House Passes Several Bills
H.B. 1219 by Rep. Penny Houston (R-Nashville) that would revise the composition of the Board of Dentistry. MAG is watching this legislation.
H.B. 1324 by Rep. Beth Camp (R-Concord) that would 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.
H.B. 1348 by Rep. Bonnie Rich (R-Suwanee) that would prohibit vaping in designated smoke-free areas. MAG supports this legislation.
H.B. 1355 by Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) that would update the state’s lead guidelines to bring them in line with nationally recognized guidelines. MAG supports this measure.
Senate Passes Several Bills
S.B. 345 by Sen. Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga) that would prohibit state and local governments and their agencies from mandating COVID-19 vaccine passports for any services or access to any facility. This legislation includes a sunset and will end on June 30, 2023 and exempts entities who have a federal mandate through CMS. MAG opposes this legislation.
S.B. 403 by Sen. Ben Watson, M.D. (R-Savannah) that would pair mental health professionals with law enforcement to respond to certain calls that may benefit from the training of the mental health professional. MAG supports this legislation.
S.B. 456 by Sen. Bruce Thompson (R-White) that would implement requirements for prescribing “abortion-inducing drugs” including an in-person visit before a physician. One amendment was adopted to change some of the problematic language contained in the original legislation.
S.B. 496 by Sen. Dean Burke, M.D. (R-Bainbridge) that would 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 for a condition or illness which could have resulted in the patient’s death within 180 days prior to death. MAG supports this legislation.
H.B. 910 by Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), which is the budget for Amended Fiscal Year 2022.
Committees Pass Several Bills
The House HHS Committee passed three bills that MAG supports. First, H.B. 1013 by Rep. David Ralston, which is an omnibus mental health bill that includes mental health parity. Second, H.B. 1453 by Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) that would do three things: (1) move the Low THC Patient Registry from the Department of Public Health to the Composite Medical Board who would then contract with a third party nonprofit organization composed primarily of physicians in this state, (2) require the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to contract with a third party to accredit independent laboratories and such third party shall be a nonprofit organization experienced in the accreditation of health care facilities and composed primarily of physicians in this state, and (3) establish a queue of proposals submitted for production licenses tied to the number of patients in the registries. Third, S.B. 256 by Sen. Dean Burke, M.D., which was substituted for language that would prohibit the sale to and by minors of drug products containing dextromethorphan.
The House Regulated Industries Committee passed two bills. H.B. 884 by Dave Belton (R-Buckhead) that would revise provisions related to licensure by endorsement for military spouses. MAG is reviewing this legislation. H.B. 1400 by Rep. Alan Powell (R-Hartwell) that would increase the number of licenses issued by the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission from a limit of four Class 1 licenses to nine and from four Class 2 licenses to nineteen with an aggregate limit of twenty-two licenses. MAG is watching this legislation.
The House Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care passed H.B. 1371 by Rep. Rick Jasperse (R-Jasper) that would create the Rural Health Advancement Commission. MAG is watching this legislation.
The Senate HHS Committee passed H.B. 1086 by Rep. Katie Dempsey that would lower the age to 50 years old for hospitals to offer inpatients vaccinations for the influenza virus prior to discharge. MAG supports this legislation.
Bills Introduced
Rep. Mark Newton, M.D. (R-Augusta) introduced H.B. 1442, which would require that all State Health Benefit Plan contracts contain provisions that ensure that laboratory services are available at in-network rates within 50 miles or one hour of a plan member's place of business or residence. MAG is watching this legislation, which was referred to the House Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care.
Rep. Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville) introduced H.B. 1449 that would require 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. MAG is watching this legislation, which was assigned to the House HHS Committee.
Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) introduced H.B. 1477, which would require coroners to meet or employ an individual who meets the qualifications of a medical examiner. MAG is reviewing this legislation, which was assigned to the House HHS Committee.
Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) introduced H.B. 1483, which would provide for licensure by endorsement in social work. MAG is reviewing this legislation, which was assigned to the House HHS Committee.
Rep. Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville) introduced H.B. 1484 that 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 Medicaid program. MAG is reviewing this legislation, which was assigned to the House HHS Committee.
Rep. Mesha Mainor (D-Atlanta) introduced H.B. 1514, which would allow physical therapists to order diagnostic imaging and use ultrasound. MAG opposes this legislation.
Rep. Miriam Paris (D-Macon) introduced H.B. 1518 that would provide for the licensure and regulation of community midwives. MAG opposes this legislation.
Rep. David Knight (R-Griffin) introduced H.B. 1519, which would prohibit insurers from unilaterally changing network participation contracts impacting coverage, access to, or costs of ancillary services. MAG supports this legislation.
Rep. Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville) introduced H.B. 1520 that would create the Georgia Council on Addressing Health Care Workforce Challenges. This 26-person council would include a “representative from a state-wide association representing physicians.” MAG supports this legislation.
Sen. Dean Burke, M.D. (R-Bainbridge) introduced S.B. 566, which would 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 was referred to the Senate Insurance & Labor Committee.
Sen. Nikki Merritt (D-Grayson) introduced S.B. 571 that would require 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; to require prescribers to document the notification in the patient's file. MAG is reviewing this legislation, which was assigned to the Senate HHS Committee.
Sen. Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga) introduced S.B. 572 that would revise provisions related to vapor products. MAG is reviewing this legislation, which was assigned to the Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee.
Sen. Mullis also introduced S.B. 574, which would authorize use of proceeds of sale of a hospital held in trust for public health care. MAG is reviewing this legislation, which was referred to the Senate HHS Committee.
Sen. Matt Brass (R-Newnan) introduced S.B. 573, which would require hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to utilize surgical smoke evacuation systems during surgical procedures. MAG opposes this legislation, which was referred to the Senate HHS Committee.
Sen. Brass also introduced S.B. 592, which would allow a taxpayer to deduct the full amount paid for shares as a member of a health care sharing organization from Georgia taxable income. MAG is watching this legislation.
