Gov. Kemp Signs Bills Improving Healthcare and Supporting Coastal Communities

ATLANTA - Governor Brian P. Kemp, joined by First Lady Marty Kemp, Speaker Jon Burns, constitutional officers, members of the Georgia General Assembly, and local leaders, signed legislation helping promote access to quality, affordable healthcare for hardworking Georgians and supporting the continued growth of coastal communities.

"Today we mark another milestone," said Governor Brian Kemp. "I'm proud to sign legislation that will support the health and wellbeing of all Georgians at all stages of life. We’re also constantly evolving and innovating to address the needs of our citizens in this area, and thanks to the work of our partners in the General Assembly, the bills I sign today represent the latest steps towards achieving that goal."

Governor Kemp signed ten pieces of healthcare-related legislation:

HB 428, sponsored by Representative Lehman Franklin, cosponsored by Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones and Representatives Deborah Silcox, Scott Hilton, Soo Hong, and Sandy Donatucci, carried in the Senate by Senator Ben Watson, and championed by Speaker Jon Burns, defines and codifies an individual’s right to in vitro fertilization.

HB 94, sponsored by Representative Eddie Lumsden, cosponsored by Representatives Darlene Taylor, Lee Hawkins, Sharon Cooper, Deborah Silcox, and Kim Schofield, and carried in the Senate by Senator Chuck Hufstetler, requires all health benefit policies (excluding those executed by the state and ERISA plans) provide coverage for standard fertility preservation services when a medically necessary treatment may cause infertility.

HB 89, sponsored by Representative Sharon Cooper, cosponsored by Representatives Will Wade, Matthew Gambill, and Soo Hong, and carried in the Senate by Senator Bo Hatchett, allows the Maternal Mortality Review Committee to review psychiatric records, creates a Regional Perinatal Center (RPC) advisory committee, and removes the requirement for maternal death inquiries to be done through an RPC.

HB 584, sponsored by Representative Jesse Petrea, cosponsored by Representatives Katie Dempsey, Darlene Taylor, Ron Stephens, John LaHood, and Brian Prince, carried in the Senate by Senator Bo Hatchett, and championed by the Department of Community Health (DCH), transfers oversight of drug abuse treatment and education programs, narcotic treatment programs, community living arrangements, and adult residential mental health programs from DCH to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

HB 473, sponsored by Representative Ron Stevens, cosponsored by Representatives Lee Hawkins and Mark Newton, and carried in the Senate by Senator Ben Watson, adds a list of drugs to the dangerous drug code section, adds certain drugs to the schedule I controlled substance code section, and safeguards access to new drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

SB 55, sponsored by Senator Billy Hickman, cosponsored by Senators Sonya Halpern, Jason Esteves, Shawn Still, Drew Echols, Elena Parent, and Clint Dixon, and carried in the House by Representative Sharon Cooper, aids those with disabilities in the workforce and brings our state into compliance with federal minimum wage laws for these Georgians.

In addition to the above bills, the governor also signed the following nineteen pieces of legislation: HB 303, HB 762, HB 730, HB 797, HB 714, SB 347, SB 78, SB 340, HB 793, HB 732, HB 799, HB 760, HB 233, HB 722, HB 763, HB 724, HB 78. 

Governor Kemp extends his appreciation to all of those whose diligent work and efforts led to him being able to sign these bills today.