Legislative Summary
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2019 Legislative Summary Includes bills of interest in the 2019 session and bills that will hold over until the 2020 legislative session. The 2019 Legislative Session ran from Monday, January 14th – Tuesday, April 2nd. Everything that passed both chambers now enters a forty-day bill review period during which they will either be signed, vetoed, or automatically become law without his signature by Governor Kemp. √ HB 217 Needle Exchange/Harm Reduction House Bills Passed √ HB 481 Abortion - Heartbeat SIGNED INTO LAW √ HB 26 Psychology Interstate Compact Rep. Houston Gaines Rep. Ed Setzler Rep. Dave Belton Creates a syringe services program relating to Institutes a law declaring that abortions are illegal in the state after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is usually Allows Georgia to enter into an interstate compact hypodermic syringes or needles. Governor Kemp has already signed this legislation and is officially around six weeks gestation known as the "Psychology Inter-jurisdictional in law. Compact". Authorizing the State Board of Examiners √ HB 514 Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation of Psychologists to administer the compact. √ HB 233 Pharmacy Anti Steering Commission Rep. David Knight Rep. Kevin Tanner √ HB 39 Physical Therapy Interstate Compact Enables a transparency program for Pharmacy Creates the Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Rep. Dave Belton Benefit Managers. The bill prohibits PBM and Commission. Comprised of 23 experts to develop a Allows Georgia to enter into an interstate compact insurer-owned pharmacies from filling statewide plan for mental and behavioral health. The for licensure between compact states. This known prescriptions that were received via prohibited current version now includes one voting position for a referrals from their PBM and insurer affiliates. as the "Physical Therapy Licensure Compact Act" Community Service Board member appointed by the Lieutenant Governor.. authorizing the State Board of Physical Therapy to √ HB 290 Preexposure (PrEP) to HIV Pilot administer the compact. Program √ HB 551 Kratom / PDMP Rep. Sharon Cooper Rep. Dewayne Hill √ HB 62 Mammograms SIGNED INTO LAW Creates a syringe services program relating to Provides for a standard level of Kratom alkoloids and Rep. Sharon Cooper hypodermic syringes or needles. establish recommended dosages. The bill also provides for Requires a health care facility to notify a patient the prohibition of access to kratom for individuals under √ HB 323 Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform whenever dense breast tissue is detected in a the age of 18. Rep. Sharon Cooper amended the bill to Rep. David Knight mammogram. The legislation includes specific include language that would address the fines for Provides transparency of PBMs to report annually physicians who were not registered for the Prescription language that must be included in that notification. to the Commissioner the aggregate amount of all Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) prior to the deadline. Governor Kemp has already signed this legislation rebates that the pharmacy benefits manager and is officially in law. received from pharmaceutical manufacturers and √ HR584 Floor and Trade Charity Care Study the aggregate amount of rebates the pharmacy Committee √ HB 63 Step Therapy benefits manager received from pharmaceutical Rep. Todd Jones Rep. Sharon Cooper manufacturers that it did not pass through to Creates the House Study Committee on Exploring a Floor and Trade Charity Care System, which will focus on a credit Establish exceptions to health insurer step therapy insurers or payers. protocols. Step therapy is a health insurance program for Indigent and Charity Care (ICC) provided in protocol that requires patients to first try a less √ HB 324 Georgia's Hope Act the state that hospitals would buy and sell according to expensive drug on a Prescription Drug list before Rep. Micah Gravley their need to meet ICC requirements. moving up a "step" to a more expensive drug. This Georgia's Hope Act allows for the production, √ HR590 PANDA/PANS StudyCommittee approach is also called "fail first” protocol. manufacturing, and dispensing of low THC oil in Rep. Karen Bennett HB 128 Hi Low Agreements Georgia and allows exception to possession of Creates the House Study Committee on Pediatric Acute- √ certain quantities of low THC oil Rep. Deborah Silcox Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome ("PANS") and Pediatric Exempts “low” payments under high-low √ HB 374 Hospice Orders Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with agreements in medical malpractice agreements Rep. John LaHood Streptococcal infection ("PANDAS") to study the needs, from the requirement to report settlements to the Authorizes certified medication aides to issues, and problems associated with PANS