Early Childhood and Behavioral Health

Digest: Tells DELC to provide information to some people who are looking for child care. Allows ODHS to provide that information on behalf of DELC. (Flesch Readability Score 67.7). ] Directs the Department of Early Learning and Care to provide standardized information on all publicly funded early learning and care programs and resources available in this state to people who apply for or are placed on the waitlist for the Employment Related Day Care subsidy program. Allows the Early Learning System Director to delegate this responsibility to the Department of Human Services by interagency agreement with the Director of Human Services. [ Directs the Department of Early Learning and Care, in consultation with the Department of Education and the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, to review and develop recommendations on background check requirements for publicly funded staff working under the jurisdiction of these agencies and submit a report to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to education and early learning and care no later than September 15, 2026. ] Declares an emergency, effective on passage.

HB 4069 requires behavioral health employers (like residential treatment facilities, detox centers, mobile crisis teams, and shelters that contract with Oregon Health Authority) to create and implement a written safety plan for their workers. The plan must specifically address lone workers, facility safety reporting procedures for structural hazards, and details about required safety training. Employers must provide the plan to new hires and make it easily accessible to all staff. The law takes effect July 1, 2027, with implementation timelines based on existing contracts with the Oregon Health Authority.

] 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. 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.

Establishes the Oregon Imagination Library Program to provide a free book each month to eligible children, encourage children to develop a love of reading and learning and improve school readiness, third-grade reading proficiency and high school graduation rates. Directs the Department of Early Learning and Care to implement and administer the program. Authorizes the Early Learning Council, in consultation with the department, to adopt rules necessary to implement the program. Establishes the Oregon Imagination Library Account within the department for purposes of funding the program.

Modifies the definition of "transition aged youth residential treatment home" to include young adults between the ages of 17 and 25. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.