Floor Action
The House took up the following measure today:
SB 5 - Professions and Businesses; patient protection measures for patients undergoing sedation in certain settings; provide- Representative Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville) presented the legislation, addressing in particular “medispas.” Dentists, which do conscious sedation, are now required to have certain equipment. It does not prohibit a person who is duly licensed as a physician assistant in Georgia, who has completed an anesthesiologist assistant program approved by the Georgia Composite Medical Board from administering conscious sedation nor deem such physician assistant to be engaged in the unlawful practice of dentistry, pursuant to their job description as approved by the Georgia Composite Medical Board, provided that such sedation is administered under the direction and responsibility of an anesthesiologist. The legislation also The bill passed by Substitute with a vote of 160-5; it now requires the Senate to agr
Floor Notes
House
Modified Structured Rule
HB 68 Professions and businesses; certain military certifications; extend time to qualify (RegI-Clark-147th) Bill PASSED 163-0.
HB 119 Professions and businesses; chiropractors may own professional corporations with physicians; provide (RegI-Hawkins-27th) Bill PASSED 163-0.
HB 161 Local government; downtown development authorities; remove provision providing perpetual existence to such authorities (GAff-Tankersley-160th) Bill PASSED 165-0.
HB 241 Insurance; revise meaning of property insurance; change parameters under which certain contracts or agreements may be canceled (Substitute) (Ins-Gambill-15th) Bill PASSED166-0.
HB 286 Local government; restrict ability of county governing authorities to reduce funding for county police departments(Substitute)(GAff-Gaines-117th) Bill was postponed.
Committee Reports
House Education Committee
The House Education Committee, chaired by Representative Matt Dubnik (R-Gainesville), met this morning to consider two bills and hear a presentation from State School Superintendent Richard Woods.
HB 32, authored by Representative Dave Belton (R-Buckhead), amends O.C.G.A. 20-2-251 to require the State Board of Education to create a teacher recruitment and retention program by providing a refundable tax credit of $3,000 per qualifying teacher per year, for up to five school years. The department must pick no more than 100 schools from the list of qualifying schools to become a part of the program. The Office of Student Achievement is required to create program objectives and annually measure and evaluate the program. The program is limited to 1,000 teachers statewide. No new applications to the program can be accepted after December 31, 2031. Representative Belton presented the bill to the committee and fielded questions.
Senate Finance Committee
Senator Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome) led his Committee this afternoon with a hearing on SB 1, a bill authored by Senator Dean Burke (R-Bainbridge) which amends Title 31 to require that entities, that receive state income tax credits and provide self-funded, employer sponsored health insurance not subject to the regulatory authority of the Commissioner of Insurance, must report insurance claims information to the Georgia All-Payer Claims Database. The legislation further requires compliance with the reporting requirement beginning January 1, 2022, as a condition to continued receipt of any such tax credits.
The Committee held a hearing only discussion today on the legislation. Senator Burke explained the legislation on the All-Payer Claims Database initiative which has been adopted in 34 states. The goals are to provide transparency and predictability to improve outcomes and access to healthcare. The claims completed by providers for patients would be translate
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Lawmakers returned to the Capitol despite the downpour of rain and quickly got down to work for the people of Georgia. The first task tackled was the House Appropriations Committee taking action on its complete recommendations for the FY 2021 Amended Budget. After hearing the presentation of the recommendations by Chairman Terry England (R-Auburn) which he acknowledged had been on a “harried pace”, and swiftly moving the legislation forward out of the Committee, the Chairman announced that HB 80 would be on the floor of the House on Thursday morning. Our team will keep you posted as the budget makes its way through the process. The Committee Substitute on HB 80 is found in this link. The Committee Tracking Report is in this link, showing differences between the Governor and House versions of the proposed FY 2021 Amended Budget.