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Gold Dome Update 
Highlights from the House 
Week Eleven
Last week brought us to our eleventh week under the Gold Dome! There is never a dull moment as our House body worked to pass monumental legislation for the betterment our great state. Last week we passed measures to proactively address education, public safety, and healthcare. 

House Action

Education
Last week we solidified our commitment to further educational opportunities in our state, through two measures, House Resolution 52 and Senate Bill 48 .

House Resolution 52 works to encourage schools, educational programs and the Georgia Department of Education to recognize the effects of dyslexia, which currently impacts one in five students. This resolution urges to take a proactive approach in identifying learning disabilities at an early age.

Similarly, Senate Bill 48 puts in place a protocol for referring students in kindergarten through third grade for further screenings if a teacher identifies dyslexia or similar learning disorders in students. Further, the bill creates a three-year pilot program to help the Board of Education evaluate the effectiveness of early reading assistance programs for students who have risk factors for dyslexia. We are hopeful that these policies in unison will significantly help those suffering from dyslexia and other disorders which greatly impact their educational experiences.

Student Safety
In protection of our students, we also passed Senate Bill 60 , also known as the “Jeremy Nelson and Nick Blakely Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act.” This bill requires the Department of Education to create and publish guidelines to inform students, parents, guardians and coaches about the dangers and warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest. If signed into law, Georgia schools would be required to host at least two annual informational meetings outlining the symptoms and warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest. Further, this bill requires the development of a response plan of action when students show signs. Students who exhibit symptoms would not be allowed to continue their extracurricular athletic activity until a health care provider gives written release.

End It
Our fight against the vile practice of human trafficking continues through the passage of Senate Bill 158 . This measure strengthens our current anti-human trafficking laws by providing additional resources and quality care for victims. This bill authorizes the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) to provide emergency care and supervision for a child victim of human trafficking without a court order or the consent of a parent or legal guardian. Under the bill DFCS and law enforcement are required to immediately take the child to an available certified victim services organization, which will provide comprehensive trauma counseling. Victims under 18 are also protected under this measure, as they will not be charged with prostitution. The bill also strengthens our enforcement officer investigations through the following:
  • Allows authorities and citizens to seek civil penalties against businesses or property owners that have received three or more separate sexually-related charges.
  • Allows property owners to assist law enforcement in investigations of criminal sexual-related conduct.
We take very seriously this modern-day form of slavery, which has increased significantly in the last few years. Previous reforms have made a great impact and we expect this law to do the same by further enforcing our stance and commitment to “END IT.”

Rural Initiatives
Our commitment to rural Georgia continues through numerous bills passed last week, concentrating on broadband and healthcare access.

Senate Bill 66 , the “Streamlining Wireless Facilities and Antennas Act,” aims to streamline the deployment of small cells, or small wireless facilities, in public rights-of-way. The bill will place limits on fees that providers pay and places deadlines for local governments to follow during the permit application process. This bill simply puts in place a standardized process for wireless providers to install, mount, modify or replace small cells and/or poles without the requirement of an agreement by a city official. We are hopeful this measure will encourage broadband providers to quickly expand in rural areas.

We also passed two additional measures to assists the growing use of “telemedicine.” Senate Bill 118 requires that insurance companies recognize communications technologies as acceptable forms of health care. Further, insurance providers will be required to provide coverage to patients and health care professionals for telehealth and telemedicine services. This bill sees to it that insurers do not exclude coverage for remote telemedical consultations. Finally, under the bill, insurers will be required to reimburse health care providers for services provided through telemedicine at the same rate as an in-person visit.

The second bill, Senate Bill 115 , would allow the Georgia Composite Medical Board to issue telemedicine licenses to doctors who are currently licensed in other states. These telemedicine licenses would attract the best talent to our state while increasing the number of doctors allowed to service our citizens. We are confident these measures will guarantee patients receive adequate insurance coverage while ensuring their right to choose from a widened pool of doctors, who best suit their individual needs.

Study Committees
In addition to the legislation above, awaiting final approval from Governor Kemp, we also passed several resolutions aimed at increasing study committee work for the remainder of the year. Study committees are formed to address layered, complicated issues of importance.

House Resolution 585 creates a study committee to examine the rising rate of gang violence in Georgia. Sadly, there are more than 71,000 identified gang members or associates which impact every region of our state. The House Study Committee on Gang and Youth Violence Prevention will work to analyze the best course of legislative action regarding gang and youth violence prevention. The committee will turn in their findings in December which will include their suggested course of action through the 2020 session and beyond.
We also adopted House Resolution 589 which addresses a major health concern regarding maternal mortality rates in our state. Georgia is among the top ten states with the highest maternal mortality rate, with 60 percent of these deaths being preventable. The House Study Committee on Maternal Mortality will be tasked to develop a strategy aimed at improving current policy, which we are confident, will ultimately decrease and prevent maternal deaths in Georgia.

2020 FY Budget
Legislative day 38 brought the passage of House Bill 31 , fulfilling our only constitutional obligation, to pass a balanced budget. Our 2020 Fiscal Year Budget allocates more than 50 percent of available funds to education, 22 percent to health and human services and 8 percent to transportation and economic development. We are proud to announce that our House body voted to approve the largest salary increase in our state’s history for teachers and certified personnel! This action will raise the base pay of our hard-working educators by $3,000, starting in July of this year. Please be on the lookout for my upcoming budget column which will include a detailed report of final allocations, including any Capital projects expected for our region of the state. Georgia’s new Fiscal Year will begin, July 1.

Heartbeat Bill
Our local House delegation stood in solidarity last Friday as we all voted in favor of House Bill 481 , Georgia's Heartbeat bill. This bill recognizes "personhood" of the unborn once a fetal heartbeat is detected. The legislation cuts allowable procedure time from the current twenty weeks to approximately six weeks. Governor Kemp is expected to sign the legislation as he has voiced his full support of the measure.

TAVT Rates
House Bill 365, w hich passed the house unanimously earlier this session, successfully passed the Senate last Friday through Senate Bill 65 . This bill closes the loophole by adjusting used car valuation, lowering the rate from 7% to 6.6% for all Georgians. Huge thanks to Senator Tyler Harper who attached our language to his bill, ensuring final passage. Also huge thanks to the Senate body who showed overwhelming support in favor of this legislation.
Tuesday, April 2, will bring our final day of the 2019 legislative session. We expect several bills to pass prior to our deadline, set for midnight. It has been an eventful session as we look towards a productive off session season, filled with study committee work and district events. If you ever need anything, please reach out to me anytime. Thank you for the honor of allowing us to serve you under the Gold Dome as we work towards simple, smart and effective government. 

Respectfully,
Shaw Blackmon
Representative of Georgia's 146th House District

Contact:
478-918-7477
 
Representative Shaw Blackmon
District 146
Email: Shaw.Blackmon@house.ga.gov
Phone: 404.463.7853
Address: 401-K State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334


Rep. Shaw Blackmon represents District 146. He currently serves as a member of Economic Development & Tourism,Governmental Affairs, Insurance, Juvenile Justice, Rules, Small Business Development, Special Rules, and Ways & Means Committees. He serves as Chair of the Transportation Committee on Appropriations and also as House Appointee to the Joint Defense Commission.