Legislative

Georgia AAP 2021 Legislative Blueprint for Children

2021 Georgia General Assembly

Update: January 13, 2021

On Monday, the Georgia General Assembly convened for its 40 day session—in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be an unusual session, to say the least.

The Governor and legislative leaders have identified several issues as “front and center”: recovery from the pandemic, election laws, mental health, and broadband access, among them.

For the Chapter, almost all our priorities have been impacted by the pandemic and the degradation of conditions for children and adolescents we have seen over the last 10 months: continued strengthening of the Georgia Medicaid program, children’s mental health, immunizations, health equity, the importance of early childhood development, and injury prevention.

Legislative schedule: Legislators will be in 4 days this week, then adjourn for next week as the joint Appropriations committee hears the budget requests of the various departments. They will reconvene on January 25.  On January 14, tomorrow, Governor Kemp will present his budget to the General Assembly.

Obviously, the General Assembly will be operating under safety protocols during the pandemic. Visiting groups will not be permitted, the page program has been suspended, face masks will be required, and some committee meetings maybe virtual.

2021 Legislative Advocacy Webinar Series:  Under those circumstance we have converted our legislative day at the Capitol to a 3-part Zoom webinar series, held on Jan. 28, Feb.10 and Feb. 28.  The series is free to Chapter members and registration information is above.  It will be an informative series and a great way to learn and practice your advocacy skills.

Other resources: The General Assembly’s website is a great place to gain information about bills, how to contact your state legislators, and even watch sessions on their streaming system.  If you really enjoy following the session, Georgia PBS TV airs “Lawmakers” every day at 7p when the session is in. This 30-minute program recaps the day and issues being debated under the Gold Dome.

Watch this space each week for updates and alerts on the bills and issues we’re following for you at the Capitol, and the patients you care for.  As always, our Legislative Committee, led by chair Melinda Willingham, MD will be meeting regularly during the session. The committee is open to any Chapter member. For more information, contact Kathryn Autry at Kautry@gaaap.org.