Legislative Update 03.07.22

FY22 Original Revenue Estimate: $27,252,569,596

FY22 Amended Revenue Estimate: $29,889,163,593

Increase in Estimate = $2,636,593,997

 

Recurring Costs Throughout the Budget:

For all full-time, benefit eligible state employees: Increase funds to provide a $5,000 cost of living adjustment effective July 1, 2022.

• • Various agencies are directed and authorized to submit to federal authorizers for funds for the benefit of federal and other-funded employees to provide for a cost-of-living adjustment pay increase to begin no later than July 1, 2022. Therefore, the Senate version of the budget reduces some funds pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 45-7-3

For Teachers (in K-12, Georgia’s Pre-K Program, Dept. of Juvenile Justice, and Georgia Military College Preparatory School):  adjust the state base salary schedule to increase salaries for by $2,000 effective July 1, 2022

For Part Time School Support Personnel (K-12 QBE-funded instructional staff, school support staff, school administration, and central administration, school nutrition workers, bus drivers, school nurses): one-time salary supplement of $1,000

For School Nurses: Increase funds to provide a one-time salary supplement of $2,000 to all school nurses (increased from the Governor’s recommended $1000 one-time salary supplement)

Juvenile Courts

• $25,000 Added for the case management contract.
• $12,500 Added for grants to counties for the Cobb Judicial Circuit Juvenile Court

Dept. of Agriculture

• $100,000 Added for the Department to create and maintain a central website, which makes available information for consumers that names available resources concerning food accessibility in multiple locations or regions throughout the state.

Dept. of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

• $1,250,000 Added for respite care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (Adult Developmental Disability Services)
• $250,000 Added for non-emergency non-medical transportation services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (Adult Developmental Disability Services)
• $302,505 Added (Reduced from the House’s $310,000 recommendation) for technology upgrades to the Georgia Crisis Access Line in preparation for interfacing with the national ‘988’ hotline. (Adult MH Services)
• $400,000 Added for Silence the Shame to support mental health community wellness and outreach programs (Adult MH Services)
• $16,875 Added for the Matthew Reardon Center for Autism (Child and Adolescent Developmental Disabilities)
• $500,000 Added for Kate’s Club to provide grief support for bereaved children.
• $0 Added (Reduced from the House’s $5 Million recommendation) for capital maintenance and repairs. (Direct Care Support Services)

Dept. of Community Affairs

• $20.25 Million Added for rural downtown development grants
• $35,000 Added for Overcomers House for homeless assistance
• $400,000 Added for Helping Hands Ending Hunger program expansion in Northwest Georgia

Dept. of Community Health

• $2.815 Million Added for the All-Payer Claims Database to enable analysis and public reporting of health care costs and utilization for medical, dental, and pharmaceutical services (DCH Dept. Administration)
• $750,000 Added for development of PeachCare mental health services.
• $36.66 Million Subtracted from Aged Blind Disabled Medicaid based on projected need
• $279.12 Million Added for growth in Low Income Medicaid based on projected need.
• $11.57 Million Added for increased provider rates for Low-Income Medicaid providers to enable transition to value-based purchasing in FY2023
• $447,000 Added for Low Income Medicaid reimbursement of donor milk
• $20.88 Million Added for growth in PeachCare based on projected need PLUS $13.1 Million Transferred from the Medicaid- Low-Income Medicaid program to reflect projected expenditures.
• $621,810 Added for increased provider rates for PeachCare providers to enable transition to value-based purchasing in FY2023
• $26.23 Million Added for skilled nursing centers for an add-on payment of an additional $10 per patient day. (Medicaid – Aged Blind Disabled)
• $1.74 Million Added for residency slots to fully fund the actual number of residents.
• $5 Million Added for equipment and operating grants for nursing programs with wait lists and additional current student capacity
• $500,000 Subtracted from Mercer School of Medicine to reflect expenditures
• $500,000 Added to support planning efforts for a new nursing program at Morehouse School of Medicine.

Dept. of Corrections

• $6.88 Million Added for a $4,000 increase for sworn positions to reduce turnover and overtime exposure, effective April 1, 2022

Dept. of Early Care and Learning

• Utilize Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal COVID-19 relief funds to provide two one-time salary supplements of $1,000 each to increase salaries for certified Pre-K teachers and assistant teachers. (H:Yes)
• Utilize existing funds to expand the Summer Transition Program in order to address learning loss resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. (H:Yes)
• $300,000 Added for summer nutrition start-up grants to provide meals for youth in unserved or underserved counties.

Dept. of Education

• $253,600 Added to offset the austerity reduction for the Area Teacher Program, Extended Day/Year, Young Farmers, and Youth Camps (Agricultural Education)
• $4.3 Million Added for agricultural education equipment and facilities.
• $1.37 Million Added to offset the austerity reduction to Communities in Schools local affiliates
• $388,260 Added for the Association of Adapted Sports Programs (Central Office)
• $240,000 Subtracted to reflect a delayed implementation date for the rural coding program.
• $13.78 Million Added Increase funds to provide a one-time salary supplement of $1,000 to all nutrition workers.
• $2.45 Million Added to offset the austerity reduction for the GNETS grants (Georgia Network for Educational and Therapeutic Support
• $1.68 Million Added to offset the austerity reduction for grants in Preschool Disabilities Services
• $188 Million Added to replace 1,747 buses statewide over three years at a base bus cost of $88,110 and provide funds for reimbursement of key safety features.
• $2.5 Million Added (Reduced from the $5 Million House recommendation) to incentivize school systems to purchase alternative fuel buses.
• $3.466 Million Added for a midterm adjustment to the State Commission Charter School supplement training and experience. (QBE)
• $8.5 Million Added to provide a one-time salary supplement of $1,000 to all custodians.
• $1.6 Million Reduction to reflect charter school closure. (QBE)
• $382.7 Million Added to offset the austerity reduction for K-12 education. (QBE)
• $93.1 Million Added for a midterm adjustment based on enrollment growth. (QBE)
• $14.6 Million QBE formula funds Added for the State Commission Charter School supplement.
• $233,700 QBE formula funds Added for a midterm adjustment to the charter system grant.
• $2.9 Million Added for growth in the Special Needs Scholarship. (QBE)
• $433,006 Added to offset the austerity reduction for grants to RESAs. (reduced from the Governor’s recommendation of $593,000)
• $160,000 Added to restore funds for mental health contractual services. (RESAs)
• $2.6 Million Added purchase equipment for construction industry certification, statewide (Technology/Career Education)
• $200,000 Added to offset the austerity reduction for state schools.
• $282,460 Added Increase funds to offset the austerity reduction for Extended Day/Year, Vocational Supervisors, Industry Certification, and Youth Apprenticeship programs. (Technology/Career Education)
• $0 Added (Reduced from the governor’s recommended $2.4 Million addition) to administer Georgia Milestones in accordance with Federal requirements. (Testing)
• $2.97 Million Subtracted for unappropriated testing requirements

Dept. of Human Services

• $2.7 Million Added for the Integrated Eligibility System costs for the implementation of the Patients First Act (2019 Session) (Departmental Administration) (reduced from the Governor’s recommended $4 Million)
• $283,200 Reduction (restoring some of the $514,900 reduction that was recommended by the House) to reflect workforce efficiencies in Departmental Administration
• $0 Reduced (Eliminates the $2.6 Million reduction in Departmental Administration operating funds) in order to Redirect $4,100,000 in unutilized funds to address programmatic costs associated with high-need youth
• $0 Subtracted (Restored from the $2.36 Million the House sought to cut) to reflect delayed implementation of FY22 appropriation for the Afterschool Care Program
• $80,000 Added for contracts for Washington Street Community Center for after school programs
• $27,000 Restored for Georgia Radio Reading Service (Vocational Rehabilitation Program)
• $100,000 Added for contracts for vocational training services with Broken Shackle Ranch

Office of the Child Advocate

• $75,900 Added for technology upgrades.

Office of the Commissioner of Insurance

• $49,400 Added to implement the state reinsurance program per the Patients First Act (2019 Session). (Reinsurance)
• $8 Million Added to create the state healthcare exchange per the Patients First Act (2019 Session). (Reinsurance)

Dept. of Juvenile Justice

• $1.124 Million Added for a $4,000 increase for sworn positions to reduce turnover and overtime exposure, effective April 1, 2022
• $228,000 Transferred from Secure Detention to provide a 20% salary increase for Juvenile Program Managers to provide parity with previously provided salary adjustments.
• $2.06 Million Added for Room, Board, and Watchful Oversight to reflect the loss of Title IV-E federal funds.
• $526,000 Added to reflect the loss of Title IV-E funds associated with the October 1, 2021 implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act and the statewide transition to increased family-based placement settings.
• $261,000 Transferred from Secure Detention to fill vacancies and increase salaries for positions involved in recruitment and retention initiatives, gang activity investigations, facility management, and public safety training. (Departmental Administration)
• $3.25 Million Added for capital repairs and maintenance in Secure Commitment (YDCs)
• $6.75 Million Added for capital repairs and maintenance in Secure Detention (RYDCs)

State Properties Commission

• $0 Added (Eliminating the $45 Million the House recommended) for the migration plan for Capitol Hill to maximize operational efficiencies by consolidating agencies from 2 Peachtree to Capitol Hill.

