Establishes the Higher Education Behavioral Health Workforce Expansion Fund.

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
A-Engrossed
House Bill 3129
Ordered by the House March 20
Including House Amendments dated March 20
Sponsored by Representative NOSSE, Senator PATTERSON; Representatives MARSH, MUNOZ, PHAM H, Senators
FREDERICK, GELSER BLOUIN, GOLDEN, TAYLOR (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. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability standards.
Digest: The Act creates a behavioral health workforce fund for higher learning. The Act pro-
vides for the purposes and uses of moneys in the fund. Declares an emergency and becomes law
when the Governor signs it. (Flesch Readability Score: 64.4).
Establishes the Higher Education Behavioral Health Workforce Expansion Fund. Directs the
Higher Education Coordinating Commission to distribute moneys from the fund to community col-
leges and public and private universities in this state for purposes of expanding the training, em-
ployment and retention of behavioral health professionals. Appropriates moneys to the fund.
Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to the behavioral health workforce; and declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
(1) There is established in the State Treasury, separate and distinct from the
General Fund, the Higher Education Behavioral Health Workforce Expansion Fund. All
moneys in the Higher Education Behavioral Health Workforce Expansion Fund are contin-
uously appropriated to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission for purposes of car-
rying out section 2 of this 2025 Act.
(2) The Higher Education Coordinating Commission shall administer the fund established
under subsection (1) of this section.
SECTION 2. (1) The Higher Education Behavioral Health Workforce Expansion Fund es-
tablished under section 1 of this 2025 Act consists of:
(a) Moneys transferred to the fund by the federal government, other state agencies or
local governments.
(b) Moneys transferred to the fund by the Legislative Assembly or the Higher Education
Coordinating Commission.
(c) Gifts, grants and donations from public or private sources.
(d) Interest and other earnings on moneys in the fund.
(2) Moneys in the fund established under section 1 of this 2025 Act shall be used for ex-
panding the training, employment and retention of graduate-level providers or other certified
and licensed professionals in the behavioral health care workforce who can provide culturally
responsive behavioral health services to individuals who may be:
(a) Members of the federally recognized Indian tribes in this state;
(b) Persons of color;
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 909
A-Eng. HB 3129
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(c) Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth;
(d) Veterans;
(e) Individuals with disabilities;
(f) Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities;
(g) Individuals with limited proficiency in the English language;
(h) Individuals working in correctional facilities; and
(i) Individuals in other underserved communities.
(3) The commission shall distribute moneys from the fund established under section 1 of
this 2025 Act to community colleges operated under ORS chapter 341, private universities in
this state, the public universities listed in ORS 352.002 and Oregon Health and Science Uni-
versity to implement programs at those institutions that will expand the number of providers
working in the publicly funded behavioral health system.
(4) Funds received by colleges and universities under subsection (3) of this section may
be used to:
(a) Hire and retain behavioral health faculty;
(b) Provide scholarships or stipends to students to enroll in programs that lead to a ca-
reer in the publicly funded behavioral health system and that include a service obligation of
at least two years;
(c) Pay for costs associated with expanding existing academic programs for behavioral
health;
(d) Pay for costs, including accreditation costs, associated with developing new behavioral
health programs;
(e) Provide bonuses and stipends related to the supervision of interns or associates in the
field of behavioral health; and
(f) Pay for costs related to licensing or certification examination preparation in behav-
ioral health.
(5) The commission shall distribute moneys from the fund each biennium to each insti-
tution based on a distribution formula determined by the commission by rule. To assist the
commission in determining the formula under this subsection, the commission shall establish
an advisory group that includes representatives of:
(a) Public universities;
(b) Community colleges;
(c) Community mental health programs; and
(d) Other public behavioral health employers organizations.
(6) To receive a scholarship or stipend under subsection (4) of this section, a student
must be enrolled in a program to receive a health care certificate or license as:
(a) A licensed psychologist, as that term is defined in ORS 675.010;
(b) A clinical social worker licensed under ORS 675.530;
(c) A master’s social worker licensed under ORS 675.533;
(d) A clinical social work associate certified under ORS 675.537;
(e) A licensed marriage and family therapist, as that term is defined in ORS 675.705;
(f) A licensed professional counselor, as that term is defined in ORS 675.705;
(g) A mental health or substance abuse treatment provider, as that term is defined in
ORS 443.004; or
(h) Any other behavioral health provider determined by the commission by rule.
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(7) The commission may adopt rules to administer this section.
SECTION 3.
Not later than June 30 of each year, each college and university receiving
moneys under section 2 of this 2025 Act shall report to the Higher Education Coordinating
Commission on the progress and outcomes of the moneys received by the college or univer-
sity. The report must include:
(1) The name of any behavioral health training program funded in whole or in part with
the moneys received;
(2) The number of students participating in behavioral health training programs made
available as a result of moneys received;
(3) The number of students completing training that results in a degree or certificate in
the student’s selected field;
(4) The number of students failing to complete training that results in a degree or cer-
tificate in the student’s selected field after the student began a training program;
(5) The number of students placed in careers in behavioral health, and including the type
of setting and location of the placement; and
(6) An anonymous and aggregated list of the number of students who received financial
assistance under section 2 of this 2025 Act as categorized by the following:
(a) Age;
(b) Ethnicity;
(c) Gender;
(d) Race;
(e) Disability;
(f) Language or languages spoken;
(g) Sexual orientation; and
(h) County of residence.
SECTION 4.
Section 3 of this 2025 Act first applies to June 30, 2026.
SECTION 5. Not later than September 1 of each year, the Higher Education Coordinating
Commission shall submit a report, in the manner provided by ORS 192.245, setting forth the
progress and outcomes of the provisions of section 2 of this 2025 Act and including the data
described in section 3 of this 2025 Act, to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly
related to behavioral health.
SECTION 6. Section 5 of this 2025 Act first applies to September 1, 2026.
SECTION 7. In addition to and not in lieu of any other appropriation, there is appropri-
ated to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, for the biennium beginning July 1,
2025, out of the General Fund, the amount of $25,700,000, which shall be transferred to the
Higher Education Behavioral Health Workforce Expansion Fund to carry out section 2 of this
2025 Act.
SECTION 8. 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
on its passage.
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