Georgia General Assembly
Legislative Days 26-28 (of 40)
It was an exceedingly exhausting week under the gold dome last week. Legislators met in session Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Thursday was crossover, marking the final day for bills to pass from their originating chamber in order to continue to travel this session. This week, legislators will be in session Monday, Tuesday and Thursday with Wednesday being a designated committee day. With under a month remaining in the session, we expect the volume to decrease, but the intensity to increase.
PA specifically
HB 54, allowing PAs to order Home Health for their patients, passed the House.
Note, legislation allowing PAs to perform artificial insemination previously passed the House.
Budget
The Governor signed the Amended budget at the state capitol on Thursday. As such, appropriators will turn their complete attention to the FY26 budget, which is expected to come out of the Appropriations committee in the House on Monday morning.
Committee/ Floor Action
HB717 (Cooper) regulates the administration of psychedelic-assisted treatment and therapy. This bill passed the Public Health committee, and while it did not crossover, we should expect to see it attached to a Senate bill that did cross.
HB 219: creating a program for the monitoring and rehab of impaired nurses (alternative discipline), passed the House.
SB220 (Brass) updating the medical cannabis statutes including expanding the individuals who would qualify for a medical cannabis card passed the Senate.
HB291 creating a new occupation, a certified community health worker and a related oversight committee, passed the House.
HB471 requiring licensed general hospitals to, within 24 hours after birth, make available a water safety education video to parents, passed the House.
HB645, (LaHood) removing the requirement for COVID testing for residents and staff in long term care facilities, passed the House.
Insurance
HB87: provides for a mandated coverage for medically necessary orthotics and prosthetics. This bill passed the House.
HB 197: This bill stipulates that any review of medical necessity and needed review shall include processes and numbers for contacting the treating provider or his or her designee, implementing a callback telecommunications system, or the use of a public website whereby such provider or designee may elect to receive a scheduled communication at a later time in the event that a clinical peer is not available. This bill passed the House.
HB 323: provides that an individual may enroll in a Medicare supplement policy when such individual is currently enrolled in Medicare by reason of disability or end stage renal disease during a one-time open enrollment period of six months beginning on January 1, 2026. This bill passed the House.
HB506 requiring Medicaid to cover prescriptions and counseling for tobacco cessation for without any cost sharing including deductibles passed the House.
HB612, (Dempsey) adding the Insurance commissioner to the Behavioral Health Coordinating Council. Further, the bill requires all healthcare providers and healthcare facilities to report instances of insurers violating healthcare parity laws, passed the House.
SB 276 (Echols) prohibiting CMOs or other third party payors from denying payment due solely because the item or service did not receive a prior authorization, passed the Senate
Health Licensure
HB567, (Dempsey) regulating tele-dentistry, passed the House.
HB571, licensing radiologist assistants, passed the House.
HB579 (Reeves) streamlining the licensure process for those professions licensed by boards under the Secretary of State’s office,passed the House.
SB 162, (Hufstetler) requiring the Composite Medical Board to implement a data management software system to streamline and automate credentialing (and protocol agreements/job descriptions) for physicians, PAs, APRNs, and AAs, passed the Senate.
SB 195, (Hufstetler) authorizing pharmacists to dispense and administer preexposure HIV related prophylaxis and postexposure prophylaxis without a prescription from a licensed practitioner, passed the Senate.
New Bills
Insurance
SB323 (James) requires coverage for medically necessary tests for metal allergies and metal sensitivities prior to any cardio, dental, or orthopedic surgeries involving the insertion of a metal implant.
Health Generally
HB717 (Cooper) regulates the administration of psychedelic-assisted treatment and therapy.
HB729 (Miller) creates a student loan program for OB providers in low access to maternity care areas and maternity care deserts.
SR343 (James) encourages medical practitioners to consider applying patch testing for patients with a clinical history of metal hypersensitivity prior to certain implantation operations.
HR540 Urges Congress to adopt legislation requiring the Medicare program to provide for lifelong coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for liver, heart, and lung transplant recipients.
Study Committees
HR512 (Hagan) creates an addiction related study committee.
SR344 (Orrock) creates a study committee on a single payer healthcare program.
Tort
HB733 (bipartisan) seemingly authored by individuals opposed to tort reform and in response to tort reform, provides additional requirements and considerations for insurance rate setting.
Please find your attached tracking sheet.