Dept. of Public Health

• $9.9 Million Added to address the state funds shortfall for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) per the state match requirement in the Ryan White Care Act Title II Award. (Infectious Disease Control)
• $204,635 Reduced to reflect workforce efficiencies (Departmental Administration)

Dept. of Public Safety

• $424,245 Reduced in accordance with Fiscal Year 2021 Joshua’s Law collections.

University System of GA

• $2 Million Added for technology grants for the Georgia Public Library System.
• $493,000 Added for enrollment growth at the Georgia Military Preparatory School.
• $157,500 Added to offset the austerity reduction for K-12 education at the Georgia Military Preparatory School.
• $3 Million Added for major repair and renovation for public libraries.
• $309,570 Added for one-time funding of the Learning Neighborhoods Community project (Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission)

Dept. of Revenue

• Budget Direction: Utilize $1.6 Billion Used in prior year undesignated state funds surplus to provide a one-time additional refund for tax year 2021 of $250.00 for single filers, $375.00 for head of household filers, and $500.00 for married filing jointly.

Student Finance System of GA

• $2.23 Million Added to meet the projected need for the HOPE Scholarships (Public Schools)
• $7.26 Million Reduced (A larger reduction than the recommended $3.44 Million reduction recommended by the House) based on projections for Dual Enrollment
• $57,050 Added (less than the $111,300 addition recommended by the House) to meet projected need of the Engineer Scholarship
• $294,400 Reduced in the Georgia Military College Scholarship to meet the projected need
• $398,042 Reduced in the HERO Scholarship to meet the projected need
• $186,854 Reduced in the North Georgia Military Scholarship Grants to meet the projected need
• $213,283 Reduced in the North Georgia ROTC Grants to meet the projected need
• $1.92 Million Reduced in Tuition Equalization Grants to meet the projected need
• $10 Million Added to provide service cancelable loans to Georgia residents enrolled in degree programs in qualified behavioral health professions.

Technical College System of Georgia

• $938,193 Added (Less than the recommended $1.54 Million addition recommended by the Governor) to implement the Dual Achievement Program pilot (SB 204, 2021 Session).
• $5.8 Million Added for equipment for an aviation training academy at Chattahoochee Technical College.

Dept. of Transportation

• $189.87 Million Added for the required state match for the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) projects.

HB 272 (Ballinger-23rd) Raises the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to include 17-year-olds.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee

HB 851 (Scott-76th) Within 48 hours of taking custody of a person for or within a penal institution, and at any other time thereafter where there is reasonable cause to believe that such person has a mental illness, a custodian shall have a physician of a facility to evaluate such person for mental illness. If determined that the person appears to be a mentally ill, the physician shall execute a certificate stating such and requires treatment. The certificate is then delivered to the custodian and filed with the chief judge of the court having jurisdiction over the charges or conviction of the person.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee

HB 852 (Scott-76th) Requires the officer in charge of an inmate to produce reports of de-identified, aggregated data when such data concerning the health, safety, or other conditions of detention of inmates is requested.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee

HB 892 (Mitchell-106th) Prohibits the use of corporal punishment by school administrators, teachers, and other school personnel.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 904 (Bazemore-63rd) Prohibits the use of corporal punishment by school administrators, teachers, and other school personnel, requires the State Board of Education and the Department of Education to provide for minimum standards and model student codes of conduct which address appropriate methods for redirecting students whose behavior is dangerous or disruptive, and provides for limited immunity for school administrators, teachers, and other school personnel for the good faith use of reasonable and necessary physical contact with a student under certain circumstances.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 929 (Hutchinson-107th) Places more oversight on solitary confinement within correctional facilities by requiring the correctional facility to ensure that any such confinement is imposed only within the medical units of the facility, digitally record each incident from the initiation of the confinement for the duration and document any de-escalation efforts implemented, the reason or reasons for which the use of confinement was implemented, and the duration of the confinement. The warden or facility administrator of each correctional facility must also furnish monthly reports to the department.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee

HB 1004 (Mainor-56th) Expands jurisdiction of campus police forces by virtue of “unified campus police forces agreements” entered into by colleges and universities for any property that they own or occupy.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. The bill will be heard in committee TODAY (Monday)

HB 1046 (Scott-76th) Requires all peace officers to successfully complete training on implicit biases regarding race, gender, age, disability, religion, and sexual orientation.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee

HB 1047 (Scott-76th) Limits the use of solitary confinement in a correctional facility and requires increased oversight, medical and mental health assessments and reporting when solitary confinement is used.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee

HB 1134 (Efstration-104th) Provides for the concurrent authority of prosecuting attorneys and the Attorney General to prosecute offenses involving criminal gang activity.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee

HB 1216 (McDonald-26th) Increases penalties for violations of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer. The bill also prohibits the use of a blue light to impersonate a law enforcement officer.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee

HB 1234 (Ballinger-23rd) Requires a juvenile court to appoint an attorney for any child receiving extended care youth services from DFCS.
STATUS: House Juvenile Justice Committee

HB 1333 (Wilson-80th) “Gay and Trans Panic Defense Prohibition Act” – Prohibits certain justifications for crimes involving bias or prejudice against individuals from the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee

HB 1337 (Dukes-154th) Nigel’s Law” – Provides that a person commits the offense of murder when, in the commission of a felony, he or she causes the death of a minor or elder person irrespective of malice. Such offense shall be punished by imprisonment for life without parole or by imprisonment for life.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee

HB 1353 (Dempsey-13th) Requires that evaluations to determine whether there is a substantial probability that an accused will attain mental competency to stand trial be conducted on an outpatient basis for an accused who is charged with a misdemeanor offense and to provide that treatment to determine if such accused person will attain competency within a 90 day period.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee

HB 1379 (Corbett-174th) Establishes the Georgia Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Commission under the GBI and includes the establishment of a grant program to support local law enforcement agencies and multi-jurisdiction task forces relative to motor vehicle related crime prevention initiatives.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Motor Vehicles Committee, but was recommitted back to Motor Vehicles Committee. The bill will be heard in committee TOMORROW (Tuesday)

HB 1420 (Buckner-137th) Provides for analysis and collection of DNA from individuals arrested for certain offenses.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee

HB 1426 (Moore-95th) Provides that in criminal cases involving a capital offense for which the death penalty is sought, the accused may file a pretrial notice of intent to raise a claim of intellectual disability. Such notice shall state that the accused is intellectually disabled. The court shall then conduct a pretrial hearing to determine if the accused is intellectually disabled. If the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the accused is intellectually disabled, the court shall bar the state from seeking the death penalty.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee

HB 1433 (Ballinger-23rd) Adds the following to the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council advisory board: Persons, licensed or certified by the applicable state, with expertise and competence in preventing and addressing mental health and substance abuse issues in delinquent youth, youth at risk of delinquency, and representatives of victims or witness advocacy groups, including at least one individual with expertise in addressing the challenges of sexual abuse, exploitation, and trauma, particularly the needs of youth who experience disproportionate levels of sexual abuse, exploitation, and trauma before entering the juvenile justice system. Among other things, the bill also creates a proxy for members with juvenile justice involvement.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee. The bill will be heard in committee TODAY (Monday)

HB 1504 (McLaurin-51st) Creates the Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman and a Corrections Oversight Committee.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee

HR 204 (Gilliard-162nd) Changes the name of the Savannah Regional Youth Detention Center for the Department of Juvenile Justice to the Judge Willie J. Lovett, Jr., Juvenile Justice Center. (To watch a video honoring Judge Lovett, click here.)
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Senate State Institutions and Properties Committee. The bill will be heard in committee TODAY (Monday)

HR 707 (Werkheiser-157th) Creates the House Study Committee on Homicide Cold Case Resources.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Judiciary Committee. The bill moves on to House Rules Committee

HR 917 (Howard-124th) Creates the House Study Committee to assess “Too Young To Suspend” and the implementation of 2018 House Bill 740 and State Board of Education Rule 160-4-8-.15 to improve the student learning environment and discipline in elementary and secondary schools.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee

SB 257 (Anderson-43rd) Expands GCIC criminal history record restrictions for individuals who have been pardoned and have no pending charged offenses. Allows an individual who has been cited for a criminal offense but was not arrested and the charged offense was subsequently dismissed or reduced to a violation of a local ordinance to petition the court to have their record sealed.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee

SB 359 (Albers-56th) Requires a biennial report and recommendation from the Council of Accountability Court Judges of Georgia to various officials of the General Assembly. The bill also increases penalties for possession of a firearm by people who have committed felonies or certain other acts of violence.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill rests in Senate Rules Committee

SB 383 (Robertson-29th) Provides for an instructional course or presentation educating drivers and the public on the best practices to implement when interacting with law enforcement officers.
STATUS: Senate Public Safety Committee

