Crossover Day Approaches
Greetings to my friends in District 129! Friday, Feb. 19 concluded legislative day 24 of 40. With just 16 days left this session, we are counting down to “Crossover Day,” Day 30. Crossover day is the last day that bills can transfer or “crossover” to the other chamber with enough time to make their way through required committee hearings and a floor vote.
As Crossover Day draws near all legislators are working hard to ensure their bills pass. Last week in the House chamber we passed the 2017 Fiscal Year budget and number of measures aimed at improving education and healthcare alternatives for the terminally ill.
2017 Fiscal Year Budget
We are one step closer to completing our constitutional obligation of passing a balanced budget as House Bill 751, the 2017 Fiscal Year budget now moves to the Senate for review. As the largest budget in our state’s history with $23.7 billion in funding, education, transportation, healthcare and economic development were among top funding priorities. Below is a quick reference of budget allocation in each area.
Education Funding
•$300 million appropriation for K-12 education for local school boards to give salary increases, eliminate furlough days or increase instruction days for education.
•$5.1 million for a 3 percent pay raise to teachers in Agriculture Education and Tech/Career Education programs, school bus drivers, lunchroom workers, nurses, and Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) employees.
•$28.6 million in funding for Pre-K teachers for salary increases up to three percent, as well as increasing salaries for assistant teachers
•$59.1 million for Zell Miller and HOPE Scholarship recipients
•$29.4 million in funding to the Move on When Ready dual enrollment program
•$1.2 million to the North Georgia Military Scholarship Grants program
•100,000 each for large animal veterinarians and the Georgia National Guard to address the need for skilled individuals in those fields
•$44.4 million for formula earnings based on enrollment and increased square footage at both the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia
Healthcare
•$66.7 million to offset Medicaid enrollment growth in our state
•$200,000 to maintain the rural dentistry loan program
•$100,000 to establish a loan repayment program for physician assistants and advance practice registered nurses
•$100,000 for the Georgia South Family Medicine Rural Residency Training Program
•$200,000 for OB/GYN physicians who want to return to practice in underserved areas
•$250,000 start-up fund for the Champions for Children program, also known as the “Katie Beckett waiver,” which provides grants to families with medically fragile children who do not qualify for Medicaid
Criminal Justice Reform
•$3.8 million to expand the state’s accountability courts, which are aimed at providing community alternatives, as proven alternatives to sentencing, to rehabilitate offenders and juveniles
•$5.6 million to support educational initiatives in the state prison system, including operational costs for two charter high schools and expansion of GED fast track, vocational, and general education programs
Transportation
•$543.1 million are budgeted for capital construction and maintenance projects
•$204.7 for routine maintenance
•$41 million in Local Maintenance and Improvement Grants
•$1 million in bonds were also allocated for the repair, replacement, and renovation of our state’s bridges to ensure safety for all who travel on our roadways
Education Measures
Students receiving home school education or that have graduated from previously non-accredited schools will now have an opportunity to gain HOPE scholarship funding with the passage of House Bill 798. Eligibility requirements for these students to receive HOPE are as follows:
•Home schooled students and students graduating from ineligible high schools that score in the 75th percentile or higher on standardized college admissions tests, such as the SAT and ACT
•Students who score in the 93rd percentile or higher nationally would be eligible for the Zell Miller Scholarship.
The bill also changes the Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility for students graduating from eligible high schools by requiring a score in the 80th percentile or higher on the ACT or the SAT, in addition to maintaining a minimum 3.7 GPA. It is our hope that with these changes Georgia will keep the state’s brightest students in our University systems, while allowing previously ineligible students a chance to achieve higher education goals.
House Bill 879 is the second education bill we passed, which creates the “Georgia Seal of Biliteracy.” This seal would recognize high school graduates who are proficient in speaking, reading, and writing one or more languages in addition to English. Students may qualify to receive the Georgia Seal of Biliteracy by meeting the following requirements
•Scoring of four or higher on a foreign language advanced placement exam
•Scoring of five or higher on a foreign language international baccalaureate exam
•Completing a four-year high school course in a foreign language with an overall GPA of 3.0 or above in that coursework
•Passing the SAT II foreign language exam with a score of 600 or higher
The Georgia Department of Education would attach the insignia to qualifying students’ diplomas, indicating their success in the program. Local school systems can opt-in to the program but are not forced to participate. Offering the Georgia Seal of Biliteracy will promote the study of foreign language, while certifying a student’s knowledge on future college and job applications.
Georgia Right to Try Act
Terminally ill patients should find relief through House Bill 34, also known as the “Georgia Right to Try Act.” Unanimously passed last week, the legislation would allow terminally-ill patients faster access to experimental drugs and procedures that have passed the first of three phases in the FDA drug approval process. Currently, full phase clearance by the FDA can take up to 10 years.
HB 34 gives patients the option of trying experimental treatments that have passed the FDA’s Phase 1, meaning treatments have met required safety precautions. Physicians would be required to provide written documentation statements of the following:
•The individual has a terminal illness
•Patient has considered all other treatment options currently approved by the FDA
•Patient has been given a recommendation by the physician
•Patient has given written informed consent for the use of the investigational drug biological product, or device.
Manufacturers, health benefit providers and medical physicians are also protected under the proposed legislation.
•Manufacturers of certain experimental drugs will not be required to offer or charge for treatment.
•Health benefit plans have the option to provide coverage for experimental drugs, but are not be required to cover costs.
•Medical physicians who recommend, prescribe, or treat an eligible patient with investigational drugs, would not be held liable by the Georgia Composite Medical Board.
Currently, 24 other states that have similar legislation in place and we are hopeful Georgia will be the 25th. Enacting this type of legislation will be a great step in offering relief for Georgia’s terminally-ill patients.
Official State Dog
The “adoptable dog” is now Georgia’s official state dog with the passage of House Bill 561! HB 561 helps promote animal rescue, adoption, and responsible pet ownership. Unwanted dogs face a higher probability of being euthanized and we passed this bill in part to raise awareness on the importance of animal adoptions. Eligible “adoptable dogs” are available through local animal shelters, humane societies, and public or private animal refuge organizations.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, I am here for you. One of my top priorities is to be accessible to our citizens. I am honored that you have allowed me the opportunity to represent the needs of our district at the Capitol and I will continue to work hard on your behalf. Come see us if you are in Atlanta! May God bless each of you and may God continue to bless our district and the great state of Georgia.