We convened on Monday, January 24. Session is in full-swing, and the pace certainly picked up.
A priority this session is to address mental health reform in our state. House Bill 1013, filed last week, incorporates many recommendations made by the Georgia Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission, which was established by the General Assembly in 2019. This commission has worked tirelessly over the last three years to conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s behavioral health system and will continue to identify other areas that need to be overhauled. Mental health reform will likely be one of the most important issues we address this legislative session as nearly every family has been touched by mental health struggles, especially during the last two years, and House Bill 1013 would take the necessary first steps to address this dire issue.
House Bill 1013 would:
· Increase patient access to care by expanding the list of practitioners who are able to see patients
· Expand telemedicine options
· Require insurers to cover certain mental health services
· Ensure mental health parity for providers and patients so that mental health coverage is equal to physical health coverage.
· Strengthen the state’s mental health workforce development initiatives by providing service cancelable loans for mental health/medical professionals who work in pediatrics, psychiatry, mental health, and substance abuse care
· Expand the state’s transparency and accountability requirements for consumers
· Enhance resources and tools for frontline responders and local communities
The recently formed Mental Health Policy Caucus also held its first meeting. This bipartisan, bicameral caucus will work to create a unified legislative vision to transform mental health and substance abuse care for Georgians. During its first hearing, members of the caucus listened to an eye-opening presentation from the co-founder of the Georgia Mental Health Policy Partnership, which is a statewide alliance of organizations seeking to eradicate the stigma surrounding these illnesses. This group of legislators hit the ground running this week and will continue to meet with area experts and further the overarching goal of improving mental health care for Georgians this session.
In other news, the House voted to adopt an adjournment resolution to determine our legislative calendar for the remainder of this session. Our last day of this session, or Legislative Day 40, is scheduled for April 4, which leaves us with roughly nine more weeks to complete our ambitious legislative agendas.
Throughout the busy weeks I encourage you to use our public website to easily track and check on bills and resolutions as they move through the legislative process.
With roughly two and a half months of session left, our days at the Capitol will certainly grow longer, and more bills will be scheduled for a vote on the House floor as session moves along. As such, I hope you find these resources helpful in the coming weeks.
I look forward to sharing new developments with you after we return to the Gold Dome on Tuesday, February 1 for another full week. As your state representative, my number one goal is to advance legislation that protects, serves, and supports the people of House District 158. To help me in my efforts this session, I encourage you to reach out to me about legislation or policies that interest you.
I remain dedicated to serving your interests as your state representative, and I hope that you will contact me with any questions or concerns you may have regarding the legislative session or with any proposals or recommendations for future legislation.
You can also stay in touch by visiting our website at www.house.ga.gov to watch a live stream of the House in action, as well as archived committee meetings, and review legislation that we are considering. Follow me on Facebook for updates throughout the year.
Thank you for allowing me to be your representative.
Sincerely,
Representative Butch Parrish