SB 459 (Orrock-36th) Expands jurisdiction of campus police forces by virtue of “unified campus police forces agreements” entered into by colleges and universities for any property that they own or occupy.
STATUS: Senate Public Safety Committee

SB 499 (Tippins-37th) Provides for analysis and collection of DNA from individuals convicted of certain misdemeanor offenses and from individuals arrested for felony offenses. The bill provides a cross-reference for purposes of DNA collection as a condition of bail.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 501 (Strickland-17th) Authorizes a sentencing court to resentence a defendant, upon a motion by the prosecuting attorney and upon determining that the interest of justice would not be served by the defendant’s continued incarceration in certain circumstances.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 504 (Robertson-29th) Expands bail restricted offenses to include all felonies.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 599 (Hickman-4th) Makes it a felony to intentionally discharge a firearm in the direction of another person whether or not that discharge causes bodily harm to or endangers the bodily safety of another person.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee

HB 131 (Mainor-56th) Clarifies that stalking and aggravated stalking can be committed both directly and indirectly, provides that each violation of stalking and aggravated stalking constitutes a separate offense and shall not merge with any other offense; and requires more detail and oversight of police reporting of incidents of family violence.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee. The bill will be heard in committee TODAY (Monday)

HB 323 (Wiedower-119th) Adds the following to the list of forms of parental abandonment of a child, which means DFCS would not make reunification efforts for the parent and child: prenatal abuse (“other than which has been medically prescribed to the birthing parent”) and a history of chronic substance abuse and “reasonable grounds” that the substance abuse will continue. Defines chronic abuse. States that the court should presume that DFCS should not make reunification efforts if the court finds that the parent has committed certain acts, such as abandonment, murder, felony assault, child molestation, and others.
STATUS: House Juvenile Justice Committee

HB 324 (Wiedower-119th) Allows interested parties (includes physicians, counselors, psychologists, teachers, court appointed special advocates, a child’s attorney, and caregivers, including, but not limited to, relatives of a child and foster parents of a child) to intervene and participate in dependency proceedings under certain circumstances by filing a motion for order to show cause.
STATUS: House Juvenile Justice Committee

HB 347 (Gullett-19th) Increases the requirements for removal from the state’s sexual offender registry.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. The bill now rests in House Rules Committee

HB 689 (Gaines-117th) Allows persons who are victims of an offense of trafficking to petition the clerk of court to seal certain criminal history record information and to allow restricted criminal history record information to be available to criminal justice agencies.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee. This bill will be heard in committee TODAY (Monday)

HB 706 (Camp-131st) Allows the Division of Family and Children Services to file a petition for the appointment of a guardian for the minor when that minor reaches 18 years of age.
STATUS: House Juvenile Justice Committee

HB 849 (Smith-41st) Adds human resources personnel and supervisory personnel in a workplace that employs minors as mandatory reporters for child abuse and requires mandatory reporter training for such personnel.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Industry and Labor Committee. The bill moves on to House Rules Committee

HB 1087 (Hutchinson-107th) Prevents an undocumented person who in good faith seeks law enforcement assistance and who is a victim of family violence or who seeks assistance on behalf of a victim of family violence from being arrested, charged, or prosecuted for being an undocumented person.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee

HB 1188 (Lott-122nd) States that when a person does an immoral or indecent act involving touching of any child under the age of 16 years with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of the child or the person, and such person touches such child in multiple areas of such child’s body, the touching of each area shall constitute a separate offense of child molestation. The bill also states that each action involving media, which is considered sexual exploitation of children will be counted as a separate offense.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee

HB 1306 (Hugley-136th) Requires DHS to issue a personal identification card for each child taken into the foster care system under the Division of Family and Children Services.
STATUS: House Juvenile Justice Committee

HB 1415 (Hutchinson-107th) Provides that when a party is seeking to adopt a current or former stepchild, such petition shall be filed by the stepparent alone unless the spouses are legally separated.
STATUS: House Judiciary Committee

HB 1423 (Buckner-137th) Ensures that information and data contained in the statewide automated child welfare information system is shared with foster providers and local school systems.
STATUS: House Juvenile Justice Committee

HB 1452 (Gaines-117th) Expands the definition of “dating violence” to include people who were in a dating relationship within the last 12 months (current law states within the last 6 months).
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee. The bill will be heard in committee TODAY (Monday)

HB 1483 (Barton-5th) Allows license by endorsement in social work to an applicant who holds an unrestricted license in social work in another jurisdiction, state, or territory of the United States that requires standards for licensure considered by the board to be equivalent to the requirements here.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee

 HB 1508 (Wiedower-119th) Expedites and prioritizes processes for the termination of parental rights in certain cases involving parental incapacity and child maltreatment and revises circumstances for when reasonable efforts by DFCS are not required. The bill also revises requirements for nonreunification hearings.
STATUS: House Juvenile Justice Committee

SB 54 (Harbison-15th) Allows judicial discretion in determining the right of a surviving parent to custody of a child when the surviving parent is criminally charged with the murder or voluntary manslaughter of the other parent.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill rests in Senate Rules Committee

SB 316 (Anavitarte-31st) Makes it a high and aggravated misdemeanor for any person 18 years or older to commit the offense of stalking against a minor and makes the offense punishable by not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000, or imprisonment for not less than one year, or both. Requires local school boards to notify students and parents that some acts of bullying or cyberbullying may constitute stalking.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Education Committee

SB 360 (McNeill-3rd) Provides for protections from exploitation and intimidation for disabled minors and renames this part of Georgia law “Colton’s Law”.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee

SB 370 (Cowsert-46th) Creates tax credits for certain contributions made by taxpayers to certain foster child support organizations that assist youth who age out of foster care. The amount of tax credits issues by the state would be capped at $20 million per year.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Ways and Means Committee. The bill will be heard in committee TODAY (Monday)

SB 381 (Robertson-29th) Increases the penalty provisions relating to pimping and pandering.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill will be on the Senate floor for a vote TOMORROW (Tuesday)

SB 382 (Robertson-29th) Revises provisions for misdemeanor convictions for the offense of aggravated child molestation by raising the minimum age of victims from 13 to 14.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Awaits assignment to House committee

SB 461 (Dixon-45th) Adds the offense of human trafficking as a bailable offense.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee

SB 506 (Jordan-6th) Among other things, the bill expands the definition of aggravated assault to include causing another person to consume or ingest a controlled substance without his or her knowledge when intentionally used to diminish the capacity of or to incapacitate such other person; and defines “against the will of such other person” and “forcibly”. The bill also extends the statute of limitations up to ten years after the commission of the crime for prosecution for an offense that is classified as a sexual offense, or as an offense related to minors committed against victims who are under the age of 18 at the time of the offense.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 543 (Halpern-39th) Provides that a parent who is determined to be responsible for the homicide of his or her child shall have no right of recovery against the value of the child’s life.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 565 (Strickland-17th) Provides that at any time after conviction for a misdemeanor or felony offense, a defendant convicted of an offense and sentenced as a direct result of being a victim of trafficking for labor or sexual servitude may petition the sentencing court to grant the relief of vacatur.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee

HB 412 (Dempsey-13th) Provides for the licensure of individuals in the practice of applied behavior analysis and creates the Georgia Behavior Analyst Licensing Board.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Health and Human Services Committee

HB 430 (Powell-32nd) Changes the licensure requirements for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to include a fingerprint criminal background check. Allows home health services to be provided to individuals under a written plan of care by an APRN or physician assistant, or, as was already law, a physician. Authorizes the collection of nurse workforce data.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Health and Human Services Committee

HB 752 (Cooper-43rd) Addresses psychiatric advance directives for adults and emancipated youth.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee

HB 853 (Scott-76th) A defendant who has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to or has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor and who is or was eligible for public mental health services or Social Security Disability Insurance benefit due to a diagnosed serious mental illness may petition the court for a sentence that includes mental health treatment and the court may allow in certain circumstances.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee

HB 857 (Clark-108th) Provides that the prescribed course of study in sex education and AIDS prevention instruction is age appropriate for grades K-9.
STATUS: Pre-filed

HB 861 (Scott-76th) Requires schools, penal institutions, and providers of temporary housing to provide necessary menstrual products to women and girls at no cost.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services

HB 863 (Scott-76th) Requires the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia to make menstrual hygiene products available at no cost to students in certain facilities.
STATUS: House Higher Education Committee

HB 864 (Scott-76th) Requires the Ga Dept. of Human Services to apply for a waiver allowing SNAP or WIC recipients to use their benefits to purchase diapers or menstrual products if the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service creates and makes available such a waiver available.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services

HB 867 (Newton-123rd) Among other things, the bill requires pharmacy benefits managers to disclose the true net cost and final net cost (if applicable) of prescription drugs to insureds and to calculate cost sharing requirements for insureds based on the true net cost of prescription drugs.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Insurance and Labor Committee

