By: Sen. Larry Walker (R – Perry)
The 2020 session has finally come to an end, Sine Die, completing what was likely the most unusual session ever. This session has been unprecedented, marked by a public health emergency, which saw us suspend for three months, only to return to face a budget crisis amid civil unrest. Despite the remarkable challenges, we pressed on to fulfill our duties and to complete our work for the people of Georgia. I’m proud of the resilience and focus shown by the Senate. We, along with our dedicated staff, came together, under difficult circumstances, to pass meaningful legislation in order to move Georgia forward. As hard as it was, I remain encouraged by the confidence you place in me to represent you in Atlanta. Your input and trust in me has been a key part of my service, and I thank you. Your support empowers me to pass key pieces of legislation that benefit our local businesses and communities, and I would like to highlight a few now.
In order to fulfill our constitutional obligation of passing a balanced budget, the Senate submitted its final approval of House Bill 793 through a conference committee report. Given Governor Kemp’s new revenue estimate numbers, which anticipates a $2.2 billion decrease in revenues for the next fiscal year as opposed to the previously proposed $2.6 billion, the General Assembly has been able to limit budget cuts to 10%. This, coupled with the transferring of $250 million from Georgia’s reserve fund, allows for a total of $26 billion in state funds to be allocated across state agencies and departments, and in many cases, key programs have been able to receive add backs. In the area of public health, we have been able to allocate $15 million into rural hospital stabilization grants, a total of $59 million to provide up to six months of postpartum Medicaid coverage and the elimination of staff furloughs. Similarly, $15 million will go into local law enforcement training, furloughing will be eliminated for public safety workers and education will receive roughly $400 million in federal funding. Both the Senate and the House Appropriations Committees have been working relentlessly to pass a balanced budget and I believe this piece of legislation will allow a strong economic framework for the future.
Another noteworthy piece of legislation the Senate passed is House Bill 426, which was recently signed by the Governor. This bill would subsequently impose penalties for offenses against a victim, group of victims or property that was intentionally targeted due to the victim’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, natural origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, mental disability or physical disability. Under which, law enforcement officers will be required to report certain categories of information under a Bias Crime Report. Momentum for this bill increased rapidly over recent weeks given the video images of discriminatory behavior and injustice in both our state and the country. I, like many of you, have been disheartened to see such acts of senseless violence and hatred for one another, and I hope HB 426 will send a strong message that our state will not stand for bias motivated crimes against Georgians.
House Bill 195, which I carried, would increase the death benefits payable to a beneficiary under the Georgia Firefighters’ Pension Fund, for the death of a member, from $5,000 to $10,000. Our public service officers sacrifice themselves each and every day to ensure that our local communities are able to remain a safe place to live and do business. For these individuals that dedicate themselves selflessly for the well-being of this state, we must ensure that their service is forever honored through their families.
The Senate also passed two pieces of legislation related to pharmacy benefit managers: House Bill 946 and House Bill 918. HB 946 reflects the House version of Senate Bill 313, which would make several revisions to the regulatory framework of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). This includes raising licensing and filing fees, establishing certain reporting requirements, prohibiting the act of steering and expanding the role of the Insurance Commissioner to oversee these processes. Similar to that, HB 918 would revise the license and auditing requirements for PBMs, while also amending the “Pharmacy Anti-Steering and Transparency Act” to help reduce instances of unfair manipulation. These two bills will help more Georgians receive fair and adequate healthcare coverage, while also evening the playing field for our local pharmacies.
Senate Bill 446 is a bill that I sponsored which received final passage from the House this week. SB 446 would amend the timeline in which unclaimed cash bonds can be deposited into the county treasury from within seven years from the date of the surety being released, or date of disposition, to within two years. The idea for this bill came from conversations I have had with you and I believe it will be a monumental step in ensuring District 20, and Georgia as a whole, are able to utilize funds sooner.
As the Senate comes to a close for the 2020 session, I am delighted by all of the legislative successes we have been able to achieve during our time here. This session has been filled with a number of policy developments and that is due to the hard work of my colleagues. Georgia, as always, remains a great place to live, work and play and it has been an honor to serve you. During the interim period, I will continue to work for your best interests, so don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have.
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Sen. Larry Walker serves as Caucus Vice Chairman for the Majority Party. He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Houston, Laurens and Pulaski counties. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0095 or by email at larry.walker@senate.ga.gov.