Oregon Senate Bill 1570: What Medical Practices Need to Know

4/9/26

On March 31, 2026, Governor Kotek signed Oregon Senate Bill 1570 into law, which will become effective on June 5, 2026. The law responds to concerns about law enforcement activity — namely immigration enforcement activity — in health care settings. For many years, the federal government operated under an enforcement memorandum that sought to balance legitimate immigration enforcement actions with the need for individuals to access medically necessary health care services. The memorandum was rescinded on January 20, 2025, and settings like hospitals, medical offices, and community health centers were no longer considered protected areas.

As a state-level response, SB 1570 directs hospitals to adopt written policies describing how staff will respond when any federal, state, or local law enforcement authority arrives on site, and must designate at least one administrator responsible for managing those interactions. Hospitals must identify which areas are not open to the public — a designation that must include all controlled-access areas and all patient rooms.

Two additional provisions apply to both hospitals and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). First, both types of facilities must treat a patient's immigration status, citizenship, and country of birth as protected health information under state law and may not disclose that information for law enforcement purposes unless required by state or federal law or a court order. Second, both hospitals and FQHCs are prohibited from retaliating against or disciplining employees who distribute state-published materials about immigrant rights and available immigration legal services to patients.

Health care settings such as medical offices not covered by SB 1570 are nonetheless encouraged to consider comparable steps proactively. By way of example only, medical offices could designate a point person — a physician, lead clinician, office manager, or compliance lead — responsible for responding if law enforcement arrives. Ideally, one or more staff would be designated. A point person should have the benefit of de-escalation training to ensure the safety of clinical staff and patients. An office should consider developing a simple written policy distinguishing waiting areas and reception from private clinical spaces, and train staff to treat any information about a patient's immigration status or country of birth as strictly confidential, consistent with the practice’s existing privacy obligations. Having a short list of state-published immigration legal resources available for patients who request them could be helpful as well.

Medical offices and other practice settings across Oregon have reported that patients are increasingly avoiding needed care out of fear, and even modest, visible policies can help reinforce that your practice is a safe place to seek treatment.