Public health, explained: Sign up to receive Healthbeat’s free Atlanta newsletter here.The Georgia Legislature ended its session late Thursday, passing several bills aimed at shoring up the state’s health workforce and approving a public health budget that calls for little new spending.HIV prevention drugs and birth control will be easier to get, with pharmacists allowed to prescribe them, and the state’s school day cellphone ban will be extended to high schools, among the bills sent to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature. Some health advocates were disappointed that lawmakers did not create a certification for community health workers. “The need for community health workers across Georgia remains urgent — they are essential to expanding access to care and supporting our communities,” said Natasha Taylor, deputy director of nonprofit Georgia Watch, who has advocated for the bill for several years. “It is deeply disappointing that the Senate chose not to advance the bill for the third year in a row.”Here’s a summary of other public health action:Budget includes expansion of maternal home visitsThe legislature approved a $933 million budget for the Department of Public Health for fiscal 2027, which starts in July. It’s a slight decrease from last year. It includes $429 million in state funds, with $483 million coming from federal sources. The budget includes $3.7 million more for the state’s maternal and infant home visiting program, which seeks to help at-risk pregnant women and infants with medical and social services. The program will expand to an additional 33 counties, serving most of the state. Four states, four strategies: Lessons for Georgia’s public health reviewLawmakers hope this will help improve Georgia’s maternal and infant health outcomes. One-fifth of Georgia mothers do not receive adequate prenatal care, and the state’s rates of severe maternal morbidity and mortality are higher than the national rates, according to the March of Dimes. The budget also includes an increase of $750,000 to help pay for the core staff who operate the Trauma Recovery Center and an additional $500,000 for the Office of Cardiac Care to make grants to hospitals. Improved leave benefits for public health employeesThis bill, sponsored by Rep. Darlene Taylor, a Thomasville Republican, would allow county public health employees who move to the state health department to retain their accrued leave time. It grew out of a recommendation from a House study committee that looked at improving public health in Georgia. The measure passed unanimously in the House and Senate and now heads to Kemp. Allowing pharmacists to prescribe HIV prevention drugs and birth control This measure allows pharmacists to prescribe a group of HIV prevention drugs called PrEP and PEP. The goal is to increase access to the drugs and reduce the state’s high rate of new infections, as well as the cost of HIV care, Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, a Rome Republican, told Healthbeat. While there are some details still to be worked out about how pharmacists will be compensated for their work, advocates hailed the bill as an important step toward increasing access to the drugs. A separate bill will allow pharmacists to dispense birth control pills and injectable contraceptives without prescriptions. Initially, patients can receive up to a three-month supply, followed by a 12-month supply on subsequent visits. It will take effect on Jan. 1 if Kemp signs it. Creating a pathway for foreign-trained doctors to practiceAfter this measure failed to get the needed votes last year, Republican Sen. Ben Watson, a Savannah doctor, sponsored the bill this year and successfully shepherded it through. The bill creates a pathway for doctors trained abroad who meet a lengthy list of requirements to practice in Georgia, first on a provisional license and eventually on a full license. They must agree to practice in underserved areas during the process. If signed by Kemp, Georgia will join a growing list of states, including neighboring Tennessee, Florida, and North Carolina, with similar provisions. Advocates say it could help address the state’s physician shortage and increase the number of doctors who can provide culturally sensitive care to the state’s increasingly diverse population. Easing recovery for nurses, counselors struggling with substance use This bill creates an “alternative to discipline” program for nurses who struggle with substance use. The bill comes in response to nurses’ feedback that the current disciplinary system prevents them from seeking early help for addiction because it is public and punitive and can stop them from working. The bill establishes a system in which nurses can seek help while they continue to work and are monitored by the nursing board. It sets up a parallel system for counselors and social workers. Such systems already exist for pharmacists, dentists, and doctors, Rep. Ron Stephens, a Republican pharmacist from Savannah who sponsored the bill, told Healthbeat. Advocates hope it will keep more nurses and counselors in the workforce as the state faces a shortage. The measure heads to Kemp for his approval. Extending cellphone ban to high school Last year, the legislature enacted a “bell to bell” cellphone ban for students in grades K-8, set to take effect this summer. Some schools and districts have already implemented the ban and provided positive feedback about its impact on student mental health and learning. In response, Rep. Scott Hilton, a Peachtree Corners Republican, introduced a bill to extend that ban to high school. The bill passed and goes to Kemp for approval. It would take effect starting with the 2027-28 school year. Bill to certify community health workers failsThe House public health study committee report published last year noted Emory University and Morehouse School of Medicine have trained more than 1,500 community health workers in the past two years, but they remain “an under-utilized workforce” because they struggle to find employment. Advocates have urged legislators to create a community health worker certification to regularize and increase respect for the profession. However, the bill this year failed to pass for the third time. The measure had gained the support of a Senate committee but failed to get a needed floor vote. Advocates had hoped a certification process would help with the goal of getting insurers to reimburse providers for CHW services. Public health cleanup bill becomes mired in controversy, fails to passMarietta Republican Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick sponsored a bill to clean up obsolete language relating to the administration of public health. Brought at the request of DPH, it failed to pass after it became attached to two controversial proposals. On the Senate side, Democrats in February attempted to attach an amendment to the bill that would have called on the state to expand Medicaid, a move Republicans have long resisted. That amendment was voted down and the bill passed unanimously. It then required House approval, where lawmakers attached language that would have allowed the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin to be sold over-the-counter after a separate bill with the same proposal failed to gain traction. A House committee approved the version of the bill with the ivermectin language added. The bill also picked up a measure to review whether insurers were following Georgia’s mental health parity laws. The lengthy bill was sent to the House floor, where it was approved on the last day of the session on a mostly party line vote. However, that left no time for the Senate to vote on the new version of the bill, meaning it ultimately failed to pass. Rebecca Grapevine is a reporter covering public health in Atlanta for Healthbeat. Contact Rebecca at rgrapevine@healthbeat.org.
