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Update from the Gold Dome

By: Sen. Jeff Mullis (R – Chickamauga)

The Georgia General Assembly is officially halfway through with the 2016 legislative session and just 10 legislative days away from a significant deadline: Crossover Day. The 30th legislative day, or Crossover Day, is the last day for Senate bills to be carried to the House for consideration, and vice versa.  The Senate will dedicate the next few weeks to improving and vetting bills before they go before the entire General Assembly for approval. Continue reading “Update from the Gold Dome”

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Senate Committee Passes Senate Bill 337

ATLANTA (February 10, 2016) | On Wednesday, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 337. Sen. Larry Walker (R – Perry) sponsored SB 337, the Military Family Health Protection Act, to provide Georgia active military personnel and their dependents the right to eligibility and retention of earned priority for medical assistance or developmental disability services, despite being stationed outside of Georgia.

“I’m grateful the committee saw the merit of this legislation, which will help families of our active duty service men and women as they move back to Georgia,” said Sen. Walker. “They sacrifice so much in service to our nation, and we need to take the steps we can at the state and local level to show our appreciation and support of them. This bill is one small way to do that, and I look forward to moving SB 337 forward and having it heard on the Senate floor.”

SB 337 aims to help active military personnel who have temporarily relocated due to change of duty station and who have dependents eligible for, or already receiving, medical assistance. This legislation also requires the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) to keep a database of such residents and a waiting list of Georgia dependents that are temporarily relocated to another state. The database and waiting list aims to protect the dependents coverage and ensures there will not be a lapse in coverage if the family is relocated to another state and then relocates back to Georgia. SB 337 notes that medical assistance or developmental disability services will not be paid for or provided outside of Georgia.

Senate Bill 337 will now go to the Senate Rules Committee.

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For Immediate Release:
February 10, 2016

For Information Contact:

Jennifer Yarber, Director
Ines Owens, Sr. Communications Specialist
Ines.Owens@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028