Rep. Alan Powell: 2024 Legislative Newsletter – Week Nine

By State Representative Alan Powell, HD 33 

The House kicked off the eighth week of the 2024 legislative session on Monday, February 26, passing bipartisan legislation aimed at modernizing and refining healthcare regulations throughout Georgia:

House Bill 451, would require public entities to offer additional illness-specific insurance to first responders diagnosed with work-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

House Bill 1104, 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.

House Bill 1201, 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.

House Bill 663, 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 be physically present with them at all times while the patient remains in the hospital or facility.

House Bill 971, 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.

House Bill 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; and 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 lack the ability to take care of themselves independently;

House Bill 880, would bring our state in compliance with the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, allowing the spouses of servicemembers to practice their jobs without a license in certain circumstances. Spouses who hold a current license from another state, and in good standing in that state, would submit an expedited license by endorsement application along with the servicemember’s military orders, prior to relocation to Georgia, as well as be employed by an in-state employer,

House Bill 1339, would propose a comprehensive overhaul of the state’s certificate of need (CON) laws,

Lastly, we passed

House Bill 915: The Amended Fiscal Year 2024 budget, set at a revised revenue estimate of $37.9 billion and includes $2 billion in surplus funds: $23.9 million to the Rural Workforce Housing program, to provide funding for projects that address the current workforce housing needs through housing expansion/improvement; $392 million to Capitol Hill building improvement projects, repairs and improvements to our Gold Dome for occupant safety and public access, and a new legislative office building; $102.5 million to the Department of Education for Quality Basic Education midterm adjustments, and $8.9 million designated for the Summer Transition program to provide rising Pre-K students and rising Kindergarten students with extra support in language, literacy, and math; $500 million to the employee retirement system for enhanced benefits, and to provide greater cost-of-living benefits to state retirees in future years;

More than $300 million to state employees and teachers through a one-time salary supplement; $178 million for a new dental school at Georgia Southern University; $50 million for the construction of a medical school at the University of Georgia; $500 million to be earmarked for the new Freight Infrastructure Projects program to enhance the state’s rapidly growing and thriving freight network; $250 million to the Local Road Assistance Administration Program as a one-time infusion to support local transportation infrastructure projects across the state.

Governor Kemp signed HB 915 into law on Thursday, February 29.

With Crossover Day behind us, the House of Representatives will shift to reviewing legislation that has been passed by our counterparts in the Senate. We will also be tracking the progress of House legislation, as it makes its way through the legislative process in the Senate, to ensure the final passage of our House bills.

I encourage you to visit your Capitol or call my Atlanta office at 404-463-3793; email [email protected] or [email protected]. When writing, please include your address and phone number. As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your State Representative.