Directs the Oregon Health Authority to establish a pilot program to provide telehealth services to students in schools and determine the extent to which the pilot program increases student access to health care services.

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 2577
Sponsored by Representative NERON, Senator REYNOLDS (Presession filed.)
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. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act tells OHA to create a pilot program to provide telehealth services to students
in schools. (Flesch Readability Score: 65.1).
Directs the Oregon Health Authority to establish a pilot program to provide telehealth services
to students in schools and determine the extent to which the pilot program increases student access
to health care services. Requires the authority to evaluate the pilot program and submit a report
to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to education no later than September
15, 2026.
Sunsets on January 2, 2027.
Declares an emergency, effective July 1, 2025.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to telehealth services in schools for students; and declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
(1) The Oregon Health Authority shall establish a pilot program to determine
the extent to which the availability of telehealth services in schools increases student access
to health care services.
(2) The authority shall enter into a contract with a third party telehealth provider that
has experience working with schools to provide telehealth services to students in partic-
ipating school districts, as defined in ORS 342.621, for the 2025-2026 school year.
(3) The authority shall issue a request for proposals to select the telehealth provider and
schools districts to participate in the pilot program.
(4) In order to be considered for selection as the telehealth provider, an applicant must:
(a) Be providing telehealth services to at least 50,000 students at the time the application
is submitted.
(b) Have experience providing culturally competent pediatric care.
(c) Demonstrate the ability to provide high-quality physical and behavioral telehealth
services.
(d) Demonstrate the ability to establish an adequate network of telehealth providers in
Oregon to provide required telehealth services under the pilot program.
(e) Have a technology platform to provide and coordinate telehealth services for students
in participating school districts.
(f) Have the ability to bill health insurers for services provided under the pilot program.
(g) Agree to provide telehealth services at no cost to students who are uninsured and to
waive or reimburse students for all cost-sharing incurred for telehealth services under the
pilot program.
(h) Agree to cooperate with the authority and participating school districts to evaluate
the pilot program and prepare the report described in subsection (7) of this section.
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [ italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 1103
HB 2577
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(5) In order to be considered to participate in the pilot program, a school district must:
(a) Make telehealth services available to all students within the school district.
(b) Cooperate with the authority and telehealth provider to evaluate the pilot program
and prepare the report described in subsection (7) of this section.
(6) The authority may accept gifts, grants, donations or other financial support from any
source for the purpose of carrying out the pilot program under this section.
(7)(a) The authority, in conjunction with the telehealth provider and participating school
districts, shall evaluate and prepare a report on the extent to which the pilot program in-
creased student access to health care services.
(b) The authority shall submit the report described in paragraph (a) of this subsection in
the manner provided by ORS 192.245, and may include recommendations for legislation, to
the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to education no later than Sep-
tember 15, 2026.
(8) The authority may adopt rules necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.
SECTION 2.
Section 1 of this 2025 Act is repealed on January 2, 2027.
SECTION 3. In addition to and not in lieu of any other appropriation, there is appropri-
ated to the Oregon Health Authority, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, out of the
General Fund, the amount of $2,000,000, to carry out the provisions of section 1 of this 2025
Act.
SECTION 4.
This 2025 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2025 Act takes effect
July 1, 2025.
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