Governor Kotek gives an initial address to the crowd | Photo courtesy of the Office of the Governor
On August 6, 2025, Governor Tina Kotek signed bipartisan legislation that expands system capacity and access to mental health and substance use treatment across Oregon, while also advancing improvements for the behavioral health workforce. As Governor Kotek stated, “These four bills are about better approaches to how we serve people who are in crisis…[T]ogether, these bills are an important step to make sure we can have an Oregon where people are healthier and safer.”
What Each Bill Delivers
House Bill 2059: A bold investment of $65 million to expand residential treatment capacity statewide. The goal? Ensure every Oregonian facing a behavioral health crisis can access care when they need it most.
House Bill 2024: Pours $6 million into building up the behavioral health workforce—through recruitment, retention, and new safety protections on the job. This strengthens the frontline heroes who support mental health every day.
House Bill 2005: This “Civil Commitment” bill makes it easier to seek involuntary commitment when an individual is a danger to self, a danger to others, unable to provide for basic personal needs, or has a chronic mental disorder with severe impairment.
House Bill 3321: Directs Oregon’s Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission to craft a statewide, youth-focused prevention plan—with an initial $1 million investment to drive proactive action.
Why It Matters
CEO Julie Ibrahim speaks at the event
Governor Kotek shared a compelling vision during the signing: these measures are about giving providers “more tools to intervene when someone is in crisis, supporting social workers and counselors, building a strategy to prevent addiction among youth, and increasing treatment beds across the state.”
The event wasn’t just ceremonial—it brought the impact of mental health front and center through a personal lens. As Shelley Turner, a peer in recovery, emphasized, “These bills recognize that people with lived experience aren’t just part of the solution—we’re essential to it.”
New Narrative CEO Julie Ibrahim was present for the signing. She shared, “Over the next two years, the state isn’t just adding beds—they’re building the workforce needed to staff them effectively. They’re ensuring geographic equity so rural communities aren’t left behind. And prioritizing projects that can move quickly, because people in crisis can’t wait.”
Read OregonLive's Article About the Signing Watch the Event
Governor Kotek, surrounded by mental health providers and advocates, shows the signed copies of the bills
