Photo: Ford, Brad
Governor Tina Kotek hosted a signing ceremony for two bills passed during the 2023 legislative session that support patients and health care providers.
“With the leadership and collaboration that we saw across the health care landscape this session, I am confident that Oregon will continue to lead the way in building a more equitable health care system that centers patients and supports workers and providers,” Governor Kotek said.
House Bill 2002: Creates protections for patients seeking reproductive and gender affirming care and for providers administering that care, and closes insurance coverage gaps for gender-affirming care.
House Bill 2697: Creates a minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratio and establishes committees for hospital care providers to improve staffing.
HB 2002 is one of the bills that caused Senate Republicans to hold the longest walkout in state history. Democrats dropped a part of the bill that would have allowed people younger than 15 to get abortions without parental permission. That requirement remains, but if two medical providers from different medical facilities agree an abortion is in the best interest of the child an exception can be granted.