TAPE/#

Speaker

Comments

TAPE 41, A

005

Chair Brown

Calls the meeting to order at 8:38 a.m.  Opens as subcommittee (with Brown and Ferrioli).  Opens a public hearing on SB 849. 

SB 849 – PUBLIC HEARING

010

Tiffany Harris

Committee Administrator.  Presents an overview of SB 849.

020

Sen. Richard Devlin

Senate District 19.  Testifies in support of SB 849.  Discusses why victims of sexual assaults need safe and effective options to protect themselves against an unwanted pregnancy.

050

Sen. Devlin

Denies that the intent of the bill is to bar a pharmacist from filling a prescription for emergency conception, introduces -2 amendments (EXHIBIT A).

060

Rep. Carolyn Tomei

House District 41. Submits and summarizes written testimony in support of SB 849 (EXHIBIT B). 

085

Chair Brown

Clarifies that emergency contraception is not RU - 486 and not an abortive method.

095

Hardy Myers

Attorney General, State of Oregon. Speaks to the role of the Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force and why the Task Force came forward with SB 849.

100

Phyllis Barkhurst

Executive Director, Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force.  Summarizes why it is necessary for victims of sexual assault to have access to emergency contraception. Submits written testimony in support of SB 849 (EXHIBIT C).

145

Dr. Jeffrey Jensen

Director of the Center for Women’s Health, Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).  Submits and summarizes written testimony in support of SB 849 (EXHIBIT D). 

170

Dr. Jensen

Explains how emergency contraception works and cites clinical studies as evidence of effectiveness.

200

Dr. Jensen

Citing several studies, debunks the idea that access to emergency contraception increases risky sexual behavior amongst women (EXHIBIT D, Page 2).

210

Sen. Atkinson

Asks how women currently attain emergency conception.

215

Dr. Jensen

Explains how a woman must get a prescription from a medical practitioner and identifies numerous barriers that complicate the process.

245

Barkhurst

Points out that emergency rooms usually give a prescription to a sexual assault victim, but that varies from hospital to hospital.

250

Sen. Atkinson

Asks whether a hospital can choose not to dispense emergency contraception.

260

Harris

Explains that dispensing emergency contraception is voluntary.

262

Dr. Jensen

Confirms that, under current law, a pharmacist can refuse to dispense emergency conception and that is not changed by SB 849.

275

Tom Holt

Executive Director, Oregon State Pharmacy Association (OSPA). Testifies in support of SB 849 with amendments. Submits -2 amendments (EXHIBIT E).

290

Holt

Discusses availability of emergency contraceptives in an increasing number of areas. 

300

Holt

Explains -1 amendments and why OSPA supports them.

345

Holt

Explains -2 amendments and why OSPA supports them.

375

Sen. Ferrioli

Comments how a solution might be to improve the connection between physicians and pharmacists or to grant pharmacists the authority to prescribe it.

385

Holt

Explains what authority pharmacists have to “prescribe” emergency contraceptives under the provisions of SB 849.

395

Sen. Ferrioli

Asks if pharmacists have the authority to prescribe emergency contraception.

405

Holt

States that some states do give pharmacists the authority to prescribe emergency contraception and some states grant pharmacists the authority to prescribe drugs generally.

415

Chair Brown

Asks for examples of what pharmacists can prescribe.

420

Holt

States that pharmacists most commonly prescribe emergency contraceptives, immunizations, and antihistamines for short-term use noting that pharmacists do “prescribe” over-the-counter medicine all the time.

TAPE 42, A

010

Katherine Bradley

Administrator of the Office of Family Health, Oregon Department of Human Services. Compares the cost of emergency contraception to the cost of an unintended pregnancy.

020

Chair Brown

Verifies that SB 849 saves the state money.  

025

Denise Washington

Executive Director, Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.  Submits and summarizes written testimony in support of SB 849 (EXHIBIT F).

030

Kappy Eaton

Government Coordinator, League of Women Voters of Oregon. Submits and summarizes written testimony in support of SB 849 (EXHIBIT G).

080

Scott Ballo

Board Member NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon.  Testifies in support of SB 849.  Submits written testimony in support of SB 849 (EXHIBIT H).

090

Marcia Kelley

Lobbyist, Oregon Women’s Rights Coalition. Clarifies the position of The Vatican for Catholic hospitals regarding dispensing emergency contraception. Submits written testimony in support of SB 849 (EXHIBIT I). 

110

Tom Britton

Pharmacist, Lane County. Submits and summarizes written testimony in support of SB 849 (EXHIBIT J). 

155

Chair Brown

Questions the availability of emergency contraception to women in rural areas, whom may not have immediate access to a doctor.

160

Britton

Discusses the barriers that all women face getting emergency contraceptives.

162

Chair Brown

Verifies that a nurse practitioner can prescribe emergency contraception.

The following written material is submitted for the record without public testimony:

Becca Uherbelau

Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon.  Submits written testimony in support of SB 849 (EXHIBIT K).

175

Chair Brown

Closes the public hearing on SB 849. States the intention of the Chair is to move the bill, noting the need to discuss some technical amendments with the Oregon Medical Association.

180

Chair Brown

Recesses the meeting at 9:20 a.m.

185

Chair Brown

Reconvenes the meeting at 9:28 a.m. Adjourns the meeting at 9:29 a.m.