2025 Endorsements

Food for All Oregonians (FFAO) initiative

The Food for All Oregonians (FFAO) initiative aims to create a state-funded program to provide SNAP (food assistance) benefits to immigrants and refugees who are excluded from the federal program due to their immigration status. This policy specifically targets youth (ages 0-25) and elders (ages 53+) who are disproportionately affected by hunger and food insecurity. With hunger on the rise in Oregon, particularly among immigrant and refugee communities, FFAO seeks to eliminate immigration-based exclusions to food assistance programs, ensuring that anyone in need can access essential nutrition.

The FFAO policy is expected to significantly reduce health disparities by improving food security for immigrant and refugee populations, who are twice as likely to experience food insecurity compared to white Oregonians. The policy is linked to better health outcomes, including reduced rates of malnutrition, chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, and overall improvements in physical and mental well-being. The program would also address the systemic inequities in Oregon’s health and social services, with strong support from over 145 organizations, including BIPOC-led groups. Although it faced challenges in the past legislative session, the policy continues to have bipartisan backing and is part of a broader national movement to extend food assistance to excluded communities.

One-Pager

https://www.foodforallor.org/

The Expansion of Regional Health Equity Coalitions (RHECs) legislative concepts, seeks to increase the number of RHECs to 15 statewide and adjust funding for inflation. These coalitions are vital community-based organizations working to address health inequities by engaging with diverse populations, including communities of color, immigrants, refugees, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, and those in rural areas. By expanding RHECs and increasing funding, this policy aims to enhance the capacity of these organizations to serve communities across Oregon, identifying and removing barriers to health, and ensuring more equitable access to resources.

The expected outcomes include better health for all Oregonians, particularly those in historically marginalized groups. The RHECs play a crucial role in fostering community-led solutions to systemic health challenges, increasing authentic engagement, and building capacity within communities to address health disparities. Through needs assessments and direct collaboration with communities, this policy is designed to generate meaningful, long-term changes in health systems. While the fiscal impact analysis is ongoing, the policy is strongly supported by RHECs, with past advocacy demonstrating the necessity of expanding these coalitions to reach more people statewide. However, the policy may face opposition from legislators who are resistant to equity-focused initiatives.

The Notification for Hospital Closures LC aims to provide communities with adequate time to prepare for hospital service closures, relocations, or reductions. This policy requires hospitals to notify the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), local governments, patients, and employees at least 275 days before closing or altering services, including general medical, surgical, mental health, and substance use disorder care. The bill would help mitigate the impacts of hospital closures, especially in rural and urban areas where vulnerable populations—such as low-income individuals, elders, and those with limited mobility—are most affected. Hospitals that fail to provide the required notice may face civil penalties.

The expected outcome of this policy is improved preparedness for communities facing the loss of healthcare services, allowing them to plan for alternative care options. By providing more time to address potential gaps in healthcare access, the bill will help reduce the burden on underserved communities. Hospital closures often disproportionately affect rural areas and communities of color, and this bill aims to lessen those impacts by ensuring patients and providers have time to adjust. While there is no formal data collection outlined, the bill’s success could be tracked by monitoring how communities use the notice period to mitigate care disruptions.

LC 230 End the Sale of Flavored Tobacco

The End the Sale of Flavored Tobacco LC aims to eliminate the sale of flavored tobacco products in Oregon, including e-cigarettes, menthol cigarettes, and shisha. The bill intends to stop the tobacco industry from targeting youth, communities of color, and vulnerable populations through flavored tobacco products, which have been linked to higher usage rates in these groups. This policy is designed to reduce health disparities by limiting access to products that contribute to smoking-related diseases and complications, particularly in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, as well as among LGBTQ+ individuals and youth.

The expected outcomes include a decrease in tobacco use, particularly in communities that are most impacted by flavored tobacco marketing. Studies have shown that menthol cigarettes are disproportionately marketed to Black Americans, leading to higher smoking rates and associated health problems. This bill would help curb those inequities by removing flavored products from the market. The bill’s effectiveness can be tracked through data collected by the Oregon Tobacco Prevention and Education Program, which monitors tobacco use rates, health outcomes, and smoking-related diseases.

The bill has garnered support from a diverse coalition, including organizations that represent BIPOC communities, health agencies, and youth councils. These groups have been integral in shaping the bill, ensuring it addresses the targeting of specific populations by the tobacco industry. If enacted, the policy will contribute to reducing health disparities in Oregon by making tobacco products less accessible to vulnerable groups.