VOTE: NO – Governor Brown Signed into Law
Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019R1/Measures/Overview/SB1
This bill establishes System of Care Advisory Council to provide youth with a statewide system of care policy development and comprehensive, long-range plan for coordinated system of care.
Personal Choice and Responsibility
Benefit is aimed at “Youth” meaning an individual 25 years of age or younger who has, or is at increased risk of developing, chronic behavioral, emotional, physical or developmental conditions and is under the supervision of or engaged with two or more systems of care. Provides coordinated services, transition services, therapeutic foster care, and in-home family support services for reducing risk of future juvenile dependency or delinquency. Meaning, if a child is late developing social or behavioral skills, they may be identified as a future juvenile. The Data Dashboard is aimed at including all children if single-payer healthcare passes.
Fiscal Responsibility
Appropriates $12.4 million in 2019-21 and $13,866,687 for 2021-23 with matching federal funds – $10,400,000 General Fund to the Oregon Health Authority to expend on interdisciplinary assessment teams; and $2,000,000 General Fund to a new, permanent commission called the System of Care Advisory Council. Authorizes council to award grants to support local system of care governance and carry out recommendations in council’s long-range plan for coordinated system of care. Directs council to create Children’s System Data Dashboard regarding youths being served by Oregon Youth Authority, Oregon Health Authority and Department of Human Services. Grows government costs and permanently adds cost to health and social services.
Limited Government
Grows government. Care Advisory Council was proposed to address unique challenges faced by children with distinctive mental or behavioral health needs, but it goes way beyond. The measure directs the Council to develop and maintain a state system of care policy and a comprehensive, long-range plan for a coordinated state system of care that encompasses public health, health systems, child welfare, education, juvenile justice, and services and supports for mental and behavioral health and people with intellectual or developmental disabilities; and to recommend legislation to establish a single statewide system of accountability. Allows the Oregon Health Authority, the Oregon Youth Authority, and the Department of Human Services to contract for interdisciplinary assessment teams to provide services to youth, increase statewide capacity, and prioritize evaluation, assessment, and stabilization services provided to youth in specific circumstances.
The problem with the bill is profiling young people. Our state is identified as a sanctuary state all because of a statute against profiling. When agencies are allowed to identify youth who has a probability of increased risk of developing behavioral, emotional, physical or developmental conditions of delinquency but currently isn’t diagnosed, then we are labeling and profiling that child. This profiling could apply to any child that is late in developing social or behavioral skills that would cause identification as a future juvenile. Tracking all children in a Data Dashboard if single-payer healthcare passes is a gross invasion of privacy.