HB 869 (Byrd-20th) Prohibits state or local governments from requiring individuals to submit to vaccinations as a condition to certain actions, from issuing immunization passports, from requiring face masks or other facial coverings, and prohibits certain entities or individuals doing business in this state from requiring patrons or customers to provide any documentation certifying vaccination, or to wear a mask or other facial covering in order to gain entry to a business, or to receive goods or services.
STATUS: Pre-filed

HB 902 (Schofield-60th) Limits the total cost sharing amount that a covered person is required to pay for a covered prescription insulin drug to an amount not to exceed $100.00 per 30-day supply of insulin, regardless of the amount or type of insulin needed to fill the covered person’s prescription.
STATUS: House Insurance Committee

HB 918 (Cheokas-138th) Creates a state-based advisory council to educate medical professionals, government agencies, legislators, and the public about rare diseases and encourage research and treatment of rare diseases.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Health and Human Services Committee. The bill now rests in House Rules Committee

HB 939 (Mainor-56th) Requires notice of admission and daily updates with regards to examination and treatment for mental illness from a facility to the parent or legal guardian of an involuntary minor patient under 12 years of age.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services

HB 972 (Belton-112th) Among other things, this bill adjusts licensing provisions regarding professional counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists.
STATUS: House Regulated Industries Committee. The bill will be heard in committee TOMORROW (Tuesday)

HB 1005 (Mainor-56th) Requires local school systems to conduct annual suicide screenings on all students ages eight through 18.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 1013 (Ralston-7th) A bill which embodies the recommendations of the Georgia Behavioral Health Reform & Innovation Commission (established in 2019). The bill: requires health insurers of all sorts to follow federal law (the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008) in that they must provide meaningful coverage for the treatment of mental health or substance use disorders; establishes multiple requirements and protocols for addressing complaints from consumers and health entities; establishes multiple reporting and data-sharing requirements across sectors; requires care management organizations to comply with a minimum 85% medical loss ratio (MLR); expands postsecondary loan forgiveness programs for those in fields of study for behavioral health professions; requires those seeking to gain or renew behavioral health professional licensure to complete surveys collecting specific data regarding service provision and other things; establishes a three-year Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) program to be used by community service boards (CSBs) and probate courts for involuntary AOT in order to avoid incarceration for individuals who are deemed to need behavioral health treatment; expands oversight authority and coordination powers of the Office of Health Strategy and Coordination; creates a task force to assist local communities in keeping people with serious mental illness out of county and municipal jails and detention facilities (including juvenile detention); Establishes the Network of Co-Response Teams (3-5 teams across the state in the first year, with plans to expand in future years) composed of at least one peace officer and one trained behavioral health professional, that are to respond to 9-1-1 emergency and other calls for service or law enforcement interactions involving a person in behavioral health crisis; adds the leadership of DECAL, TCSG, OCA, a behavioral health expert employed by the University System of Georgia and an expert on infant and early childhood mental health, appointed by the Governor to the Behavioral Health Coordinating Council (BHCC); requires study of case management in order to improve services for pediatric patients with behavioral health issues who have had high utilization of crisis services or other high usage of resources; clarifies that CSBs are to serve both adults and children; creates a task force composed of care management organizations, pediatric primary care physicians, a representative of a pediatric hospital, pharmacy benefits managers, other insurers, and pediatric mental health and substance use disorder care professionals to consider implementation of a unified formulary for Medicaid for certain conditions, including mental health and substance use disorder condition, how to provide training and support for multidisciplinary staff in neonatal intensive care units and nursery units to implement and sustain developmentally supportive and evidence based practices and interventions that enhance caregiver/infant attachment, expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage from six months to 12 months, Medicaid billing codes to provide behavioral health services coverage for children 0-4, improving mechanisms and services for children and families in foster care or adoptive situations; establishes The Multi-Agency Treatment for Children (MATCH) team to better coordinate delivery of care between agencies for complex treatment need of children and adolescents; requires DCH to study mental health reimbursement for services under Medicaid, PeachCare for Kids, and the state health benefit plan; and extends the Georgia Behavioral Health Reform & Innovation Commission until June 30, 2025.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Health and Human Services Committee. The bill will be on the House floor for a vote TOMORROW (Tuesday)

HB 1038 (Cooper-43rd) Limits eligibility for the rural physician tax credit to persons qualifying as a rural physician on or before December 31, 2022 and creates a new tax credit for rural physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.
STATUS: House Ways and Means Committee

HB 1041 (Pirkle-155th) Increases the aggregate limit for tax credits for contributions to rural hospital organizations from $60 to $75 million per taxable year.
STATUS: House Ways and Means Committee. The bill will be heard in committee TODAY (Monday)

HB 1042 (Jasperse-11th) Creates a grant program to establish primary care medical facilities (meaning any facility where the majority of the services provided are primary care, dental, or mental health services) in health professional shortage areas as designated by the Department of Community Health.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Health and Human Services Committee. The bill will be on the House floor for a vote TOMORROW (Tuesday)

HB 1057 (Greene-151st) Requires DBHDD to develop a standard suite of services that community service boards are required to provide in their respective service areas.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee

HB 1065 (Lim-99th) Revises procedures regarding emergency involuntary treatment for mental health and alcohol and drug dependency by requiring that certain documents become part of the patient’s clinical record and changes from 48 hours of admission to 8 hours for the time within which a physician must examine a patient for involuntary treatment for mental health or alcohol and drug dependency.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee

HB 1175 (Pirkle-155th) Authorizes and regulates the production, handling, transporting, and sale of raw milk and raw milk products for human consumption.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Agriculture and Community Affairs Committee

HB 1186 (Houston-170th) Allows persons who are not licensed audiologists to use otoacoustic emissions or auditory brainstem response technology as part of a screening process for the initial identification of communication disorders in individuals up to age 22.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned Senate Health and Human Services Committee

HB 1273 (Wilson-80th) Requires DCH to establish the Medicaid Continuity of Coverage Program, which becomes effective on the first day following the expiration of the public health emergency and extends for the greater of 12 months or the maximum allowable time period provided for under the guidelines established by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee

HB 1276 (Hawkins-27th) Requires that statistical reports containing data relating to state health plans (e.g. state health benefits plan, PeachCare, etc.) be posted on the DCH website. The data include things such as the number of, type of, and changes in enrolled providers; county-level data on primary care providers enrolled per 1,000 people and indicating which counties fall below defined benchmarks; and data on hospital utilization and costs.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Insurance and Labor Committee

HB 1316 (Neal-74th) Requires that individual and group accident and sickness insurance policies in this state shall provide basic coverage of mental wellness services for the policyholder and other persons covered by such policies.
STATUS: House Insurance Committee

HB 1324 (Camp-131st) Clarifies that the prudent layperson standard is not affected by the diagnoses given.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Insurance and Labor Committee

HB 1332 (Wilson-80th) Prohibits the discrimination of healthcare services accessed through Medicaid, including gender-affirming hormone therapy and gender-reassignment surgeries, to covered persons on the basis of their gender expression, gender identity, or transgender status.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee

HB 1348 (Rich-97th) Prohibits vaping in the same places where smoking is currently prohibited.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee

HB 1351 (Knight-130th) Provides for pharmacy benefits management for the Medicaid program in DCH.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Special Committee on Quality Healthcare. The bill was calendared for a vote on the House floor but the vote was postponed

HB 1355 (Dempsey-13th) Updates current law to comport with the current CDC and EPA guidelines for blood lead levels.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Health and Human Services Committee

HB 1371 (Jasperse-11th) Creates the Rural Health Advancement Commission to develop private-sector solutions to address short-term and long-term health care and long-term care workforce shortages, with an emphasis on rural areas.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Special Committee on Quality Healthcare. The bill now move to House Rules Committee

HB 1373 (Boddie-62nd) Requires local governments or authorities operating parks and recreation facilities used by youth athletic organizations to ensure such parks and facilities are equipped with certain vessels of at least 150 gallons to be used for heat related injuries.
STATUS: House Governmental Affairs Committee. The bill will be heard in committee TODAY (Monday)

HB 1394 (Byrd-20th) Repeals the authority of the Department of Public Health and all county boards of health to require persons to submit to vaccinations against or other measures to prevent contagious or infectious diseases.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee

HB 1403 (Crowe-110th) Provides an exemption for acute care hospitals established in rural counties to meet Certificate of Need criteria.
STATUS: House Special Committee on Quality Healthcare

HB 1404 (Pruitt-109th) Directs the Department of Community Health to submit a waiver request to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to authorize private institutions for mental disease to qualify for Medicaid reimbursement.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee

HB 1416 (Schofield-60th) Requires the Department of Education to provide all parents and guardians of students completing the fifth and sixth grades a copy of the standard certification of immunization form created by the Department of Public Health and written information on recommended adolescent vaccinations, including those for meningococcal meningitis, human papillomavirus (HPV), and tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (TDAP).
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 1449 (Taylor-173rd) Requires the Department of Community Health to contract directly with dental care administrators to cover dental services for recipients of medical assistance under Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids programs, to competitively bid out such contracts, and to limit such contracts to a minimum of two, but no more than three dental care administrators.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee

