The House kicked-off the eighth week of the 2024 legislative session on Monday, February 26. We dedicated an entire day of work in our committees to make sure bills made it to the House floor for a vote. Thursday was especially important as it marked Legislative Day 28, or "Crossover Day," the deadline for bills and resolutions to pass from their originating chamber to remain eligible for final consideration by Legislative Day 40, or "Sine Die." On Crossover Day alone, the House passed 72 bills.
One piece of bipartisan legislation that I sponsored-after many years of collaborative work, passed last week. It is aimed at modernizing and refining healthcare regulations throughout Georgia, with a strong emphasis on addressing the unique healthcare challenges faced by rural communities. House Bill 1339 would stand as a cornerstone in this effort, proposing a comprehensive overhaul of the state's certificate of need (CON) laws. HB 1339 would also bolster rural healthcare through the expansion of rural hospital tax credits and the establishment of the Comprehensive Health Coverage Commission, which would be tasked with advising the governor, General Assembly and DCH on healthcare access and quality for low-income and uninsured communities in Georgia. This important legislation would not only address critical healthcare access and efficiency issues across the state but would also signify a significant step forward in ensuring equitable and effective healthcare delivery for all Georgians.
The House gave unanimous passage to House Bill 451, which would require public entities to offer additional, illness-specific insurance to first responders diagnosed with work-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ensuring adequate support and financial resources for those on the front lines would improve their mental health and resilience.
House Bill 971, or the Firearm Safe Handling and Secure Storage Tax Credit Act would allow a Georgia taxpayer to claim a tax credit for eligible expenses incurred for firearm safe handling instructional courses and the acquisition of firearm secure storage devices in the amount of the eligible expenses or $300, whichever is less. HB 971 would institute a lifetime limit of $300 per individual taxpayer and prohibits the carryover of unused credits, ensuring that benefits are distributed equitably among all eligible citizens. By promoting responsible gun ownership across the state, we could cultivate a safer and more secure environment for all Georgians.
We also unanimously passed a bipartisan measure to support Georgia’s servicemembers and their families as they relocate to our state with House Bill 880. HB 880 would bring our state in compliance with the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act by allowing the spouses of servicemembers to continue practicing their jobs without a license in certain circumstances. This military-friendly legislation would streamline the licensing process by providing clear guidelines for qualification and expedited application procedures, offering timely relief to military spouses seeking employment opportunities upon relocation to our great state.
As we continue our commitment to enhancing mental health services in our state, the House gave passage to House Bill 1104, which would address mental health risks for public and participating private school student athletes. This bipartisan bill would require athletic associations, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, to post guidelines and relevant materials on their website to inform and educate students, parents and/or guardians, school personnel, and coaches about mental health risks and available resources for students.
The House backed our promise to support victims of human trafficking by giving unanimous passage to House Bill 1201, which would allow a victim of human trafficking to have their sentence vacated when related to the conditional discharge of possession of controlled substances as a first offense, as long as the crime was a direct result of being a victim of human trafficking. HB 1201 would help ensure that victims who are sentenced under The First Offender Act have the same opportunity of innocence as other victims of human trafficking. It is vital that we grant victims of human trafficking, who have been vacated of their offenses, a chance to re-enter society with clean records.
On Crossover Day, we gave unanimous passage to legislation that would allow for a designated essential caregiver to be present with a patient or resident of a hospital or long-term care facility while they are receiving care. House Bill 663, or the “No Patient Left Alone Act,” would permit a minor or an adult who is admitted to a hospital or long-term care facility, to have a parent, guardian, person, or caregiver to be physically present with them at all times while the patient remains in the hospital or facility. As we saw during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Georgians who were in these facilities could not see their loved ones. This legislation would change that to ensure that patients are never left alone without their family or caregiver by their side.
Into the late hours on Crossover Day, the House also gave unanimous passage to House Bill 499 to support disabled Georgians. HB 499 would authorize child support and insurance policies for disabled children who have become adults and have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activities. HB 499 would allow a court to require either one spouse or both spouses who are in a divorce proceeding, living separately or in a state of separation to pay child support for a disabled child who has become an adult but lacks the ability to take care of themselves independently. Adults with disabilities may not be able to secure full-time employment needed to live independently so it is important we provide support for them to receive the care and supervision that they may need well into adulthood.
Finally, the General Assembly gave final passage this week to House Bill 915, the Amended Fiscal Year 2024 budget, via the adoption of a joint House and Senate conference committee report. I have provided a detailed overview of this budget in previous newsletters.
With Crossover Day now behind us, the House of Representatives will shift its focus to reviewing legislation that has passed in the Senate as we move through the final weeks of the session. We will also be tracking the progress of House legislation as it makes its way through the legislative process in the Senate to ensure final passage of our House bills. The House will return to session for Legislative Day 29 on Monday, March 4.
I was thrilled to have my friend and neighbor, Ken Warnock, sworn in as a member of the state workforce board.
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
MY COMMITTEES
• Special Committee on Healthcare - Chairman
• Rules - Chairman
• Banks & Banking
• Economic Development & Tourism
• Health
• Human Relations & Aging
• Public Health
• Technology and Infrastructure Innovation
• Appropriations
Capitol Address
HM-1 State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30334
404.656 .5141 Office
Pamela Lewis - Administrative Assistant
District Address
132 Victory Drive
Swainsboro, GA 30401
478.237.3838 - Office
