Excerpt:
While some pundits have called it the least productive session that they can recall in terms of major legislation that passed, human services issues were definitely a focus, and at times a point of contention. The department?s budget for the 2005-07 biennium is approximately $9.8 billion total funds. Although a number of reductions had to be made to reach this figure, it is an overall increase of approximately 2.4 percent from the last biennium - with much of the additional funding going to inflation and growth in caseloads and programs to meet Oregon?s changing demographics.
Changes in Oregon?s medical-marijuana law were approved by both chambers - allowing a patient or caregiver to possess 24 ounces of dried marijuana and as many as six mature plants and 18 seedlings. The current limits were less than this. This change - which still needs the Governor?s signature - means patients and caregivers could no longer argue in court that they need more than the specified amounts as a medical necessity, which in the past gave them a defense against prosecution. The legislation also limits caregivers to growing for no more than four patients per year.
Child welfare was a hot button this session and we are still sorting out the last minute changes made in various bills. A training component was created relating to Senate Bill 755, which mandates how school districts report and handle accusations of child sex abuse.
Minor adjustments to the Oregon Health Plan even had trouble making their way through the chambers. The House did not hear proposed reinstatement of a 10-cent-per pack cigarette tax that expired in 2004 and the House blocked a bill passed by the Senate that would have expanded the prescription-drug purchasing pool.
Planning for the future of the Oregon State Hospital did make it through both chambers, with a second phase of planning slated for 2006 on the building of new structures to replace the decrepit and aging buildings on the Salem campus. Mental-health parity made it through as well, requiring insurance policies to cover benefits for mental illnesses on par with those for physical ailments.
Several pieces of legislation passed relating to methamphetamines -- creating new crimes associated with making and trafficking in the illegal drug; requiring prescriptions for pseudoephedrine which is a decongestant that can be used to make meth; and increased penalties for drug makers if children and elderly people are present in houses where the drug is made. A complete wrap up of the session will be put together soon and available on our department?s budget web site:
http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/aboutdhs/budget/
