Home of the Oregon Legislature

Governments work in a world of their own lingo and acronyms, bureaucratese and legalese. Documents are written in it. Agendas for public meetings can be cryptic.

It doesn’t ease the task for the public of figuring out what is going on.

In the Oregon Legislature, bills “every act, joint resolution shall be plainly worded, avoiding as far as practicable the use of technical terms.” That’s in the Oregon Constitution.

And in state statute, there is a more precise requirement: “Any measure digest or measure summary prepared by the Legislative Assembly shall be written in a manner that results in a score of at least 60 on the Flesch readability test or meets an equivalent standard of a comparable test.”

That’s about the reading level of an eighth grader. Not a particularly high standard.

Two Republican legislators filed suit arguing that the summary for House Bill 2002 is too complicated. We don’t know what the final action will be in that case. But it made us wonder how complicated the summary for House Bill 2002 actually is.

Not that complicated. You should look at it yourself. We appended the summary to the end of this editorial.

Obviously, this isn’t the only bill summary that is or has ever been complicated. But HB 2002 is about protecting reproductive health care and gender-affirming treatment. So some people are trying to block it.

If Oregonians can’t handle this summary, how are they supposed to understand the arguments of many of the ballot measures they must vote on?

Government bodies have more they could do to make what they do more accessible to the public. But we don’t think Oregonians are going to be confused about HB 2002 or that the courts should be telling the Legislature how to write bills.

You can read the text of the summary of HB 2002 below:

Modifies provisions relating to reproductive health rights.

Modifies provisions relating to access to reproductive health care and gender-affirming treat- ment.

Modifies provisions relating to protections for providers of and individuals receiving reproductive and gender-affirming health care services.

Creates crime of interfering with a health care facility. Punishes by maximum of 364 days’ imprisonment, $6,250 fine, or both. Creates right of action for person or health care provider aggrieved by interference with health care facility.

Makes statutory change to achieve gender neutral language with respect to unlawful employment discrimination because of sex.

Declares public policy regarding interstate actions arising out of reproductive health care and gender-affirming treatment. Prohibits public body from participating in interstate investigation or proceeding involving reproductive health care and gender-affirming treatment. Creates exceptions. Prohibits clerk of court from issuing subpoena if foreign subpoena relates to reproductive health care or gender-affirming treatment. Declares that Oregon law governs certain actions arising out of reproductive health care or gender-affirming treatment provided or received in this state.

Repeals criminal provisions relating to concealing birth.

Appropriates moneys from General Fund to Higher Education Coordinating Commission for allocation to Office of Rural Health, for purposes of providing grants through rural qualified health center pilot project.

Appropriates moneys from General Fund to Oregon Health Authority for specified expenses.

Declares emergency, effective on passage.