Relating to consumer engagement in decisions concerning behavioral health services; declaring an emergency.
HB 2042 creates the Oregon Behavioral Health Consumer Engagement Act and directs the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to build and run a program to increase consumer participation in planning and decision-making about behavioral health services. The bill is focused on people who have received or are receiving mental health, addiction, substance use disorder, or broader behavioral health services, and it aims to improve service quality by elevating consumer input, peer leadership, and community-based engagement.
Under the bill, OHA must contract with a nonprofit, peer-run consumer supporter technical assistance center to provide technical and financial assistance for outreach, training, materials, and coordination efforts. Those activities include helping consumers navigate the behavioral health system, learning about self-directed care and peer-operated models, participating in policy and legislative processes, and improving access for historically marginalized communities. The center must also submit annual progress reports to OHA describing outreach, demographics reached, training, technical assistance, system gaps, and workforce-related consumer involvement efforts.
HB 2042 would add a new state program and funding stream within OHA for consumer engagement in behavioral health policy and service delivery. It also amends ORS 430.073 to update the definition of “consumer” for the Consumer Advisory Council and to clarify council membership, appointment, representation, and compensation rules. The bill appropriates $1.5 million from the General Fund for the 2025-27 biennium to implement the program, with the operative provisions taking effect January 1, 2026, and the bill declared an emergency effective on passage.
The bill’s structure suggests a generally supportive policy approach centered on peer involvement, consumer self-determination, and improved behavioral health outcomes. Even without recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the measure’s findings and directives indicate a strong legislative intent to expand consumer voice, especially for people from historically marginalized communities and for those navigating a complex behavioral health system. The emergency clause also signals a sense of urgency around implementation.
The main potential points of contention are likely to be the new General Fund appropriation, the creation of a state-contracted technical assistance center, and the scope of OHA’s new administrative responsibilities. Stakeholders concerned about cost, program oversight, or whether a peer-run nonprofit should be the designated contractor may question implementation details. Others may focus on the bill’s emphasis on consumer representation and whether the reporting, training, and outreach requirements are sufficient to produce measurable system improvements.