HB 1456 (Shannon-84th) Provides for assistance to locally managed public safety answering points for the voluntary collection and dissemination of information relating to mental health conditions and alternate emergency contacts, and for contact of an alternate emergency contact upon the dispatch of emergency services in certain instances.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee

HB 1474 (Mainor-56th) Directs the Department of Education to develop, assemble, and make available instructional resources and materials concerning employability and career readiness skills, career exploration, and career oriented learning experiences.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 1484 (Hawkins-27th) Creates a three-year pilot program to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of PANDAS and PANS under Medicaid.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee

HB 1517, HR 908 (Schofield-60th) Establishes a family and medical leave insurance program for a covered individual who meets at least one of the following requirements:  (1) Because of birth, adoption, or placement through foster care is caring for a new child during the first year after the birth, adoption, or placement;  (2) Is caring for a family member with a serious health condition; (3) Has a serious health condition that makes the covered individual unable to perform the functions of the position of employee; or (4) Has a qualifying exigency, which is a need arising out of the deployment of a family member of the covered individual.
STATUS: House Industry and Labor Committee 

HB 1519 (Knight-130th) Prohibits insurers from unilaterally changing network participation contracts impacting coverage, access to, or costs of ancillary services.
STATUS: House Special Committee on Quality Healthcare

HB 1520 (Hawkins-27th) Creates the Georgia Council on Addressing Health Care Workforce Challenges.
STATUS: House Human Relations and Aging Committee

HB 1523 (Lott-122nd) Prohibits insurers from cancelling, modifying coverage, refusing to issue, or refusing to renew life insurance policies solely because the applicant or insured donated a liver, pancreas, kidney, intestine, lung, or bone marrow.
STATUS: House Hopper

HB 1526 (Wilson-80th) Establishes the Healthy Georgia Program, providing comprehensive universal single payer healthcare coverage and a healthcare cost control system for all Georgia residents.
STATUS: House Hopper

HR 629 (Taylor-173rd) Creates the House State Health Benefit Plan Study Committee.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Health and Human Services Committee. The bill now rests in House Rules Committee

HR 647 (Hatchett-50th) Urges the Georgia Department of Community Health to apply for federal approval to allow institutions for mental diseases (IMDs) to qualify for Medicaid reimbursement.
STATUS: House Special Committee on Quality Healthcare

HR 651 (Hutchinson-107th) Creates the House Study Committee on Evaluating, Simplifying, and Eliminating Duplication of Regulatory Requirements for Mental Health and Social Services Providers.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee

HR 823 (Schofield-60th) Creates the House Study Committee on Pharmacy Deserts.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee

SB 82 (Au-48th) Clarifies that the prudent layperson standard is not affected by the diagnoses (initial, interim, final, or otherwise) given with regards to emergency medical services. Adds Emergency Medical Technician to the definition of healthcare provider.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to the House Judiciary Committee

SB 256 (Burke-11th) Allows the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health to select a district health director for each health district, and requires a district health director to serve as the chief executive officer for that county board of health.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Recommended Do Pass by the House Health and Human Services Committee. The bill moves to House Rules Committee

SB 330 (Albers-56th) Prohibits insurers from cancelling, modifying coverage, refusing to issue, or refusing to renew life insurance policies solely because the applicant or insured donated a liver or kidney, and revises an income tax deduction based on a taxpayer’s living donation of all or part of his or her liver, pancreas, kidney, intestine, lung, or bone marrow.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Recommended Do Pass by the House Insurance Committee, but was then recommitted to House Ways and Means Committee

SB 341 (Kirkpatrick-32nd) Provides guidelines for the prior authorization of a prescribed medication for chronic conditions requiring ongoing medication therapy.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Health and Human Services Committee

SB 342 (Kirkpatrick-32nd) Requires annual reporting regarding mental health parity in healthcare plans.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Health and Human Services Committee

SB 345 (Mullis-53rd) Prohibits state and local governments from mandating vaccine passports.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. There has been a motion to reconsider and the bill is expected to be reconsidered by the full Senate TOMORROW (Tuesday)

SB 372 (Beach-21st) Makes it illegal for local or state government or any employer to refuse, withhold from, or deny to a person any local or state services, goods, facilities, advantages, privileges, licensing, educational opportunities, health care access, or employment opportunities based on the person’s vaccination status or whether the person has an immunity passport, or to discriminate based on vaccination status.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 403 (Watson-1st) “Georgia Behavioral Health and Peace Officer Co-Responder Act”- Requires each community service board to establish a co-responder program to offer assistance or consultation to peace officers responding to emergency calls involving individuals with behavioral health crises and allows law enforcement agencies within a community service board’s service area to elect to partner with the community service board to establish one or more co-responder teams. Among other things, the bill also establishes protocols for notification of release and treatment of individuals who engage with a co-responder program.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Health and Human Services Committee

SB 505 (Robertson-29th) Requires that 9-1-1 communications officers receive training in the delivery of high-quality telephone cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee

SB 537 (Jones II-22nd) Creates the Georgia Food Security Advisory Council, which will recommend regulatory solutions to the WIC Program; ways the State of Georgia can use tax credits including the New Market Tax Credit as an economic incentive to create and maintain grocery stores in food insecure areas; ways to maximize current educational programs that educate the public on purchasing and consuming healthy foods; maximize current funding efforts to assist food banks and food pantries; policies to expand the number of farmers markets which may accept SNAP benefits; policies to encourage the use of food co-ops and community gardens located in Georgia; policies to increase collaboration between the State of Georgia and nonprofits that seek to eradicate food insecurity; and policies to increase collaboration between the State of Georgia and private entities that seek to end food insecurity.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Agriculture and Community Affairs Committee. The bill now moves to Senate Rules Committee

SB 539 (Hatchett-50th) Prohibits the use of any device to photograph or record patients in a health care facility with certain exceptions.
STATUS: Senate Ethics Committee

SB 540 (James-35th) Provides for coverage of dental care provided by means of teledentistry and authorizes licensed dentists to provide oral healthcare by means of teledentistry.
STATUS: Senate Health and Human Services Committee

SB 566 (Burke-11th) Clarifies that, under the Surprise Billing Consumer Protection Act, a medical or traumatic condition, sickness, or injury includes a mental health condition or substance use disorder and that emergency medical services include post-stabilization services.
STATUS: Senate Insurance and Labor Committee

SB 571 (Merritt-9th) Requires prescribers to discuss with patients, their parent, or guardian the risks of addiction, dependence, and fatal overdose associated with opioid use and all available alternative treatments; requires prescribers to document the notification in the patient’s file.
STATUS: Senate Health and Human Services Committee

SB 574 (Mullis-53rd) Allows proceeds from the sale of a hospital held in trust to fund indigent health care in that political subdivision, or if impractical, to fund public health care there.
STATUS: Senate Health and Human Services Committee

SB 576 (Strickland-17th) Revises provisions regarding visitation actions brought by certain grandparents of minor children.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 610 (Harrell-40th) Requires the Department of Community Health to conduct a comprehensive review of provider reimbursement rates for home and community-based services covered by the waiver programs.
STATUS: Senate Hopper

SR 364 (Au-48th) Creates the Senate Costs and Effects of Smoking Study Committee.
STATUS: Senate Rules Committee

HB 1052 (Mitchell-106th) Removes restrictions on the selection of a child’s first name, middle name, or surname.
STATUS: House Judiciary Committee

HB 1092 (Cooper-43rd) Requires that every woman arrested who is not released on bond within 72 hours of arrest to submit to urine pregnancy testing unless she declines, and if pregnant, allows a judge to defer any sentenced confinement until six weeks post-delivery unless the pregnant woman poses a significant threat or danger to any person or unless declined by the pregnant woman.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee

HB 1518 (Paris-142nd) Provides for the licensure and regulation of community midwives.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee

SB 116 (Robertson-29th) The “Maternity Supportive Housing Act” allows registration of maternity supportive housing residences to provide housing for up to six pregnant women aged 18 years or older and their children (per residence) at any one time during the woman’s pregnancy and up to 18 months after childbirth. No services other than housing shall be provided. No county, municipality, or consolidated government shall, by rule or ordinance, constrain the establishment or operation of maternity supportive housing residences or place occupancy requirements on such residences that would not apply to a single family living in the residence.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Tabled by House Health and Human Services Committee

SB 338 (Burke-11th) Extends postpartum coverage under Medicaid from six months to one year following pregnancy.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Health and Human Services Committee

SB 496 (Burke-11th) Requires a medical examiner’s inquiry for the death of a pregnant female or for the death a female who was pregnant within 365 days prior to her death. This does not apply to a female whose death resulted from a motor vehicle accident or who was deemed to have died unattended by a physician when any such individual has not been seen or treated by a physician within the 180 days prior to such individual’s death.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Health and Human Services Committee

HB 1 (Bonner-72nd) Forming Open and Robust University Minds (FORUM) Act – Prevents the creation of “free speech zones” at public institutions of higher education.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Awaits assignment to Senate committee

