72nd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2003 Regular Session
NOTE: Matter within { + braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within { - braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
{ + braces and plus signs + } .
LC 507
Senate Bill 145
Printed pursuant to Senate Interim Rule 213.28 by order of the
President of the Senate in conformance with presession filing
rules, indicating neither advocacy nor opposition on the part
of the President (at the request of Governor Theodore R.
Kulongoski for the Department of Human Services)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.
Declares public health policy of Oregon. Creates Interim Public
Health Assessment and Improvement Advisory Committee.
Declares emergency, effective on passage.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to public health policy; appropriating money; and
declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. { + (1) It is the policy of the State of Oregon
that the health of the public be promoted to the greatest extent
possible through the public health system. The public health
system prevents epidemics and the spread of disease. It promotes
and encourages healthy environments, behaviors and communities
for healthy people. The public health system also responds to
public health emergencies, assists communities in recovery and
strives to ensure the quality and accessibility of public health
services. It is recognized that medical care alone is not
sufficient to keep our communities healthy.
(2)(a) State and local governmental entities have the
responsibility to ensure that a public health system is in place
to perform public health activities.
(b) The Department of Human Services is the state public health
agency responsible for overall coordination and monitoring of the
public health system. The department is also responsible for
providing technical assistance and consultation to local public
health departments.
(c) Administrators of local public health departments are
responsible for the delivery of public health services and for
the coordination of public health services at the local level.
(3) The public health system, based in state and local
government, collaborates with other agencies, private health care
providers, community-based organizations, the business community
and the general public in achieving its goals.
(4)(a) The primary functions of the public health system are to
assess the health of communities, to develop policies to improve
the health of communities and to ensure that quality public
health services are provided to the communities of this state.
(b) Assessing the health of communities includes, but is not
limited to, monitoring health status to identify community health
problems, diagnosing and investigating health problems and
hazards in the community and conducting reviews or research for
the purpose of identifying and disseminating innovative solutions
to health problems.
(c) Developing policies to improve the health of communities
includes informing and educating people about health issues,
mobilizing community partnerships to identify and solve health
problems and developing policies and plans to support individual
and community health efforts.
(d) Ensuring that quality public health services are provided
to communities includes enforcing laws and rules that protect
health and ensure safety, linking people to needed health
services, facilitating the provision of health services when they
are otherwise unavailable, ensuring a competent public health
care workforce and evaluating the effectiveness, accessibility
and quality of community health services.
(5) Nothing in this section may be construed to require an
individual or an agency to provide specific health services or to
mandate state or local agencies to implement unfunded
programs. + }
SECTION 2. { + (1) There is created the Interim Public Health
Assessment and Improvement Advisory Committee.
(2) The interim committee consists of 10 members appointed as
follows:
(a) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint
one member from among members of the House of Representatives.
(b) The President of the Senate shall appoint one member from
among members of the Senate.
(c) The Director of Human Services shall appoint one member
from each of the following:
(A) The Department of Human Services;
(B) The Conference of Local Health Officials;
(C) The Oregon Medical Association;
(D) The Association of Oregon Counties;
(E) The Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems;
(F) The Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at
the Oregon Health and Science University;
(G) The Oregon Nurses Association; and
(H) The public.
(3) The interim committee shall report its findings to the
Seventy-third Legislative Assembly after conducting an assessment
of local capacity to provide basic public health services,
considering methods for improved policies and structures to
increase effectiveness and efficiency in providing public health
services and developing a plan to close gaps in local public
health services. The interim committee shall report in the manner
provided by ORS 192.245 no later than January 31, 2005.
(4) Members of the interim committee who are not members of the
Legislative Assembly are entitled to compensation and expenses in
the manner and amounts provided for in ORS 292.495. Claims for
compensation and expenses incurred in performing functions of the
interim committee shall be paid out of funds appropriated to the
Department of Human Services for that purpose.
(5) Within existing resources, the Department of Human Services
shall provide staff support to the interim committee.
(6) All agencies of state government, as defined in ORS
174.111, are directed to assist the interim committee in the
performance of its functions and, to the extent permitted by law
relating to confidentiality, furnish information and advice as
the members of the interim committee consider necessary to
perform their functions.
(7) Official action by the interim committee requires the
approval of a majority of the members of the interim committee.
The interim committee by official action may recommend
legislation. Legislation recommended by the interim committee
must indicate that it is introduced at the request of the interim
committee. Legislation must be prepared in time for presession
filing as provided in ORS 171.130.
(8) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the interim
committee is subject to the provisions of ORS 171.605 to 171.635.
(9) All appointments to the interim committee made under
subsection (2) of this section must be completed by the later of
30 days after adjournment sine die of the regular session of the
Seventy-second Legislative Assembly or July 31, 2003. + }
SECTION 3. { + The Interim Public Health Assessment and
Improvement Advisory Committee created under section 2 of this
2003 Act may accept contributions from the United States, its
agencies or any other public or private source and agree to
conditions thereon that are consistent with the purposes of the
committee. All moneys received by the committee under this
section are to aid in financing the functions of the committee
and shall be deposited in the General Fund of the State Treasury
and credited to the Public Health Account. The funds are
appropriated continuously to the committee and may be expended
for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of section 2 of
this 2003 Act. + }
SECTION 4. { + This 2003 Act being necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency
is declared to exist, and this 2003 Act takes effect on its
passage. + }
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