concurred in Senate amendments and repassed bill.House of Representatives
  16. Mar 5Speaker signed.House of Representatives
  17. Mar 6President signed.Senate
  18. Mar 31Governor signed.House of Representatives
  19. Apr 6Chapter 44, (2026 Laws): Effective date June 5, 2026.House of Representatives