HB 60 (Cantrell-22nd) “Georgia Educational Scholarship Act” – Creates a voucher program for public school students to attend private schools with a cap on the number of students from individual districts. Eligible students would be those whose local public schools did not offer face-to-face instruction in the prior school year, live in low-income households (under 200% FPL), children in military families, have been adopted from foster care, or have certain special education needs (an IEP, a formal diagnosis, or a 504 plan relating to a condition to be identified by the State Board). An audit every 5 years is required and the program would be overseen by the Student Finance Commission.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Education Committee once, but was recommitted back to the committee for further review

HB 385 (Blackmon-146th) Enables retired educators to return to work full-time, after a 12-month waiting period following retirement, while continuing to draw full Teachers Retirement System (TRS) benefits. Employment is restricted to high-needs areas in each region as determined by Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs) and to retired educators with at least 30 years’ experience.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Retirement Committee. The bill moves to Senate Rules Committee

HB 517 (Carson-46th) Increases the allowable education tax credit issues for donations to school scholarship organizations (SSO); requires inclusion of interest earned on deposits and investments of scholarship funds or tuition grants in SSO calculations of obligated funds; broadens requirements of the audit following each fiscal year; requires SSOs to submit 990 forms; and to be solely responsible for verifying the eligibility of students for participation in the program. Makes business enterprises, defined as any insurance company required to pay the tax provided for in Code Section 33-8-4, eligible to receive a tax credit against the tax imposed by this Code section not exceeding $1 million.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. PASSED SENATE in 2021, but was changed by the Senate. The House agreed to the Senate changes this year. The bill now awaits transmission to the Governor for his consideration

HB 885 (Belton-112th) Provides that a military student may attend any public school in the local school system in which such student resides and allows such student to continue enrollment in their current public school for specified periods of time regardless of a parent’s change of residence.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Education Committee. The bill moves onto House Rules Committee

HB 888 (Thomas-21st) Among other things, the bill prohibits the teaching of (but not limited to) the following: (1) That individuals of any race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin are inherently superior or inferior; (2) That individuals should be adversely or advantageously treated on the basis of their race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin; (3) That individuals, by virtue of their race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin bear collective guilt and are inherently responsible for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin; (4) That governing systems or programs which were designed to identify, select, or promote participants on the basis of merit or work ethic are discriminatory or were created by members of a particular race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin to oppress members of another race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin; (5) That any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin; (6) That an individual’s moral character is necessarily determined by the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin; and (7) That the United States is a systemically racist country. The bill also encompasses protocols for violations of such provisions, including the possibility of withholding 20% of state QBE funds for violation.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 932 (Cantrell-22nd) Requires the University System of Georgia to classify noncitizen students with certain refugee, special immigrant, or humanitarian parole status under federal law as in-state for tuition purposes.
STATUS: House Higher Education Committee

HB 999 (Cantrell-22nd) “Georgia Educational Freedom Act” – Establishes promise scholarship accounts to be funded by the state in the amount of $6,000.00 per school year for each participating student and which are to be used for private school tuition.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 1043 (Jasperse-11th) Creates the Georgia Endowment for Teaching Professionals to foster a public-private partnership with the Technical College System of Georgia for support of postsecondary teaching professionals in high demand courses, subjects, and disciplines.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Higher Education Committee. The bill now rests in House Rules Committee

HB 1048 (Scott-76th) Requires local units of administration to annually report to the State Board of Education certain information regarding the educational performance of foster care students, including information regarding discipline, and to provide for remediation plans when foster care students are disproportionately failing to meet academic standards or are disproportionately subject to school discipline compared to the overall student population.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 1084 (Wade-9th) Prohibits the teaching of “divisive concepts” by Georgia’s public K-12 schools, prohibits discrimination in the schools, and requires school systems to develop a complaint resolution process for such.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Awaits assignment to Senate committee

HB 1130, HR 666 (Benton-31st) Creates development impact fees for education.
STATUS: House Governmental Affairs Committee

HB 1153 (Mainor-56th) Requires the State Board of Education to establish rules and regulations for local school system outreach efforts regarding the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program and local school systems to engage in such efforts. The bill also requires standards for foreign language interpreters in educational settings and local school systems to provide notices concerning interpretation services.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 1158 (Carson-46th) “Parents’ Bill of Rights”- Establishes a consistent mechanism for parents to be notified of information relating to the health, well-being, and education of their minor children. Prevents state or local government entities or any agent or officer from infringing on the fundamental right of a parent to direct the upbringing, education, and healthcare of his or her minor child without demonstrating that such action is reasonable and necessary to achieve a compelling state interest, and that such action is narrowly tailored and is not otherwise served by less restrictive means. The bill also requires school systems, in consultation with parents, teachers, and administrators, to develop and adopt a policy to promote parental involvement in the public schools.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 1178 (Bonner-72nd) Requires procedures for a parent to review records relating to his or her minor child, learn about the child’s courses of study, to object to instructional materials intended for use in the child’s classroom or recommended by the child’s teacher, and to withdraw the child from any portion of the school’s prescribed course of study in sex education if the parent provides a written-objection to the child’s participation. The procedures must provide for a parent to be notified in advance of such course content so they may withdraw their child from those portions.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 1184 (Williams-168th) Requires public school systems (including DJJ) to allow 11th graders to select and administer a college entrance exam, paid for by the state, if appropriations are available.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 1215 (Thomas-21st) Allows a student to withdraw without penalty from a local school in the school system in which such student resides at any time and enroll in a charter school with available classroom space.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Education and Youth Committee

HB 1217 (Erwin-28th) Requires the inclusion of methods for the promotion of the safe and appropriate use of technology and responsible digital citizenship in the comprehensive character education program. In so doing, the bill revises requirements for internet safety polices in public schools, existing definitions regarding pornography, obscene material, and the like, and allows for the withholding of state funds from local school systems that have not provided for adequate technology protection measures.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Science and Technology Committee

HB 1220 (Clark-108th) Requires that the prescribed course of study in public schools’ sex education and HIV prevention instruction is age appropriate and that the subject of consent is included in the course.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 1282 (Gilliard-162nd) “Blind Persons’ Braille Literacy Rights and Education Act” – Requires an evaluation of a blind or visually impaired child to determine such child’s need for Braille instruction; individualized education program of a blind or visually impaired student as appropriate; and license requirements relating to Braille for certain teachers, among other provisions.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 1283 (Douglas-78th) Requires an average of 30 minute per day of recess for students in kindergarten and grades one through five every school day unless it is a day on which a student has had physical education or structured activity time or if reasonable circumstances impede such recess. The bill states that recess is not withheld for disciplinary or academic reasons.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 1292 (Jasperse-11th) Prohibits students who participate in 4-H sponsored activities or programs from being counted as absent from school.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Education and Youth Committee

HB 1295 (Corbett-174th) Removes the “needs development” rating from the group of performance evaluation ratings that may adversely impact an educator’s ability to obtain a renewable certificate from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Education Committee. The bill moves to House Rules Committee

HB 1303 (Dickey-140th) Transitions a pilot program for elementary agricultural education to an ongoing program.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Agriculture and Community Affairs Committee

HB 1309 (Thomas-65th) Creates an educational farming program for urban youth ages 12-18 administered by the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension programming system. The program would be funded by the state at $259,000 per year.
STATUS: House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee

HB 1319 (Werkheiser-157th) Creates the Georgia LEO (Law Enforcement Officer) Scholarship grant for peace officers attending postsecondary education.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Higher Education Committee. The bill will be on the House floor for a vote TOMORROW (Tuesday)

HB 1419 (Ehrhart-36th) Deals with criteria of school accreditation agencies.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 1435 (Martin-49th) Enhances the state’s needs based financial aid program to include eligibility for students with a financial aid gap.
STATUS: House Higher Education Committee

HB 1482 (Erwin-28th) Revises the eligibility criteria for project specific capital outlay grants for low-wealth school systems.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 1513 (Mainor-56th) Provides for the designation of a nonprofit organization to govern high school athletics.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HB 1515 (Bentley-139th) Revises the definition of approved school to include schools which were previously accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and are now accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools.
STATUS: House Higher Education Committee

HB 1530 (Neal-74th) Provides for HOPE small business grants for the Small Business Incubator, Apprenticeship, and Work-study Program by the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia for courses leading to a diploma or certificate, develop a student business plan as part of designated courses, and have the opportunity to be awarded investment funds for a small business, and have opportunities to work and learn in real-world environments through apprenticeships and work-study programs.
STATUS: House Regulated Industries Committee

HR 496 (Carpenter-4th) Constitutional Amendment allowing local school superintendents to be elected by voters as an alternative to being appointed by local boards of education, if approved by local referendum.
STATUS: House Education Committee

HR 630 (Taylor-173rd) Creates the Joint Study Committee for Consolidation of County Governments and School Systems.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Governmental Affairs Committee. The bill now rests in House Rules Committee

HR 650 (Gambill-15th) Creates the House Study Committee on Literacy Instruction.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Education Committee. The bill moves onto House Rules Committee

