{"id":526,"date":"2024-02-26T18:05:35","date_gmt":"2024-02-26T18:05:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.washburnforstatehouse.com\/?p=526"},"modified":"2024-02-26T18:05:41","modified_gmt":"2024-02-26T18:05:41","slug":"week-7-legislative-session-recap-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.washburnforstatehouse.com\/week-7-legislative-session-recap-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Week 7 Legislative Session Recap 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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On Tuesday, February 20, my House colleagues and I reconvened for another productive week of the 2024 legislative session. During week seven of the session, we met in the House Chamber for three days and continued to do the people\u2019s business by voting on key legislation that aims to better the lives of Georgians. It was a short but packed week as we continued to prepare for the \u201cCrossover Day\u201d deadline on February 29, which is the last day that legislation can be passed out of its chamber of origin and remain eligible to be signed into law this year. With that in mind, we continued to make significant progress this week by voting on legislation to enhance public safety, behavioral healthcare and education in Georgia.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week, my colleagues and I voted on legislation to protect some of Georgia\u2019s most vulnerable citizens. On Thursday, the House unanimously passed House Bill 993<\/a>, which would introduce criminal penalties for individuals who knowingly and intentionally groom minors and use electronic means to persuade, induce, entice or coerce them into committing sexual offenses or acts of human trafficking. Perpetrators of this crime would face felony imprisonment ranging from one to five years, and those who commit these heinous acts could be charged regardless of whether crimes are committed within or outside of our state if it involves a minor who lives in Georgia. The General Assembly has taken decisive action in recent years to combat human trafficking in our state. By addressing the growing threat of online exploitation, HB 993 would reinforce our commitment to safeguarding the well-being of our minors and upholds the state\u2019s dedication to justice, dignity and the protection of human rights for all Georgians. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help confront the opioid crisis in Georgia, the House passed House Bill 1170<\/a> on Thursday, which would require government buildings and courthouses that contain Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to provide opioid antagonists to assist in the event of an opioid overdose on those premises. This bipartisan legislation would apply to courthouses and government buildings that already contain AED boxes, and the opioid antagonists would be added to these boxes. These buildings would be required to maintain at least three-unit doses of opioid antagonists and ensure that these antagonists would be available during the regular business hours of these buildings. Additionally, the Department of Public Health (DPH), in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, would be required to identify and develop educational resources and guidelines on opioid-related overdoses, as well as develop a model training and implementation policy for opioid antagonist administration, both of which would be posted on the department’s website. Further, every government entity that operates out of a government building would also be required to establish and implement an internal training and implementation policy for opioid antagonist administration based on the model training and implementation policy developed by DPH. This little-to-no-cost initiative would make antagonists, like Naloxone, readily available in the case of an overdose, and the inclusion of opioid antagonists in government buildings and courthouses could certainly help prevent the loss of Georgians to drug overdose. With the current alarming fentanyl presence in drugs, my colleagues and I have worked hard to combat the dangers and tragedies of drug overdoses in Georgia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The House also passed House Bill 986<\/a> to address election interference using artificial intelligence (AI), specifically deep fake technology that is intended to deceive voters and influence the outcome of an election. Known as the \u201cAI Transparency Protection Act,\u201d HB 986 would introduce felony offenses for both the creation and solicitation of deep fake content through artificial intelligence-generated campaign advertisements aimed at interfering with elections. The term deep fake refers to a video recording, video file, sound recording, sound file, electronic image or photograph that is created through technological means, rather than through the ability of another person to physically or verbally impersonate such person, and appears to depict a real person\u2019s speech or conduct that did not occur in reality. Under HB 986, any person who commits an offense of election interference through the creation and transmission of a deep fake campaign advertisement would be guilty of a felony, face imprisonment between one and five years and be subject to a fine up to $50,000. The bill would also clarify that the use of AI-generated content in campaign advertisements is not unlawful as long as the proper disclosures are displayed to indicate that AI was used in its creation. HB 986 would establish a precedent for accountability and security in Georgia’s digital landscape. This proactive measure is crucial in upholding trust and preserving the integrity of democratic processes, while also ensuring that artificial intelligence contributes positively to the well-being of families, businesses and communities in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we continue to prioritize educational opportunities for Georgia\u2019s students, the House gave passage to House Bill 995<\/a>, which would require public school systems to administer a nationally recognized multiple-aptitude battery assessment. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is an optional test designed to predict future academic and occupational success in the military and targets 11th<\/sup> and 12th<\/sup> grade students. Administered during normal school hours, the assessment would be available school and system-wide at least once a school year. If students are not interested in pursuing a career in the National Guard or armed forces, parents and guardians would be able to opt their child out of participating in the assessment. HB 995 would help address declining military recruitment numbers by guiding students towards military career paths best suited for their abilities and offering them a no-cost opportunity to make the most informed decision on where their abilities may be best matched in the armed forces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the House advanced legislation this week to improve behavioral healthcare for Georgians in order to ensure individuals have access to the resources and support needed to effectively address their mental health concerns. As such, my legislative colleagues and I turned our attention toward House Bill 1077<\/a> to establish a student loan repayment initiative tailored for behavioral health practitioners in Georgia. Under HB 1077, eligible providers would include licensed psychiatrists, addiction medicine specialists, psychologists, social workers, professional counselors and marriage and family therapists. While these providers are completing their internships in qualified programs, they would be eligible to apply for this loan repayment program. Participants of this loan repayment initiative would receive repayment assistance over a six-year period, with annual disbursements varying from $10,000 to $50,000, and the maximum cumulative repayment would be capped at $220,000. The legislation also seeks to incentivize these providers to treat Medicaid patients as providers would receive more loan repayment assistance based on the number of Medicaid patients served. We are seeing a shortage of mental health providers in our state, particularly among providers who accept Medicaid patients. This bipartisan initiative would play a crucial role to increase the number of behavioral health providers across our state and ensuring that all Georgians have access to the proper healthcare needed to address their mental health challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also passed the following House bills and resolution during the seventh week of session:<\/p>\n\n\n\n