---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to behavioral health; and declaring an emergency."
description: "Requires Oregon Health Authority to contract with Oregon-based nonprofit organization with appropriate expertise to operate 24-hour call center for tracking and providing information on placements available for children and adolescents needing high acuity behavioral health services."
jurisdiction: "us/states/or"
legislature: "Oregon Legislative Assembly"
session: "2017 Regular Session"
identifier: "SB 944"
citation: "Oregon SB 944 (2017 Regular Session)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 6
action_count: 23
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2017-03-02T16:31:36+00:00"
last_action: "2017-08-11T22:35:09+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/de8bc9ee-88f3-4f99-bb4a-57d0f829732c"
source_url: "https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Measures/Overview/SB944"
source_hash: "fd8fca58eb6fe057a73dc587e807fee55edc5e47c5a83af13b158c0fe9e4d07a"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-or"]
---

# Oregon SB 944 (2017 Regular Session) — Relating to behavioral health; and declaring an emergency.

Requires Oregon Health Authority to contract with Oregon-based nonprofit organization with appropriate expertise to operate 24-hour call center for tracking and providing information on placements available for children and adolescents needing high acuity behavioral health services.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB944/Introduced)
2. **Senate Amendments to Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB944/Senate Amendments to Introduced)
3. **A-Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB944/A-Engrossed)
4. **B-Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB944/B-Engrossed)
5. **Senate Amendments to A-Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB944/Senate Amendments to A-Engrossed)
6. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB944/Enrolled)

## Votes

- Third reading. Carried by Gelser. Passed. — **29–0** (pass) · legislature
- Heard and Reported Out with Amendments — **46–0** (pass) · legislature
- Third reading. Carried by Keny-Guyer. Passed. — **59–0** (pass) · legislature
- Heard and Reported Out with Amendments — **3–2** (pass) · legislature

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2017-03-02T16:31:36+00:00** Introduction and first reading. Referred to President's desk. `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2017-03-03T23:50:22+00:00** Referred to Human Services. `referral-committee`
- **2017-04-12T20:01:00+00:00** Public Hearing held.
- **2017-04-17T20:02:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2017-04-24T21:34:47+00:00** Recommendation: Without recommendation as to passage but w/amendments and requesting referral to Ways and Means. (Printed A-Eng.)
- **2017-04-24T21:34:48+00:00** Referred to Ways and Means by Order of the President. `referral-committee`
- **2017-06-21T20:43:00+00:00** Assigned to Subcommittee On Human Services. `referral-committee`
- **2017-06-28T15:33:00+00:00** Returned to Full Committee.
- **2017-06-28T15:32:00+00:00** Public Hearing and Work Session held.
- **2017-06-29T19:01:00+00:00** Work Session held.
- **2017-06-30T16:21:53+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass with amendments to the A-Eng. bill. (Printed B-Eng.) `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-07-01T16:35:04+00:00** Second reading. `reading-2`
- **2017-07-03T21:46:21+00:00** Third reading. Carried by Gelser. Passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2017-07-05T15:25:47+00:00** First reading. Referred to Speaker's desk. `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2017-07-06T01:38:39+00:00** Referred to Ways and Means. `referral-committee`
- **2017-07-06T22:20:41+00:00** Recommendation: Do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-07-06T23:26:45+00:00** Second reading. `reading-2`
- **2017-07-07T20:19:07+00:00** Third reading. Carried by Keny-Guyer. Passed. `passage, reading-3`
- **2017-07-18T20:42:13+00:00** President signed. `passage`
- **2017-07-18T20:45:00+00:00** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2017-08-08T23:13:02+00:00** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2017-08-11T22:32:47+00:00** Chapter 695, 2017 Laws.
- **2017-08-11T22:35:09+00:00** Effective date, August 8, 2017.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/de8bc9ee-88f3-4f99-bb4a-57d0f829732c`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Oregon legislature records).