The House Appropriations Committee met today passing HB 948 out of Committee. The Committee assumed that the hospital provider "fee" and the "general fee bill" would pass; providing necessary state revenue to preserve programs from essential cuts or eliminations. In the Department of Community Health, the State's Medicaid Program will not see provider rate cuts.  In the Age, Blind and Disabled and the Low Income Medicaid Programs, $55 million is included to help adjust inpatient and outpatient hospital reimbursement rates. They reduced compensation for Care Management Care Organizations by increasing medical loss ratio.  For the first time air ambulance received operating costs for Erlanger Life Force Air Ambulance Program in Northwest Georgia. Department of Early Care and Learning originally proposed by Governor Perdue to eliminate the Resource Coordination Grants; the House restored half of these moneys to help families get necessary Pre-K services. They restored $100 million in QBE program from Governor's $500 million.  Selectively they took three percent additional reductions across all Departments. In Department of Human Services, it zeroed out State funds for Independent Living Program but believe local matching dollars will be available for this purpose.   

No new adjournment schedule is finalized.  Lawmakers return to halls tomorrow for Day 35.  

Floor News

House

The House passed unanimously it Local Calendar.  

Several Lawmakers hosted a number of honorees this afternoon. Rep. Cecily Hill (R-Kingsland) had Rep. Doug Holt (R-Social Circle) honor her niece for 15 years service with the Girl Scouts- HR 1895.  

Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) and the Georgia State Health Policy Institute honored several House Members for their attendance at several sessions on health policy.  Lawmakers getting these awards were:

Dempsey
Dobbs
M Henson
W Howard
S Hudson
Hugley
Kaiser
Coan
Morgan
Neal
Sellier
B Sims
M Stephens 

Doctor of the Day was introduced by Rep. Randal Mangham (D-Atlanta). Dr Cecil Bennett a Morehouse grad and now family practice doctor was on hand to take care of Lawmakers in case there was a need.  

Rep. Tony Collins honored Michael Breedlove a landscape architect for his service on the State Board of Architecture; he has served the board for 20 years.  

Rep. Benton provided a moment on Southern Confederate Heritage recognizing the late Speaker of the United States House and 40th governor of Georgia, Howell Cobb. Cobb is also called the first presidency of the Confederacy.  

The House passed SB 369 originally by Sen. Bill Hamrick regarding investments by housing authorities. Rep. Wendell Willard (R-Atlanta) presented the measure to the House explaining that this would broaden Housing Authority investment powers and their ability to sell bonds. It is restricted to A, AA or AAA bonds. The Bill Passed with no amendments 116 to 44.  

SB 397 by Sen. Mullis regarding blue light alert system for folks who have killed law enforcement officers was presented by Rep. Tim Bearden (R-Villa Rica). It would operate like Mattie's Call.  Rep. Bobby Franklin spoke against the idea as there are other alerts which actually look for individuals who may be in harm's way; that is what officers are hired to do.It cleared the House with a vote of 164 to two. 

SB 392 by Sen. Murphy regarding transporting students and their carriers. Rep. Hamilton presented explaining that the Bill applies to only those schools funded with state funds. The carriers are required to show proof of PSC certification and proof of insurance. The Bill passed 158 to four passed without changes.  

Rep. Harbin moved to insist on House position on HB 947. Conferees were appointed: Majority Leader, Speaker Pro Tem and Chair of Appropriations. The House moved to transmit HB 947 immediately to Senate. (By Harbin) 

SB 374 was postponed again.

Senate 

HB 361, The Safe Medications Practice Act, passed unanimously, 43 to zero.  

HB 1154 was presented by Sen. Don Thomas (R-Dalton) would include the nasal spray flu vaccine in to the Code. HB 1154 passed 48 to zero. 

HB 1322, the "Meredith Emerson Privacy Act", passed the Senate 50 to zero with one amendment that would include 911 emergency calls in the Act. 

Committee News 

Senate Education and Youth Committee 

HB 1103 was presented by Rep. Howard Maxwell (R-Dallas). This Bill would require the Professional Standards Commission to issue a clearance certificate for every non-educator, which means that have completed fingerprint and criminal background check requirements. Additional fingerprinting is not necessary for renewal of a clearance certificate or for educators who possess a professional educator certificate as of January 2, 2011. HB 1103 passed handily out of the Committee.  

HB 400, also known as the "Bridge Bill", passed out of Committee with one amendment to phase the plan in over five years and removes the IE² language which the Governor did not like. 

Senate Insurance and Labor 

Chairman Ralph Hudgens (R-Hull) informed the Committee that this would be the last meeting this session unless of an emergency.  

Sen. Hudgens proposed using a consent agenda the following Bills with marked "ON" placed on that agenda. 

HB 305 was presented by Rep. Tom Knox (R-Cumming). This Legislation allows discretionary groups in life insurance policies. It also addresses where they act as a group with high participation rate language being stricken from the law. ON 

HB 656 authored by Rep. Terry Barnard (R-Glennville), allows religious organizations to apply for waiver for self insurance. This is the Mennonite Bill. ON 

Rep. Terry England (R-Auburn) presented HB 1195 the state workforce investment board bill. This is 100 percent federally funded, and deals with certifying work-ready communities. ON 

HB 412 by Rep. Tom Knox (R-Cumming) is language that was adopted last year, but has now been gutted and in its place the rental network bill is inserted. ON  

Consent agenda items passed. 

HB 1268 was presented as a committee substitute. It proposes to allow State insurance code to track federal code regarding continuation of benefits and COBRA. It also proposed to add language from Sen. Buddy Carter's bill requiring insurers to cover a ten-day supply of drugs so that patients could get drugs over the weekend without a prior approval.  Robert Highsmith on behalf of Express Scripts spoke against the bill as it will gut formularies which are used to hold down costs and will eliminate insurers' ability to negotiate costs.  Sen. John Wiles (R-Marietta) moved 371085S which was seconded. Passed with one no vote. 

Rep. Carl Rogers presented HB 1364 by substitute.  It incorporates language to address the insolvency issue caused by SEUS.  His Bill had previously failed to get passed out of the Committee.  This proposal implements new thresholds for participation in the insolvency pool by the self-insureds.  It passed. 

Sen. Bill Heath (R-Bremen) presented HB 1184 the Governor's cross-state selling of insurance products. It will provide more choices of health insurance plans to be offered to Georgians. These products can be sold in other states but Georgia can seek redress through Georgia courts. It only applies to individual health policies and not group. After many objections by several groups such as American Cancer Society and AARP, the Bill passed 9 to 2.  

Senate Health and Human Services 

Senate Health and Human Services easily passed the Governor's bill HB 1040, to permit health services to be provided in homes to disabled people discharged from the State Hospitals. This Bill is part of the deinstitutionalization of discussions between Georgia and the Federal Department of Justice. One amendment was offered by the Georgia Home Health Association to clarify further that billable home health or private duty nursing services would not be provided under the new law.  

The Committee also passed HB 1314, to permit individual developmental accounts for disabled citizens. These accounts can be funded by individuals or families and draw matching funds to fill special needs such as home repairs and additional education.  

The Committee struggled however, with HB 180 to regulate tattooing near the eye for cancer patients. The Bill attempts to work out physician supervision of such procedure. Chairman Don Thomas (R-Dalton) offered to call another meeting if the questions about the Bill could be answered.  

Finally, the Committee passed HR 1397 to authorize a study committee on the needs of vulnerable adults.