and PANDAS. These disorders create the sudden onset of obsessive- Georgia Composite Medical Board. administer medications to residents under compulsive disorder in children, causing previously hospice care pursuant to a physician's written √ HB187 Bariatric Drug Pilot healthy and well adjusted children to experience severe Rep. Katie Dempsey orders. anxiety and emotional disturbances. The study committee Provides for a pilot program to provide coverage aims to identify barriers to insurance-based care for for the treatment and management of obesity children with PANS and PANDAS and their families as well through medication and counseling for members of as examine comprehensive medical and behavioral health the State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP). services for those suffering from this autoimmune disorder. CAPITOL WATCH 2 among the documents that influence treatment health center are reimbursed at no less than the Medicare √ HR 725 Co-Prescribing Naloxone decisions. maximum allowable reimbursement rate. Rep. Sharon Cooper Recognizes the policy recommendations and outcomes √ SB 207 Direct Primary Care Act of co-prescribing naloxone with opioids. HB 580 Conversion Therapy Treatment Sen. Dean Burke Rep. Matthew Wilson Changes the name of the Georgia Board of Physician Would prohibit the practice of conversion therapy Workforce board to the Georgia Board of Health Care House Bills Held for when treating patients with gender identity. Workforce √ SB 214 Barbers and Cosmetology Board Changes Action in 2020 HB 586 Hospice Drug Take Back Sen. P.K. Martin Rep. Chuck Efstration Changes the number of apprenticeship hours required for Would regulate the disposal of unused prescribed cosmetologists, hair designers, estheticians, nail HB 112 DXM Cough Medicine Age Verification controlled substances for hospice patients by hospice technicians, master barbers, and barbers II. This legislation Rep. John LaHood staff. now includes HB 535 by Rep. Lee Hawkins that provides Requires identification by minors for drug products for the regulation and permittance of body artists and body containing dextromethorphan. art studios. Senate Bills Passed HB 158 HIV Medicaid and ADAP Recipients √ SR 202 Joint Study Committee on Mid-Level Health Rep. Deborah Silcox √ SB 16 Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Care Providers Makes it easier for HIV-positive Medicaid recipients to Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, MD Sen. Chuck Hufstetler receive the most effective medications, allowing Improves the process for physicians to obtain licenses Creates a joint study committee that would be tasked with physicians to get patients into treatments quickly with in other participating states. Georgia will be the 25th looking at ways to simplify the physician oversight process the most effective drug regimen available. the state to become a part of the compact if signed into law for mid-level health care providers, including the number Department of Community Health has pledged to work by the Governor. This bill passed the Senate of each type of mid-level provider that a physician can with the bill sponsor to achieve this through the unanimously and passed the House with only one supervise. regulatory process. dissenting vote. HB 160 State Health Benefit Plan Bariatric Surgery √ SB 18 Direct Primary Care Act Senate Bills Held for Pilot Renewal & Expansion Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, MD Allows physicians to provide direct primary care to Rep. Katie Dempsey patients without having to incur costs of insurance Renews and expands the pilot for a bariatric surgery Action in 2020 billing and overhead. benefit to a four-year pilot allowing for 250 State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) participants per year SB 106 Medicaid Waivers SIGNED INTO LAW SB 114 Health Strategies Council √ Would reinstate the state's Health Strategies Council. through 2024. Sen. Blake Tillery This is Gov. Brian Kemp’s health care legislation HB 178 Assisted Outpatient Treatment regarding waivers, also known as the 'Patients First SB 189 Record Requests/E-Discovery Rep. Don Hogan Act.' This legislation authorizes the Georgia Sen. Bill Cowsert would create a unit within the Department of Department of Community Health (DCH) to submit a Would mandate costs for the copying of medical records and require electronic delivery of the records. Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to Section 1115 waiver to the Centers for Medicare & provide for assisted outpatient treatment programs Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand the number of and an advisory council Georgians who are insured by Georgia’s Medicaid SR 193 Senate Study Committee on Transferring program. Furthermore, the legislation allows the Oversight of Developmental Disabilities to the HB 330 Podiatry Scope Expansion Administration to submit a Section 1332 waiver to the Department