Georgia Nursing - July 2022

Page 4 • Georgia Nursing July, August, September 2022
2022 Legislative Session Wrap Up
By Tim Davis, GNA Sr. Director of Membership &
Government Affairs
The 2022 Legislative Session adjourned sine die on
Monday April 4, 2022. Several bills passed this session
that impact not only nursing, but also Georgia citizens’
access to care overall, including the expansion of access
to and coverage of mental health services, an expanded
period for post-partum Medicaid coverage, and an
increased incentive to open primary care facilities in
areas with a shortage of providers.
The FY23 State Budget included $150,000 for the
Georgia Nurses Association Peer Assistance Program
(GNA-PAP). These resources will allow us to grow the
scope and depth of our program which supports nurses
living with the disease of substance use disorder. We
are grateful to the members of both chambers who
are responsible for the work of appropriations, for their
support of this vitally important program.
Additionally, lawmakers included funds for a 5.4%
salary increase for Georgia’s school nurses, $126,086
in funding to provide an analyst to coordinate the
collection and reporting of nursing and hospital data,
$3M for one-time funding of equipment and operating
grants for nursing programs with wait lists and
additional student capacity, and a $1.2M transfer funds
from the Teaching program to fund the first year of a
five-year plan to expand capacity for nursing students
across the university system.
On another note, a top GNA priority has been to
ensure the safety of practice environments for nurses
within our state. Sponsored by Senator Matt Brass,
SB573 constitutes a step in the right direction towards
ensuring that harmful and dangerous surgical smoke
produced in surgery and ambulatory settings is properly
evacuated by requiring that hospitals and ambulatory
centers have a policy for evacuation of surgical smoke.
As far as another GNA priority is concerned,
however, two bills that would have created a
commission aimed at exploring ways to address
the nursing workforce shortage failed to receive
final passage. But we have a silver lining. Last week
Governor Kemp signed an executive order establishing
the “Georgia Healthcare Workforce Commission.”
GNA is working to ensure that nursing is represented
on the commission and will certainly provide valued
feedback and insights to the commission as they work
to produce their recommendations and report, which
are due to the Governor by the end of 2022.
The 2022 session was the second in Georgia’s
Biennial Legislative Session, which means that all bills
which failed to receive final passage will need to be reintroduced
in the 2023 legislative session, thereby restarting
their process for passage.
The Georgia Nurses Association worked to advance
the priorities highlighted within our 2022 Legislative
Platform.
2022 Sine Die Bill Tracking Report
• SB573 – Surgical Smoke Bill – Passed
o Requires that each hospital and ambulatory
surgical center adopt policies for the reduction
of human exposure to surgical smoke
• SB338 – Postpartum Medicaid Coverage - Passed
o Extends Medicaid coverage for lactation care
and postpartum care for mothers from six
months to one year following the date the
pregnancy ends.
• HB1371 – Rural Health Advancement Commission
– Did Not Pass
o Created the Rural Health Advancement
Commission to develop private-sector solutions
to address short-term and long-term health
care and long-term care workforce shortages,
with an emphasis on rural areas. This bill
crossed over from the house but failed to
receive favorable consideration in the Senate.
• HB1520 – Ga Council on Addressing Healthcare
Workforce Challenges – Did Not Pass
o Created the Georgia Council on Addressing
Healthcare Workforce Challenges for the
purpose of providing strategic thought
leadership and recommendations on the future
of the healthcare workforce in Georgia. The
council will work with various experts and
stakeholders to explore workforce challenges,
identify future trends, raise awareness of
workforce issues. This bill crossed over from
the house but failed to receive favorable
consideration in the Senate.
• HB1042 – One Ga Authority Act – Passed
o Creates a grant program that will enable
local development authorities in areas with a
shortage or primary care providers to partner
with one or more provider and offset the cost
of establishing and operating a primary care
facility in the area.
• HB1013 – Mental Health Parity Act – Passed
o Increase access to mental health & substance
use services in Georgia
• HB 369 - APRNs and PAs to prescribe schedule II’s
– Did Not Pass
o Authorized advanced practice registered nurses
and physician assistants to execute affidavits
certifying an individual is disabled for purposes
of obtaining special vehicle decals for persons
with disabilities, authorized physicians to
delegate the authority to physician assistants
and advanced practice registered nurses to
prescribe Schedule II controlled substances
under certain conditions. This bill crossed over
from the house but failed to receive favorable
consideration in the Senate.
• HB430 – APRN Licensure – Did Not Pass
o Created a separate license to practice for
Advance Practice Registered Nurses. This bill
crossed over from the house but failed to
receive favorable consideration in the Senate
• HB937 – Mammograms for Women over 40 –
Passed
o Every insurer shall provide notification to each
female insured upon such female attaining the
age of 40 of her coverage for mammograms
and continuing annually thereafter, for as long
as mammogram screening is recommended for
such female insured based on her individual
health status, as determined by her physician.
• HB 1609 – GNA Safe Nurse Staffing Bill – Did Not
Pass
o Provides requirements for nurse staffing in
hospitals. Requires a written nurse services
staffing plan. Provides for the establishment
of nurse staffing committees. Provides for
anonymous reports and investigations of
unsafe staffing conditions. Establishes a state
safe staffing advisory commission. This Bill was
introduced in the House after Crossover Day
and was not eligible for passage
Important Upcoming Dates
• May 24, 2022 – Statewide Primary Election Day
• June 21, 2022- Statewide Primary Runoff Election
Day (If needed)
• November 8, 2022- Statewide General Election
Day
• December 6, 2022- Statewide General Runoff
Election Day (If needed)
GN-PAC
The purpose of the GN-PAC is to promote the
improvement of the health care of the citizens of
Georgia by raising funds from within the nursing
community and friends of nursing and contributing to
the support of worthy candidates for State office who
believe, and have demonstrated their belief, in the
legislative objectives of the Georgia Nurses Association.
The Georgia Nurses Association Political Action
Committee (GN-PAC) actively and carefully reviews
candidates for local, state, and federal office. This
consideration includes the candidate's record on
nursing issues and value as an advocate for the nursing
profession. Your contribution to GN-PAC today will
help GNA continue to protect your ability to practice
and earn a living in Georgia. Your contribution will also
support candidates for office who are strong advocates
on behalf of nursing. CONTRIBUTE TO THE GEORGIA
NURSES POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE TODAY!
GNA Legislative Committee
Stay engaged and abreast of all that is going
on under the Gold Dome to advance the nursing
profession by joining the Georgia Nurses Association
Legislative Committee.
Members only need to complete the Volunteer
Interest Form indicating their interest in joining, and
you will be added to the committee listserv.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE UPDATES FROM GNA!
For questions about our advocacy efforts or inquiries
about how to get involved, please contact GNA Sr.
Director of Membership & Government Affairs Tim
Davis at tim.davis@georgianurses.org.