Three Mental Health Bills Clear House and Senate
Three mental health bills that MAG supported cleared the House and Senate. H.B. 1013 by Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) is the omnibus mental health bill that includes MAG priority, Mental Health Parity. H.B. 752 by Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) will allow individuals to complete a psychiatric advance directive, which was also a MAG priority. S.B. 403 by Sen. Ben Watson, M.D. (R-Savannah) will pair mental health professionals with law enforcement to respond to certain calls that may benefit from the training of the mental health professional.

House Passes Several Bills
S.B. 330 by Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell) would prohibit an insurer from canceling, modifying coverage, refusing to issue, or refusing to renew any life insurance policy solely because the applicant or insured, acting as a living organ donor, donated all or part of a liver or all or part of a kidney. MAG supports this legislation, which requires agreement from the Senate before it heads to the Governor’s desk.

S.B. 345 by Sen. Jeff Mullis, M.D. (R-Chickamauga) would prohibit state and local governments and their
agencies from mandating COVID-19 vaccine passports for any services or access to any facility. This law would cease to be in effect on June 30, 2023 and does not apply if compliance required an agency to violate CMS regulations. This measure requires agreement from the Senate before it heads to the Governor’s desk.

S.B. 496 also by Sen. Dean Burke, M.D. (R-Bainbridge) will require a medical examiner’s inquiry after the death of a pregnant woman or a woman who was pregnant within 365 days prior to such female's death and would also define the term “unattended by a physician” for the purposes of medical examiner’s inquiry as a patient who has not been seen by a physician within 180 days prior to death. MAG supports this legislation, which is headed to the Governor’s desk. 

S.B. 566 by Sen. Burke, M.D. will clarify 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. MAG supports this legislation, which is headed to the Governor’s desk.

S.B. 164 by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome) would modernize Georgia’s HIV laws by 1) aligning services and policies with best public health practices and 2) making certain conduct by an individual who has HIV unlawful if the conduct has a significant risk of transmission. This legislation addresses Georgia laws that were originally implemented in the 1980s, it addresses criminal code changes to require an “intent to harm,” and it updates the “needle exchange law” that was passed in 2019. MAG supports this legislation, which is headed to the Governor’s desk.

Senate Passes Several Bills

H.B. 412 by Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) would provide licensure for Applied Behavior Analysts. MAG is neutral on this bill.

H.B. 884 by Dave Belton (R-Buckhead) would revise provisions related to licensure by endorsement for military spouses. MAG is neutral on this legislation, which requires agreement from the House before it heads to the Governor’s desk.

H.B. 918 by Rep. Mike Cheokas (R-Americus) would create the Georgia Rare Disease Advisory Council. MAG supports this legislation, which requires agreement from the House before it heads to the Governor’s desk.

H.B. 937 by Rep. Sharon Henderson (D-Covington) would require insurers to notify insured women when they turn 40 of their coverage for mammograms. MAG supports this legislation, which heads to the Governor’s desk.

H.B. 972 by Rep. Dave Belton (R-Buckhead) would make changes to the “Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists Licensing Law.” MAG is neutral on this legislation, which requires agreement from the House before it heads to the Governor’s desk.

H.B. 1042 would authorize authorities to administer grants to developers who open “primary care medical facilities” in health shortage areas. These facilities would then be operated by a dentist, physician, or “mental health care provider.” MAG is neutral on this legislation, which heads to the Governor’s desk.

H.B. 1069 by Rep. Bruce Williamson (R-Monroe) would license adult residential mental health programs. MAG supports this legislation, which heads to the Governor’s desk.


H.B. 1276 by Rep. Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville) would require that statistical reports with data relating to state health plans be posted on the Department of Community Health website, which requires agreement from the House before it heads to the Governor’s desk.

H.B. 1304 by Rep. Lee Hawkins would require that hospitals provide patients the opportunity to identify a lay caregiver to provide aftercare assistance to the patient in the event the patient is discharged from the hospital. MAG is neutral on this legislation, which now heads to the Governor’s desk.

H.B. 1324 will clarify that the prudent layperson standard is not affected by the diagnoses given as far as it relates to insurance coverage. MAG supports this legislation, which heads to the Governor’s desk.

Committee Activity 
The House Health & Human Services Committee passed two bills. H.R. 1103 by Rep. Mark Newton, M.D. would urge the Biden Administration to remove its veto and reapprove Georgia's Medicaid expansion waiver. S.B. 456 by Sen. Bruce Thompson (R-White) seeks to implement requirements for prescribing “abortion-inducing drugs” including an in-person visit before a physician. MAG opposes legislative interference into the physician-patient relationship. 

The House Regulated Industries Committee passed a substitute to S.B. 45 by Sen. Bruce Thompson (R-White) that includes language to update APRN licensure and would allow APRNs, PAs, and Physical Therapists to sign the forms to allow individuals to receive a disability parking placard. MAG is neutral on this language. 

The Senate Health & Human Services Committee passed two bills that MAG supports. H.B. 1484 by Rep. Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville) would create a three-year pilot program to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infection (PANDAS) and pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) under the State Health Benefit Plan. H.B. 1533 by Rep. Newton, M.D. would provide confidentiality protections to participants in a wellness program for health care workers that would be hosted by MAG. 

 
Doctor of the Day
We would be remiss not to thank the physicians who served as Doctor of the Day this week…
Yvette Davis-Smith, MD
John Odom, MD
Dareema Hughes, MD
Gulshan Harjee, MD

To serve as Doctor of the Day, please RSVP to Sydney Hall at sydney@associationstrategygroup.us or call 404.299.7700. 
Register Now for the MAG 2022 Legislative Education Seminar 
Registration is now available for MAG's 2022 Legislative Education Seminar meeting, which will take place May 13-15 at Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa in Young Harris, GA. The event schedule is also available on the registration webpage. Register here.
MAG Government Relations Team
Bethany Sherrer, Director/General Counsel
bsherrer@mag.org
678.303.9273
Derek Norton, Consultant
dnorton@topspinga.com
Travis Lindley, Consultant
travis@capitolstrategy.us
Devin Krecl, Consultant
devin@capitolstrategy.us
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