ATLANTA (May 6, 2019) | On May 2, House Bill 62, also known as ‘Margie’s Law,’ was signed by Governor Brian P. Kemp. Last Friday, House Bill 445, also known as the Shore Protection Act, was signed by Governor Kemp. Both of these bills were carried in the Senate by Sen. Ben Watson (R – Savannah).
“I am so happy to see both of these bills pass and look forward to seeing the positive impact they will have on Georgians,” said Sen. Watson. “Margie’s Law is a result of the hard work of Margie Singleton and her army to help better notify women of the dangers of dense breast tissue and the role it plays in an increased risk of breast cancer. I am happy to see it become law and know it will positively affect the health outcomes of many women. Additionally, the updates made to the Shore Protection Act will help further protect our shoreline with more consistent and clarified boundaries and reduce confusion and unnecessary burdens placed on coastal property owners and businesses. We worked with the Department of Natural resources on this measure and are sure that it will allow for better preservation of our coastline for generations to come.”
Margie’s Law will require a healthcare facility conducting mammograms to notify a patient if their mammogram demonstrates dense breast tissue. You can read HB 62 here: http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-US/Display/20192020/HB/62
The Shore Protection Act (SPA) was originally passed in 1979 to help protect our coast’s beaches, dunes and ecosystems from being impacted by human activity. This new version of the SPA will use several different methodologies to define reasonable distances away from the shoreline. These new methodologies include: a line 25 feet landward from the ordinary high water mark on private property, a line 100 feet landward from the ordinary high water mark on state-owned property, a line 25 feet landward from the landward most toe of the most landward sand dunes (because of the presence of dunes on our barrier islands, this would be the most commonly used method), the existence of a structure built before 1979, or 25 feet landward from the crest of a visible rock revetment, bulkhead or seawall. You can read the HB 445 here: http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display/20192020/HB/445
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For Immediate Release:
May 6, 2019
Elisabeth Fletcher, Communications Specialist
elisabeth.fletcher@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028