House Rules Committee advances multiple occupational-licensing and health-related bills, sets calendar

The House Rules Committee heard brief presentations on more than a dozen bills on licensing, health and administrative rules and approved motions to place several measures on the legislative calendar for floor consideration.

Committee members heard measures ranging from interstate licensing compacts for dietitians, school psychologists and massage therapists to changes in CPA licensure pathways and an increase in the indemnification payment for teachers killed in the line of duty. Most bills were presented without extended debate and several were moved to the calendar by voice vote.

The package included HB 185, described by the presenter as a three-part update to the Georgia Dietetics Act: modernizing statutory language, creating a separate licensure category recognizing dietitians and nutritionists authorized to provide medical nutrition therapy, and allowing Georgia to join an interstate compact for dietitians. The presenter summarized the bill as follows: "It accomplishes 3 things. Number 1, it modernizes the language in the Georgia Dietetics Act. Number 2, it carves out specific specific licensure for new dietitians and nutritionists ... Thirdly, it allows Georgia to join an interstate compact for dietitians," (presenter identified in the transcript only as "Jane").

Several other interstate compacts were introduced. A presenter said HB 81 would "enter Georgia into an interstate compact of school psychologists" and "reduce barriers to certification for school psychologists from the member states," citing work by the Council of State Governments, the Department of Defense and the National Association of School Psychologists. HB 232 was presented as an interstate compact for massage therapists; the presenter said it would raise required training hours from 500 to 625 to align Georgia with neighboring states.

Licensing and professional mobility changes included HB 148, a measure on CPA licensure that was described as creating alternative pathways to licensure by placing more emphasis on experience and clarifying requirements for a master's degree route; the presenter said Georgia would join about 36 other states pursuing similar changes. HB 34 would allow the secretary of state to implement an online tracking system for continuing education requirements. HB 187 was described as a broad cleanup bill affecting HVAC contractors, plumbers, electricians and utility contractors.

Health and employee-protection bills included HB 105, which Representative Wade said "raises the amount paid out for a school teacher if they were killed in the line of service ... from 75,000 to a hundred and 50 thousand, which matches the amount that we do for public safety officers." HB 218 would lower the age at which a hospital may offer (but not require) an influenza vaccine at discharge from 50 to 18; the presenter noted federal rules require insurers and Medicaid to cover the vaccine, and said there would be no cost to the patient. HB 197 was presented as a peer-to-peer call measure that would allow insurers' physicians to speak to a treating physician to confirm a recommended stent or procedure; the presenter said insurance groups supported the bill.

Other items brought before the committee included HB 196 proposing a reimbursement rate for pharmacies dispensing drugs to state health plan participants, which the presenter said would use "NAIDAC pricing as well as adding a dispensing fee," and HB 192, a workforce-focused "Top State for Talent" bill intended to incentivize alignment of K–12 and higher education career-pathway programs with a state's high-demand career list.

Local and administrative items included HB 73 (Seminole County Board of Education nonpartisan elections), HB 208 (special license plates for state parks and a batfish population program), and HB 34 and HB 187 (secretary of state tracking and contractor cleanup language). A presenter said HB 74 would place the COAM division of the Lottery Commission under the Administrative Procedures Act for rulemaking transparency; the presenter described the change as correcting an earlier drafting error so that the division would be subject to public notice and reporting requirements.

Procedure and calendar motions consumed the meeting's closing minutes. The chair asked for and received a motion "We do not limit debate on the floor today," which was seconded and treated as approved by voice. The committee then set a calendar for Thursday (legislative day 17) under a modified structure and moved several bills to the calendar by voice vote; the transcript records motions and seconds for placement of bills and repeated the phrase "Any opposition? ... It's on," indicating committee assent.

Votes at a glance - Motion: "Do not limit debate on the floor today." — second requested and motion approved by voice (no roll-call recorded in transcript). - Motion: Set calendar for Thursday (legislative day 17) under modified structure; move HB 36 — motion seconded; outcome: approved by voice. - Motion: Move HB 74 to calendar — motion seconded; outcome: approved by voice. - Motion: Move HB 81 to calendar — motion seconded; outcome: approved by voice. - Motion: Move HB 105 to calendar — motion seconded; outcome: approved by voice.

The presenters asked for committee members' "favorable consideration" on multiple bills; however, the transcript records little extended questioning or formal debate on individual policy merits. Several presenters said the measures had passed committee previously or had unanimous committee support in earlier stages. The meeting adjourned after the calendar actions.

Ending The committee advanced a set of largely procedural and licensing bills with short presentations and moved several measures to the floor calendar. Transcript remarks indicate committee members and presenters treated several items as noncontroversial; the record shows no recorded roll-call votes or formal objections during the calendar motions in the provided transcript excerpt.