SALEM, Ore. (Oregon Right to Life) — Pro-abortion Oregon lawmakers on Monday introduced House Bill 4127 to require the Oregon Health Authority to adopt a mechanism to fund the state’s Planned Parenthood facilities on an ongoing basis using Oregonians’ tax dollars. An impressive pro-life panel testified against the measure during a public hearing on Tuesday, debunking misrepresentations and calling for the responsible stewardship of public funds. Oregon Right to Life strongly opposes HB 4127.
Introduced at the beginning of the 2026 Oregon legislative session, HB 4127 would require OHA to “adopt a payment mechanism to pay” Planned Parenthood facilities using state tax dollars to offset the federal defunding of Planned Parenthood under the 2025 “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The bill would also establish a grant program to buoy Oregon’s Planned Parenthood facilities “if a state or federal law is enacted that prohibits… [Planned Parenthood] from enrolling in the state medical assistance program.”
A public hearing for the bill was held on Tuesday, February 3rd.
Pro-life witnesses with backgrounds ranging from personal experience to professional expertise working with pregnant moms in pro-life pregnancy clinics, delivered testimony opposing the bill.
Oregon Right to Life Political Director Sharolyn Smith told the House Committee on Health Care in her testimony that funding Planned Parenthood would increase abortions in the state – something both sides should be interested in avoiding.
“Oregon Right to Life has been clear and consistent: abortion ends the life of a unique, developing human being. Pro-life or pro-choice, I would hope we could all agree that we want to see fewer abortions in Oregon, not more. An expansion in funding to Planned Parenthood would do the opposite,” she said. “This conviction, however, does not mean ignoring women’s needs or refusing to engage in responsible policymaking. In fact, it is precisely because we care about women, children, and families that we are raising concerns about HB 4127.”
In addition to Smith, those opposing the bill were Former Planned Parenthood Director Mayra Rodriguez, Medical Director of Stanton Health Care Samantha Doty PA-C, National Director of the American Academy of Medical Ethics and Vice President of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations Dr. Brick Lantz, MD, M.A. (Bioethics), and former Planned Parenthood client Elizabeth Gillette.
Supporters of the bill – including the CEOs of Planned Parenthood of the Columbia Willamette Sara Kennedy, Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon Amy Handler, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Action Oregon Christopher Coburn, and State Representative and bill sponsor Ben Bowman (D-25) presented arguments to justify increased funding, with Kennedy estimating an additional $16.7 million per year cost to taxpayers. Backers of the legislation also claimed that Oregon’s Planned Parenthood facilities provide only a small number of abortions and are primarily focused on providing needed non-abortion services to women, especially those in lower-income brackets.
Opponents hit back at the misleading claims, pointing out that there are far more urgent priorities for Oregon taxpayers than ongoing funding for Planned Parenthood, that Planned Parenthood facilities’ primary purpose is abortion, and that many fully qualified clinics and even online distributors exist – including pro-life pregnancy clinics – to provide real care for moms and families.
“I urge the committee to reconsider giving funds to Planned Parenthood when there are already so many existing organizations providing high-quality care around the state,” Stanton Health Care Medical Director Samantha Doty, who operates a mobile medical unit in Ontario, Oregon, near the Idaho border, told the committee. “The community is not reliant on Planned Parenthood for these services. Life-affirming medical clinics such as Stanton provide many of the same services as Planned Parenthood at no cost. These clinics outnumber Planned Parenthood by more than double and receive no funding from the state of Oregon.”
“At a time when families are struggling with affordability and the state is confronting serious budget constraints, examining this fee-for-service request is not outrageous; it is responsible governance,” Smith said. “Oregonians expect their legislators to ask hard questions, prioritize essential services, and ensure public dollars are not insulated from oversight for political reasons.
“HB 4127 does not address Oregon’s real provider shortages,” she concluded. “Instead, it doubles down on abortion dependency while discouraging honest fiscal review. For these reasons, I urge the committee to oppose HB 4127.”
Key Facts:
- Planned Parenthood routinely performs more than half of all abortions in Oregon and about 40% nationwide
- Between 2021-2025, according to OHA data, Oregon tax dollars paid for more than 80% of abortions performed in the state. During that period, Oregon Planned Parenthood facilities spent nearly $70 million in public funds from Oregon taxpayers.
- In the last 12 months alone, the Oregon legislature added $10 million to Oregon Planned Parenthood’s budget, and allocated an additional $7.5 million in emergency funds.
- Planned Parenthood does not offer mammograms, provides a mere 1% of the nation’s pap tests, and performs less than 2% of the nation’s HPV tests.
- Non-abortion services provided by Planned Parenthood – including breast and cervical cancer screening and STI testing – are already widely available through many resources across Oregon, including for residents using the Oregon Health Plan. These resources include Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), county clinics, walk-in clinics, pharmacies, telehealth and mail order options, as well as privately-funded, life-affirming clinics operated by medically-trained staff that offer the same services free of cost.
- The citation of a recent Guttmacher Institute study by Planned Parenthood supporters to suggest that other providers would be unable to absorb Planned Parenthood’s patients is misleading. The study only tracks patients who obtain contraceptives from Planned Parenthood, and implies all clients seeking contraception would shift exclusively to Federally Qualified Health Centers. This is inaccurate, as these services are widely available from sources including over-the-counter pharmacies, telehealth, and walk-in clinics.
- The majority of Americans believe that tax dollars should not be used to fund abortion, according to recent polling.
A work session for HB 4127 is scheduled for Tuesday, February 10th.
Oregon Right to Life believes in the sanctity of all human life from the moment of conception to natural death. Abortion ends the life of a genetically distinct, growing human being. We oppose abortion at any point of gestation. In rare cases, a mother may have a life threatening condition in which medical procedures intended to treat the condition of the mother may result in the unintended death of her preborn baby. At the same time, ORTL recognizes that modern medical practice has and will continue to increase the ability to save both the life of the mother and the baby.
