Rep. Deborah Silcox

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 6 of Chapter 4 of Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to pharmacies, so as to require pharmacies to furnish patients with written informational material when dispensing certain prescription drugs; to require pharmacies to provide a means to safely dispose of unused, unwanted, or expired prescription drugs; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Maddy summaryHB 197 requires health care providers to make a specific effort to discuss a patient's care with insurance review agents (like private or utility review entities) when medical necessity is questioned. This includes contacting providers directly, using callback systems, or offering website scheduling for later communication during normal business hours. The bill also mandates that insurers implement performance-based programs to reduce prior authorization requirements for high-performing providers who follow evidence-based medicine, with annual reporting to the state department by 2026. It applies to all Georgia health insurance policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 19 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to domestic relations, so as to provide protection for household pets in both family violence and dating violence protective orders; to provide for a definition and an exclusion; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding health, so as to codify the right to in vitro fertilization for individuals; to provide for a definition; to provide for related matters; to provide for legislative findings; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 12 of Chapter 3 of Title 38 and Part 4 of Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to emergency communications authority and emergency telephone number 9-1-1 system, respectively, so as to provide for Next Generation 9-1-1 systems and services; to revise and provide for definitions; to revise the duties and responsibilities of the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority as relevant to Next Generation 9-1-1 systems and services; to add members to the board of directors of such authority; to require all new 9-1-1 systems conform to wireless enhanced 9-1-1 service or NG9-1-1 service standards; to revise the role of the executive director of the authority; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 11 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants, so as to revise provisions regarding the Georgia Board of Dentistry issuance of a dental or dental hygiene license for the sole purpose of teaching or instructing in an accredited dental school, dental hygiene school, or academic medical center in this state; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 7 of Chapter 10 of Title 9 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to continuances, so as to provide for the continuance and stay of proceedings related to eviction of tenants at certain airports; to provide for a definition; to amend Code Section 44-7-51 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to issuance of summons, service, time for answer, and defenses and counterclaims, so as to provide for service by an approved process server; to provide for related matters; to provide a short title; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend an Act creating a State Court of Fulton County by consolidation of the existing Civil Court of Fulton County and the Criminal Court of Fulton County, approved March 24, 1976 (Ga. L. 1976, p. 3023), as amended, particularly by an Act approved March 24, 1994 (Ga. L. 1994, p. 3944), and by an Act approved May 14, 2003 (Ga. L. 2003, p. 3518), so as to provide an additional judge for the State Court of Fulton County; to provide for the appointment of the initial additional judge and the election of successors; to provide for terms of office of said additional judge and successors to such judge; to provide for the powers and privileges of said additional judge; to provide for the compensation and expenses of said additional judge; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 17 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to criminal procedure, so as to provide for pretrial proceedings in capital offense cases where the death penalty is sought when the accused has intellectual disability; to provide for a definition; to provide for notice of intent to claim intellectual disability; to provide for pretrial determination of intellectual disability; to provide for verdicts; to provide for capital case procedures; to provide for reports investigating reversible error; to provide for a standard of review; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Subpart 2A of Part 3 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the needs based financial aid program, so as to revise the definition of "eligible student"; to extend an automatic repealer; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.