Oregon State Senate Committee holds public hearings for bills that expand health equity Patrick Jones | Mar 16, 2021 Share this: The Oregon State Senate Committee on Health Care held public hearings for several bills to make Oregon health care more equitable. These bills will fill in gaps of health care coverage for Oregonians from underserved populations. The bills are SB 557,SB 567, SB 641 and SB 706. All bills have a work session scheduled for March 17.
Senate Bill 557 and Senate Bill 706 both involve engaging those from the Compact of Free Association (COFA) nations who reside in Oregon. The COFA nations include the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia and are freely associated with the United States. They can live, work and have access to public services in the U.S. However, according to COFA leaders, some COFA citizens lack equitable access to some government provided services.