SB 15 (Anderson-43rd) Creates a new category of coursework dealing with the history of Black people and their contributions to American society. This course may be taken by students between ninth and twelfth grade and may be required by the local education authority for high school graduation.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 226 (Anavitarte-31st) Requires local boards of education to adopt a complaint resolution policy and process to address complaints submitted by parents/guardians alleging that material (e.g. books, websites, etc.) that is harmful to minors has been provided to their student. Requires GA DOE to establish a model complaint resolution process policy no later than September 21, 2021.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE (2021). Recommended Do Pass by the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee. The bill now rests in House Rules Committee

SB 231 (Anavitarte-31st) Creates a pilot program to allow for certain adults to enroll in charter schools that provide instruction only for individuals between ages 21 and 35 residing in this state who have not attained a high school diploma.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Education Committee

SB 327, SR 360 (Miller-49th) Provides for a homestead exemption from ad valorem taxes for educational purposes in an amount equal to $100,000.00 of the assessed value of the homestead for residents of any school district that has been certified by the State Board of Education for a given year to have substantially deviated from the course curriculum approved by the State Board of Education.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 328 (Mullis-53rd) Provides for the designation of a nonprofit organization to govern Georgia high school athletics.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 333 (Albers-56th) Removes provisions related to agents and agent’s permits; to repeal definitions of such terms; provides for new exemptions from applicability of the part relating to certain programs for industry-specific certifications and certain short courses; and expands exemption for certain programs where students obtain occupational training through employment experience.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Higher Education Committee. The bill moves to Senate Rules Committee

SB 334 (Mullis-53rd) Prohibits high schools which receive QBE funding from participating in or sponsoring interscholastic sports events conducted by any athletic association unless the association has separate regions and playoffs for certain private schools and certain public schools.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 357 (Kirkpatrick-32nd) Allows military students to select adjacent school districts for attendance and provides for a standard process of military student school transfer.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Education and Youth Committee. The bill moves to Senate Rules Committee

SB 375 (Mullis-53rd) Prohibits the teaching of “divisive concepts” by Georgia’s public K-12 schools, prohibits discrimination in the schools and requires school systems to develop a complaint resolution process for such.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 377 (Hatchett-50th) Prohibits the teaching of “divisive concepts” by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia, units of the University System of Georgia, units of the Technical College System of Georgia, local boards of education, and local school systems.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 378 (Albers-56th) expands the definition of hazing to include minors and beefs up penalties and reporting requirements for hazing affecting all ages.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill rests in Senate Rules Committee

SB 379 (Strickland-17th) Requires the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia to establish a program to promote the creation and expansion of registered apprenticeship programs in the state.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee. The bill will be on the Senate floor for a vote TOMORROW (Tuesday)

SB 397 (Goodman-8th) Updates and replaces terminology related to general educational development (GED) diplomas; provides for state approved high school equivalency (HSE) diplomas; and updates the minimum standards and requirements for such diplomas to be established by the Technical College System of Georgia.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Higher Education Committee

SB 435 (Harbin-16th) Prohibits Georgia public schools or participating private schools whose students or teams compete against a Georgia public school from operating, sponsoring, or facilitating athletic programs or activities that permit a person of one gender to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for persons of the opposite gender.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Health and Human Services Committee

SB 449 (Dixon-45th) Requires procedures for a parent to review records relating to his or her minor child, learn about the child’s courses of study, to object to instructional materials intended for use in the child’s classroom or recommended by the child’s teacher, and to withdraw the child from any portion of the school’s prescribed course of study in sex education if the parent provides a written-objection to the child’s participation. The procedures must provide for a parent to be notified in advance of such course content so they may withdraw their child from those portions.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Education Committee

SB 452 (McNeill-3rd) Requires public school systems (including DJJ) to allow 11th graders to select and administer a college entrance exam, paid for by the state, if appropriations are available.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Education and Youth Committee. The bill moves to Senate Rules Committee

SB 460 (Orrock-36th) Allows that noncitizen students who have received a grant of deferred action for childhood arrivals from the United States Department of Homeland Security may be extended the same consideration as citizens of the United States in determining whether they qualify for in-state classification for purposes of tuition and fees by the University System and the Technical College System of Georgia.
STATUS: Senate Higher Education Committee

SB 480 (Anavitarte-31st) Special Education Services Bill of Rights – provides for a statement of rights of parents of children who are or may be eligible for special education and related services under state and federal law, and requires local educational agencies to post such rights on their public website with links to Department of Education resources.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 490 (Strickland-17th) Revises the definition of approved school as it pertains to definitions regarding tuition equalization grants at private colleges and universities.
STATUS: Senate Higher Education Committee

SB 498 (Tippins-37th) Deals with criteria of school accreditation agencies.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 508 (Parent-42nd) Requires the Georgia Student Finance Commission to establish participation and performance targets for the Dual Enrollment program.
STATUS: Senate Higher Education Committee

SB 509 (Parent-42nd) Requires the Technical College System of Georgia and the University System of Georgia to provide the Georgia Student Finance Commission with a course transfer chart and requires program materials to indicate which courses are transferable.
STATUS: Senate Higher Education Committee

SB 514 (Dixon-45th) Prevents any local board of education, local school superintendent, or school administrator, teacher, or other school personnel from making or enforcing any rule that requires a student to wear a face mask or face covering while present on school property unless such rule allows a parent or guardian of such student to elect for his or her child to be exempt from such rule. The bill also provides that a parent or guardian making such election shall not be required to provide a reason or any certification of the child’s health or education status.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Education Committee

SB 530 (Jackson-2nd) Provides for limitations on waiver and variance requests by local school systems requesting flexibility and removes a requirement that local school systems requesting flexibility must select at least one waiver or variance request from a prescribed list of options.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 541 (Anavitarte-31st) Provides for seizure action plans for students being treated for epilepsy or a seizure disorder and requires the Department of Education to develop training guidelines and model seizure action plans for use by local school systems and schools. The bill also requires the training of designated school personnel and provides for immunity from civil liability.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 545 (Halpern-39th) Requires schools to provide training in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of an automated external defibrillator for students in grades nine or ten.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 563 (Merritt-9th) Requires the GA DOE to establish the Purple Star Campus Program to support military students and their families.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 575 (Tippins-37th) Requires local boards of education to review the financial status of the local school system at least quarterly rather than monthly.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 587 (Miller-49th) “Georgia Educational Freedom Act” – Establishes promise scholarship accounts to be funded by the state in the amount of $6,000.00 per school year for each participating student and which are to be used for private school tuition.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 588 (Miller-49th) Requires that all meetings of local boards of education shall be open to the public except as otherwise provided by law; provides that members of the public shall not be removed from such public meetings except for actual disruption and in accordance with rules adopted and published by the local board of education; that visual and sound recording shall be permitted at such public meetings; and provides for the authority of superior courts to enforce compliance and award relief.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 589 (Dolezal-27th) “Georgia Educational Scholarship Act” – Creates a voucher program for public school students to attend private schools with a cap on the number of students from individual districts. Eligible students would include those who live in low-income households (under 200% FPL), children in military families, have been adopted from foster care, or have certain special education needs (an IEP, a formal diagnosis, or a 504 plan relating to a condition to be identified by the State Board).
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 601 (Miller-49th) Establishes promise scholarship accounts to be funded by the state in the amount of $6,000.00 per school year for each participating student, subject to appropriations.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

SB 603 (Rahman-5th) Provides for an outdoor learning spaces pilot program in two elementary or secondary schools to pilot the development and study of outdoor learning spaces on elementary and secondary school property.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee

HB 218 (Ballinger-23rd) Allows reciprocity for any state’s weapons carry license as long as the holder carries according to Georgia’s laws. The bill also requires the attorney general to enter into a reciprocity agreement with any state that requires one in order to recognize and give effect to a Georgia-issued license in their state.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. PASSED SENATE. The bill awaits transmission to the governor for his consideration

HB 541 (Bruce-61st) Creates the Georgia Equity and Fairness Commission, which would examine the extent to which the State of Georgia supported the institution of slavery and its ongoing ramifications. The Commission would also recommend appropriate remedies in consideration of the commission’s findings.
STATUS: House Governmental Affairs Committee

HB 846 (Smith-41st) Allows local authorities to regulate the operation of bicycles upon sidewalks by persons under the age of 16 or with disabilities.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee

HB 894 (Boddie-62nd) Provides that a prospective tenant shall not be refused a rental or lease agreement solely based upon a previous eviction during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
STATUS: House Judiciary Committee

HB 903 (Gullett-19th) Expands places where firearms may be carried and eliminates licensure for carrying a concealed weapon.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee

HB 917 (Cameron-1st) Allows lifetime weapons carry licenses.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee

HB 927 (Hutchinson-107th) Revises terminology referring to persons who are noncitizens and present in the United States without official documentation from “illegal alien” to “undocumented person”.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee

HB 960 (Leverett-33rd) Creates the Office of the Inspector General in order to investigate the management and operation of agencies. The office shall be assigned to the Office of the Governor for administrative purposes only.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Government Oversight Committee

