GERALD GREENE: House passes halfway mark of session with busy week

The Georgia House of Representatives convened in the House Chamber for four days during the sixth week of the legislative session and made significant progress as we passed 34 bills and resolutions by the end of the week to send to our Senate counterparts. By Tuesday, we reached Legislative Day 20, which means we are now more than halfway through our 40-day session. With “Crossover Day” looming on Legislative Day 28, we are focused on perfecting legislation for consideration and advancing notable measures on the House floor.

The House voted on an important measure this week, House Bill 1037, which would create the Georgia Commission on Maternal and Infant Health. The commission would be assigned to the Georgia Department of Public Health and consist of 14 members, and the appointees would include an obstetrician, either a pediatrician or neonatologist, a midwife and a representative of a perinatal facility.

The commission would be charged with soliciting views from perinatal facilities, health care providers and related professional associations on the state of Georgia’s perinatal care and give consideration to the current recommendations of medical and scientific organizations working on perinatal care. The commission also would be tasked with making policy recommendations regarding perinatal care programs and establishing a way to measure the quality and effectiveness of perinatal care in Georgia.

Continuing our commitment to Georgia’s families, the House also took up legislation this week to expand parental leave for state employees and teachers. House Bill 1010, which passed in the House on Thursday, would modify the current law by extending paid parental leave for state employees to six weeks, doubling the amount of time state employees currently receive. By expanding this crucial benefit to our state employees and teachers, our state could also retain and recruit the best and brightest work force.

My colleagues and I also gave unanimous passage to House Bill 1022, the Colton-McNeill Act, which would fortify protections for disabled minors by elevating penalties for acts of cruelty against them. The legislation would address a critical gap in existing laws, seeking to impose harsher consequences for perpetrators who target vulnerable children. By increasing penalties, the bill would send a clear message that our state will not tolerate the mistreatment of disabled children, striving to safeguard their well-being and ensure justice for those who suffer from such reprehensible acts.

This week, we also passed House Bill 874, a bill that would require every public school in Georgia to have a functional automated external defibrillator machine on the premises of school grounds at all times and during school-related functions. We also passed the following House bills, resolutions and Senate bill during the sixth week of session:

● House Bill 53

● House Bill 300

● House Bill 409

● House Bill 461

● House Bill 516

● House Bill 546

● House Bill 576

● House Bill 809

● House Bill 814

● House Bill 872

● House Bill 873

● House Bill 909

● House Bill 912

● House Bill 925

● House Bill 947

● House Bill 977

● House Bill 984

● House Bill 988

● House Bill 991

● House Bill 997

● House Bill 1033

● House Bill 1044

● House Bill 1058

● House Bill 1083

● House Bill 1162

● House Resolution 449

● House Resolution 804

● House Resolution 1019

● Senate Bill 353

The Georgia House reconvened for our seventh week of the session on Tuesday. I invite you to share any questions or concerns you have about any legislation under consideration. Feel free to arrange a phone call or visit to the State Capitol to discuss issues that are important to you and your family. You can reach my Capitol office at (404) 656-9210 and via email at [email protected].

As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative.

File Photo