March 8, 2024

March 1, 2024

 This Week under the Gold Dome

The first post-crossover week was heavy with committee activity as the House and Senate begin to take up bills from the opposite chamber, and the House approved its version of the SFY2025 “big budget” on Thursday – a couple of days behind anticipated schedule.  Among many, HB 1383, House leadership’s Certificate of Need (CON) legislation, was heard in the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities committee.  A new version of the bill (“committee substitute”) is expected to be available Sunday evening, and the chairman stated his intention to vote on this measure when the committee reconvenes on Monday morning.

This week – and next – are largely focused on committee activity in advance of the fast-approaching end of session.  Sine Die, the date upon which the House and Senate will adjourn for the year, is March 28th.

Bills under committee consideration this week:

HB 874:  AEDs in K-12 public schools

  • Introduced by Representative Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville).
  • This bill requires that each K-12 public school have at least one functional AED on-site that is easily accessible during school hours by July 1, 2025.
  • HB 874 passed out of committee unanimously.

HB 1264:  Professional help programs for healthcare professionals

  • Introduced by Representative Ron Stephens (R-Savannah).
  • The bill authorizes the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists, as well as the Georgia Board of Nursing, to establish professional health programs. These programs would be responsible for monitoring and rehabilitating impaired healthcare professionals, ensuring their fitness to continue practicing while maintaining public safety.
  • No action was taken on this bill as it was a hearing only.

HB 1096:  Secretary of State professional licensing continuation education tracking system

  • Introduced by Representative Dale Washburn (R-Macon).
  • The bill would create a continuing education tracking solution on behalf of professional licensing boards under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State’s office. This tracking solution would monitor licensees’ compliance with continuing education requirements.
  • No action was taken on this bill as it was a hearing only.

HB 1046:  Authorizing APRNs and PAs to sign death certificates

  • Introduced by Representative David Clark (R-Buford).
  • The current version authorizes advance practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants (PAs) to sign death certificates. The bill also states that healthcare professionals included must complete biennial continuing education about death certificate completion, and “a selection box must be added to the death certificate that must be checked off by the non-physician completing the form”.
  • No action was taken on this bill as it was a hearing only.

HB 1339:  House leadership CON bill

  • Introduced by Representative Butch Parrish (R-Swainsboro).
  • The Senate Regulated Industries committee is expected to produce a Committee Substitute to HB 1339; legislative text will be available Sunday TBD. Following a ‘hearing only’ meeting on Thursday, March 7th, the chairman announced his intention to reconvene on Monday morning, March 11th, at 9:30 a.m. to vote on a senate substitute bill.  Additional details will be forthcoming as soon as available.

SB 307:  Health insurer prior authorization “gold card” program requirement

  • Introduced by Senator Kay Kirkpatrick (R-Marietta).
  • The bill would require state-regulated health insurers to establish a “gold card program” that allows for reduced prior authorization requirements for healthcare providers based on their performance and adherence to evidence-based medicine. An amendment was added in the Senate committee that would update the dates in the bill to be effective from January 1, 2025.
  • SB 307 passed out of committee unanimously.

HB 982:  State Workforce Development Board “High-Demand Career List”

  • Introduced by Representative Matthew Gambill (R-Cartersville).
  • The bill would require the State Workforce Development Board to develop and approve a “High-demand Career List” that identifies careers critical to the state’s current and future workforce needs. The High-Demand Career List must include skills, certificates, licenses, diplomas, degrees, or other credentials required for the identified high-demand careers and should be published annually on the State Workforce Development Board’s public website on or before December 31st.
  • HB 982 passed out of committee.

HB 546: Defining and authorizing adaptations of prescription orders by pharmacists

  • Introduced by Representative Rick Jasperse (R-Jasper).
  • The bill would revise the definition of “pharmacy care” to include “adaptation of a prescription drug order” in the Pharmacy Practice Act. The bill would authorize pharmacists to perform adaptations of prescription orders, such as changing quantities to synchronize 90-day maintenance refills across more than one prescription or dispensing two 250 mg. tablets in lieu of one 500 mg. tablet of the same drug.
  • HB 546 passed out of committee unanimously.  

HB 1028: Standing order for post-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV and opioid antagonists

  • Introduced by Representative John LaHood (R-Valdosta).
  • The bill authorizes the State Health Officer (Commissioner of Public Health) to issue a standing order for post-exposure prophylaxis drugs for the prevention of HIV on a statewide basis in the same way as is currently allowed for opioid antagonists.  Additionally, this bill strikes specific diseases listed as “sexually transmitted diseases” in Georgia Code and authorizes the Department of Public Health to determine which diseases should be classified as STDs through rules and regulations. Sanitation and inspection requirements for transporting law enforcement agencies would then apply to any new diseases added to this definition by the Department.
  • HB 1028 passed out of committee unanimously.

New bills introduced this week:

(These bills are ineligible for further consideration this session in standalone form due to introduction after “crossover day.”)

SB 564: “Right to Contraception Act”

  • Introduced by Senator Elena Parent (D-Atlanta).
  • The bill defines contraception and contraceptives, affirms individuals’ rights to access and use contraception, as well as healthcare providers’ rights to provide access and information related to contraception.
  • SB 564 was assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

SB 565:  Legal status of human eggs and embryos existing ex-utero

  • Introduced by Senator Elena Parent (D-Atlanta).
  • The bill would specify that human eggs or embryos existing outside of a uterus shall not be considered as unborn children, minor children, or persons under state law.
  • SB 565 was assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

HB 1424: “Right to Contraception Act”

  • Introduced by Representative Marvin Lim (D-Norcross).
  • The bill defines contraception and contraceptives, affirming individuals’ rights to obtain and use them, as well as healthcare providers’ rights to provide access and information. It also outlines defenses against claims that such laws advance safety or are applied uniformly to similar medical products.
  • HB 1424 was assigned to the House Health Committee.

HB 1428: “Patient Privacy Act”

  • Introduced by Representative Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain).
  • The bill would prohibit ‘responsible physician[s]’ from performing pelvic and rectal examinations of an anesthetized or unconscious patient without explicit consent from the patient or a person authorized to consent for the patient, except in cases of emergency or when ordered by a court for evidence collection purposes. This bill would also prohibit physicians or students from performing these examinations for instructional purposes without the patient’s informed consent.
  • HB 1428 was assigned to the House Public Health Committee.