HB 995 (Boddie-62nd) Requires employers to provide at least five days of sick leave per year for an employee that can be used for the care of immediate family members.
STATUS: House Industry and Labor Committee

HB 1040 (Bentley-139th) Requires community action agencies to submit audit reports and IRS forms to the Department of Audits and Accounts before any contracts with the Department of Human Services are made or offered and requires each member of the board of directors of a community action agency or their designee to execute contracts between the community action agency and the Department of Human Services.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight Committee. The bill will be on the House floor for a vote TOMORROW (Tuesday)

HB 1149 (Burnough-77th) “Georgia Evictions Records Restriction Act”; Requires certain records of dispossessory actions be sealed from the public when the plaintiff does not prevail, a settlement agreement is effectuated; or when three years have lapsed since a resolved case of dispossessory action caused by nonpayment. The bill also states that during a public health emergency, a one-time sealing of civil case records in dispossessory actions shall be effective immediately provided that such action was due to nonpayment caused by uncontrolled loss of income.
STATUS: House Judiciary Committee

HB 1185 (Lewis-Ward-109th) Except to the extent determined by the court, allows a ward to retain and exercise all of the powers of a person without a disability, including the right to communicate, visit, or interact with other persons through visits, telephone calls, or personal mail; and, by presuming a ward’s consent allows communication, visitation, or interaction with a person based on the ward’s prior relationship with such person if the ward is unable to express consent because of a physical or mental condition.
STATUS: House Juvenile Justice Committee

HB 1293 (Lim-99th) Requires state agencies to identify Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in data collected by such agencies.
STATUS: House Governmental Affairs Committee

HB 1387 (Collins-68th) Provides for the suspension of a motor vehicle registration upon failure to pay a civil monetary penalty for a violation of overtaking a school bus or speeding in a school zone captured by recorded images.
STATUS: House Motor Vehicles Committee. The bill will be heard in committee TOMORROW (Tuesday)

HB 1501 (Leverett-33rd) Permits youth 14 years of age or over to be employed during the months of vacation from school in the care and maintenance of lawns, gardens, and shrubbery owned or leased by the employer of such minor, provided that the minor is covered by an accident and sickness insurance plan or a workers’ compensation insurance policy or plan provided by the employer; and only permitted to care for and maintain those lawns, gardens, and shrubbery that are owned or leased by the employer. The bill also eliminates the requirement for a minor to have an employment certificate or certificate of age in order to work. The bill does create a process for getting a certificate of age from the Dept. of Labor if the minor or the minor’s parents or guardians want one.
STATUS: House Industry and Labor Committee

HR 581 (Neal-74th) Allows the net proceeds of one or more Georgia Lottery games to be used for economic development programs and loans to support small businesses located in Georgia that are independently owned and operated by students enrolled in a recognized course of study at a Georgia institution of higher education.
STATUS: House Regulated Industries Committee

SB 108 (Davenport-44th) Creates the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Government Oversight Committee. The bill moves to Senate Rules Committee

SB 197 (Jackson-41st) Includes the residence of the defendant in the list of places occupied by a victim of stalking.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill rests in Senate Rules Committee

SB 212 (Mullis-53rd) “Harry Geisinger Rural Georgia Jobs and Growth Act” – Allows Pari-mutuel horse racing with proceeds used to fund education, health care needs, and rural development, as well as areas that support the breeding, care, and racing of horses. The bill also creates The Georgia Horse Racing Commission and engages Georgia in The Interstate Compact on Licensure of Participants in Live Racing with Pari-mutuel Wagering.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee. The bill moves to Senate Rules Committee

SB 323 (Miller-49th) Repeals the state income tax in its entirety.
STATUS: Senate Finance Committee

SB 344 (Harrell-40th) Requires training to possess a handgun or long gun and establishes training standards. The bill also provides for the offenses of possession of a firearm without proper training and failure to store a firearm in a secure manner.
STATUS: Senate Public Safety Committee

SB 351 (Thompson-14th) “Woman’s Right to Know Act” – Creates extensive requirements relating to the use of abortion-inducing drugs and extensive reporting requirements, plus the bill prohibits abortion-inducing drugs in school facilities or on state property, and defines penalties for such.
STATUS: Senate Health and Human Services Committee

SB 352 (Thompson-14th) Provides for the issuance of expedited licenses by endorsement for certain licenses to spouses of firefighters, healthcare providers, and law enforcement officers who relocate to Georgia.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Regulated Industries Committee

SB 374 (Tillery-19th) Establishes the Georgia Data Analytic Center as an agent of all executive state agencies.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Judiciary Committee

SB 388 (Jackson-2nd) Increases the minimum wage and provides for annual minimum wage increases to match the rising cost of living.
STATUS: Senate Insurance and Labor Committee

SB 396 (Goodman-8th) Changes the name of the Georgia State Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to the Georgia Grown Farm to Food Bank Program (F2FB), and requires food procured pursuant to such program be Georgia grown. The bill also authorizes persons who provide services to such program or the Department of Agriculture to receive food from the program if qualified as a recipient.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Recommended Do Pass by the House Agriculture and Community Affairs Committee. The bill now moves to House Rules Committee

SB 439 (Tippins-37th) Allows the landlord in a dispossessory proceeding to appear during the trial or be represented by an agent, attorney in fact, or attorney at law.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 456 (Thompson-14th) Requires abortion-inducing drugs only be provided or prescribed by a qualified physician following procedures outlined in the bill. It also makes it unlawful for any manufacturer, supplier, physician, qualified physician, or any other person to provide any abortion-inducing drug via courier, delivery, or mail service. The bill prohibits abortion-inducing drugs in school facilities or on state property.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to House Health and Human Services Committee

SB 510 (Ginn-47th) Prohibits a person with a Class D (provisional) driver’s license from driving more than one non-family passenger under 21 years old for 12 months following issuance of the provisional license.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Public Safety Committee. The bill moves to Senate Rules Committee

SB 523 (Merritt-9th) Permits child care and other caregiving services associated with a candidate’s campaign constitute ordinary and necessary expenses of a campaign.
STATUS: Senate Ethics Committee

SB 535 (Summers-13th) Provides for targeted state funding for projects such as safe parking areas, structured camping facilities, and individual unit shelters, and for grant-allocation contracts and state grants and for the designation of structured camping facilities on state property as well as a prohibition on use of undesignated state property for camping.
STATUS: Senate Government Oversight Committee

SB 553 (Robertson-29th) Authorizes any person 15 years of age or older to operate a Class 1, Class 2, or Class 3 vessel on any of the waters of this state if such person meets certain conditions pertaining to licensure, education, and accompaniment by an adult.
STATUS: Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee

SB 557 (Thompson-14th) Prohibits the use of waivers and no-good-cause exemptions for the work requirement for able-bodied, covered individuals under the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and requires mandatory participation for covered individuals in existing employment and training programs.
STATUS: Senate Insurance and Labor Committee

SB 594 (Anderson-43rd) Revises the definition of “cash assistance” under Temporary Assistance for needy Families (TANF) to increase access to benefits, increase the lifetime maximum for benefits, and provide that assets are disregarded in determining eligibility. The bill also repeals the drug felony ban for eligibility and the family cap on benefits.
STATUS: Senate Government Oversight Committee

SR 131 (Mullis-53rd) Constitutional Amendment- Authorizing pari-mutuel betting on horse racing. The enabling legislation is SB 212.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee. The bill moves to Senate Rules Committee

SR 552 (Merritt-9th) Creates the Joint Achievement Gap for Boys Study Committee.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee

Pick one and act!

Mental Health Parity Act

The Ask: Ask members of the State House of Representatives to vote YES on House Bill 1013, the Mental Health Parity Act, when it comes before them on the House floor this TUESDAY.

The Why:

Workforce, payer practices, and case management in our behavioral health systems for kids and adults face challenges that need systemic improvements to function well and serve Georgians. Consider these numbers:

• In Georgia, suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among children
• In 2019, 94% of Georgia’s youth suicides were preventable
• Children with ADHD, autism, or developmental delays are twice as likely to be chronically absent compared to kids without these conditions
• An estimated 50-70% of youth in Department of Juvenile Justice long-term facilities have a mental health diagnosis severe enough to require ongoing treatment
• 78 Georgia counties do not have a licensed psychologist
• 53 Georgia counties do not have a licensed social worker
• 45 Georgia counties do not have a licensed psychologist OR a licensed social worker

For a summary of the (77 page!) bill, click here.

For the full bill, click here.

For Voices’ factsheet on the crisis in child and adolescent health, click here.

The Message:

Dear Representative _____________,

Please vote YES on the Mental Health Parity Act, House Bill 1013, when it comes before you on the House floor this Tuesday. This bi-partisan bill will not only ensure that children and their caregivers have access to the services they need to address behavioral health challenges, but it will also help expand our behavioral health workforce and lay crucial groundwork for future improvements in behavioral health case management and service provision across Georgia. Thank you for your service and for all you do for the children of our great state.

The Contact Information:

Click Here to Contact Georgia House of Representatives Members