Mika Ingram, Health Equity Team Lead, delivered an informational update to highlight key pieces of the HB 4052 interim report, submitted in late 2023, to the House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care at the State Capitol. Joined by Interim Executive Director Terrence Saunders and Representative Travis Nelson, this legislative presentation emphasized the importance of empowering Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) to foster community-led government initiatives aimed at dismantling systemic racism and advancing health equity as outlined in House Bill 4052.

This report encompassed over 100 recommendations generated from BIPOC community members including the thought-leaders who designed the original bill, community-based organizations and service providers, Tribal members, State agency partners, the Oregon Advocacy Commissions, and the two affinity group task forces established for HB 4052: the Health Equity Advisory Leaders (HEAL) and Indigenous Health Equity Action Council.

HB 4052 initially established the Health Equity team within the Oregon Advocacy Commissions Office with the explicit mission of addressing racism as a pressing public health crisis in 2022. This bill marked a groundbreaking moment as the first legislation of its kind in Oregon's history. The extension of this bill in 2023 allowed OACO to continue the work from HB 4052 until June 30, 2026, carrying out the second phase of developing recommendations gathered from community and connecting with policymakers to implement tangible solutions.

These recommendations cover a wide range of health equity topics including economic stability; education access and quality; healthcare access and quality; neighborhoods and built environments; social and community context; and state government processes. The presentation highlighted the accomplishments of the first phase of this bill, and outlined the way legislators can further recommendations generated by community that will address both upstream and downstream social determinants of health to advance health equity priorities.

HB 4052 has established a platform for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color to drive community-government partnerships aimed at dismantling systemic racism and advancing the health and wellbeing of BIPOC communities across the state. Addressing racism as a public health crisis requires direct investment in BIPOC communities, ensuring that community voices are directly involved in decision-making processes. This Interim Report outlines the collaborative efforts under HB 4052 and HB 2925, highlighting strides made in addressing social determinants of health, decolonizing public health, and combating systemic racism.

For more information and to access the full report, please visit the HB 4052 Interim Report.

Interested in working with OACO to help lead these recommendations to fruition? Contact us at [email protected]