ATLANTA (May 4, 2023) | This week, Governor Brian P. Kemp signed Senate Bill 106, also known as the “Healthy Babies Act.” This legislation, sponsored by Secretary of the Senate Majority Caucus Senator Larry Walker III (R – Perry), establishes a three-year pilot program administered through the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH).
“I am proud of the progress that has been made concerning the healthcare of Georgians through the passage of SB 106,” said Senator Walker. “This legislation will improve healthy birth outcomes for both mothers and their children and I am thankful to Senate Committee on Health and Human Services Chairman Senator Ben Watson (R – Savannah) for his support of this measure. I have worked closely with the Department of Community Health to craft this bill, and appreciate their efforts to provide care to Georgians through every season of life.”
The program will begin in Fiscal Year 2024, and will aim to provide remote patient monitoring for pregnant women under Medicaid. The expansion of these benefits is an effort to encourage expecting mothers to utilize prenatal care with the hope of avoiding pre-term labor. SB 106 was also a legislative priority of the Senate Majority Caucus during the 2023 Georgia Legislative Session.
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Sen. Larry Walker serves as Secretary of the Senate Majority Caucus. He also serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor. He represents Senate District 20 which includes Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Laurens, Pulaski, Treutlen, and Wilcox Counties and a portion of Houston County. He can be reached at larry.walker@senate.ga.gov