Georgia Life Alliance, the state’s National Right to Life affiliate and the largest pro-life group in Georgia, has set its agenda for the 2023 legislative session – the first ‘post-Roe’ legislative session.
In a press statement sent out in the days prior to kicking off the 2023 session on Jan. 9, GLA officials said, “We’ve spent years chipping away at abortion under Roe and establishing Personhood, with notable success. But now it’s time to continue building a culture that supports women, children, and families in a post-Roe Georgia.”
Listed as the group’s top priority for 2023 is the passage of the Women’s Health and Safety Act. GLA is looking to the support of new leadership at the Capitol to help push the passage of the legislation, which it began working on in 2020. It would prevent the abortion pill from being provided via mail telemedicine and mandate an ultrasound during an in-person visit 24 hours prior to the abortion. The bill did not cross the finish line during the 2022 session but will be reintroduced in 2023.
According to a GLA spokesperson, the group is committed to passing more legislation that “makes it easier for families to adopt, safer for children in foster care, and supports Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) caseworkers. This includes “strengthening how the state’s safe surrender system operates to cracking down on predatory adoption groups.”
Among other legislative priorities for GLA are introducing new policies such as the Working For Two Act, which protects pregnant women in the workplace; and the Pregnant On Campus Act, which protects pregnant women continuing their education. The Working For Two Act would “ensure pregnant women in the workplace have reasonable accommodations such as frequent and longer breaks, a private space to pump breast milk, and permitted non-PTO time for doctor’s visits.” The Pregnant On Campus Act “would ensure pregnant women enrolled in the University System of Georgia have access to reasonable accommodations while pursuing their education such as priority on-campus housing and parking, excused time from class for doctors’ visits, and accommodations for physical limitations during testing and projects.
