Calling it a ‘milestone in healthcare’, Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation into law late last week that he says will “help promote access to quality, affordable healthcare for hardworking Georgians. Kemp was joined by First Lady Marty Kemp, Speaker Jon Burns, constitutional officers, members of the Georgia General Assembly, and local leaders in the bill signing ceremony in coastal Georgia.
“I’m proud to sign legislation that will support the health and wellbeing of all Georgians at all stages of life,” said Kemp. “We’re also constantly evolving and innovating to address the needs of our citizens in this area, and thanks to the work of our partners in the General Assembly, the bills I sign today represent the latest steps towards achieving that goal.”
Republican Rep. Lehman Franklin, R-Statesboro, drew bipartisan support for House Bill 428 – which he introduced in part over concerns about access to the treatment after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled last year that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. After passage of the bill this past legislative session, Franklin said that after multiple rounds of IVF and a plan to adopt fell through, he and his wife were finally able to conceive using the treatment. HB 428 was cosponsored by Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones, R-Milton, and others. It was championed by Speaker Jon Burns and defines and codifies an individual’s right to in vitro fertilization.
Other bills signed into law:
HB 94, sponsored by Rep. Eddie Lumsden, R-Armuchee, and carried in the Senate by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, requires all health benefit policies (excluding those executed by the state and ERISA plans) provide coverage for standard fertility preservation services when a medically necessary treatment may cause infertility.
HB 89, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta, allows the Maternal Mortality Review Committee to review psychiatric records, creates a Regional Perinatal Center (RPC) advisory committee, and removes the requirement for maternal death inquiries to be done through an RPC.
HB 584, sponsored by Rep. Jesse Petrea, R-Savannah, and a host of others, and championed by the Department of Community Health (DCH), transfers oversight of drug abuse treatment and education programs, narcotic treatment programs, community living arrangements, and adult residential mental health programs from DCH to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
HB 473, sponsored by Rep. Ron Stevens, R-Savannah, adds a list of drugs to the dangerous drug code section, adds certain drugs to the schedule I controlled substance code section, and safeguards access to new drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
SB 55, sponsored by Sen. Billy Hickman, R-Statesboro, aids those with disabilities in the workforce and brings the state into compliance with federal minimum wage laws for these Georgians.
