The Holland Report - 2024, Week 6

Florence Luranc

We're Halfway There!
Tuesday marked legislative day 20, which means we are already halfway through the 2024 legislative session. The days in the chamber start getting longer now, and our committee meetings become more urgent. We passed some very good bills this week, but we also spent too much time in the chamber debating the kind of highly politicized bills that seem to pop up every election year. We also enjoyed lots of special visitors and events. Read more details about the happenings from days 19 through 22 below.

Bills That Passed the House

HB 576
Republicans continue to politicize healthcare in Georgia. HB 576 does not allow doctors to consider Covid-19 vaccine status when prioritizing who gets an organ transplant. Once again, the legislative body is interfering with the decisions of doctors and hospitals while also spreading misinformation about vaccines. I voted no on this bill.

HB 1010
We celebrated a big win for family leave this week. HB 1010 doubles the amount of paid leave for state employees (including teachers) upon birth or adoption of a child. Family leave is a tremendous recruitment and retention tool for employers, but it's also a boon for maternal and infant health. This bill brings the state's family leave to six paid weeks, which is still only half of the gold standard of 12 paid weeks. We'll continue to fight for expanded family leave in Georgia. I was so happy to vote yes.

HB 1037
In other good news for families, we passed HB 1037 which creates a Maternal & Infant Health Commission. As Georgia continues to languish as one of the worst states for maternal mortality, this bill creates an authority to improve conditions for new mothers and their children. This bipartisan effort has been in the works for years with many prominent Democrats working to make the commission a reality for over a decade. I was proud to vote yes.

HB 1033
Organized crime targeting utility workers is on the rise. Companies report coordinated efforts to rob trucks of valuable tools and wiring while workers are on sites to do repairs or installs. HB 1033 increases penalties for these attacks on utility trucks and the employees working from them. It was a rare piece of legislation supported by both the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and several labor unions. I voted yes.

HB 874
As the parent of a student athlete, I was happy to support legislation in HB 874 that provides defibrillators for our K-12 schools. The presence of a defibrillator greatly increases the chances of someone experiencing cardiac problems surviving the event. The state has confirmed funds to support this equipment, and the bill includes a structure for schools to develop plans to respond to cardiac health events. This bill could make a life or death difference for our students, and I was proud to vote yes.

Mental Health
So much of the work we're doing under the Gold Dome has the potential to affect mental health outcomes in our state. Advocates such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness continue to visit the Capitol to make sure that improving mental healthcare is never far from our minds.

Georgia Ports
Georgia's ports continue to be a huge economic driver in our state. The Port of Savannah brings more than 560k jobs to Georgia and contributes 9% of Georgia's GDP. The Port Authority visited on Monday to provide updates to the Georgia-Japan Caucus (of which I'm a member) about the growth and impact of our ports.

Georgia Ports Authority Staff Member Brandy and other representatives brought a great report of the economic impact of the Port of Savannah.

Paid Family Leave
Passing HB 1010 was a step towards better Paid Family Leave for state employees, but it's only one part of a longer journey to provide leave to more families in Georgia. Currently, 78% of Georgia's workers do not have access to Paid Family Leave. I spoke with representatives of Georgia's 9to5 chapter who came to the Capitol on Tuesday to advocate for PFL.

I enjoyed visiting with representatives of
9to5 Georgia Chapter advocating for working women.

Supporting Seniors
The Georgia Council on Aging (GCOA) visited on Thursday to advocate for the many issues impacting Georgia's aging population, including adequate healthcare supports and protections from elder abuse.

Encouraging Future Candidates
Without the support of the nonprofit Her Term, I'm not sure I would have found the resources to run successfully for office six years ago. The organization focuses exclusively on recruiting and supporting women for all levels of elected office. Her Term visited the capitol on Tuesday with some of the candidates seeking office in the upcoming November elections.

Supporting Georgia's Swamp
Along with a bipartisan coalition in the House, I continue. to advocate for the passage of HB 71 to protect the Okefenokee Swamp. I gathered with other environmental supporters and conservationists this week for the Georgia River Network's Save the Swamp event in Sandy Springs. My favorite political mascots, the Okefenokee Alligators, were on hand to celebrate.

Engaging with Leaders in the Community
We welcomed Leadership Perimeter to the Capitol on Thursday. I joined other House members who represent the communities in the Perimeter area to give updates about the legislative session and answer questions about the issues impacting their businesses, neighborhoods and families.

Supporting North Atlanta High School
Congratulations to the NAHS Foundation for an amazing Denim and Diamonds fundraiser last weekend. It was a great opportunity to support our local high school and spend time with APS board members, the principals from both Sutton Middle School and North Atlanta High, and our community of APS parents!

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Higher Education
The Higher Education Committee met on Wednesday to hear three bills. Two bills will await action in a future meeting, but we did vote unanimously to pass HB 1124 to amend the College Completion Grants program. After hearing feedback from our universities and technical colleges, the committee moved to change the eligibility guidelines for receiving these critical grants that help students fill a financial gap as they near graduation. This newer version would allow access to the grants for students who have completed 70% of their college degree (as opposed to 80%) and students who have completed half of their requirements for a certification from a technical college.

Creative Arts & Entertainment
While we focus often on the impact of film and television production in Georgia, we sometimes forget to champion the amazing music business that is growing in our state. We passed HB 549 out of the Creative Arts and Entertainment Committee to create a Statewide Music Office to foster growth in the music community.

We hope you will join us for our next legislative update March 3. Pre-register here for the Zoom link.

If you haven’t already, please browse my website, betsyforgeorgia.com.

As your Representative, your concerns are important to me. Please contact me at betsy.holland@house.ga.gov or 404-656-0116 with questions, concerns, or solutions you may have regarding legislation or other happenings in District 54.

To stay updated, follow me on Twitter and Facebook, and follow the Georgia House of Representatives @GAHouseHub on Twitter. Additionally, in-depth information regarding current bills, Georgia's annual and supplemental budgets, committee meetings, and livestreams from the General Assembly can be accessed via www.legis.ga.gov.

I encourage you and your family to visit our State Capitol and my office, where all constituents are welcome. I look forward to connecting with you!

My office is located at:
18 Capitol Square, SW
409-B, Coverdell Legislative Office Building
Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative.